Haida Gwaii Observer, October 09, 2015

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Friday, May 1, Friday, October 9, 2015

Environment, Earthquake rattles beds but bill fails to omnibus startle nerves dominate debate By Marple By Stacey Quinn Bender Haida Haida Gwaii Gwaii Observer Observer

The of Fridayvying Aprilto24, Fourearly of themorning five candidates repreHaida Gwaii was hit by an Earthquake of 6.1 sent the Skeena-Bulkley Valley riding squared magnitude. No tsunami warnings were issued off in two all-candidates debates on Haida after the earthquake. The epicentre of the Gwaii last week. In Skidegate and Masset, quake approximately 167stops km south Oct. 1 was and 2 respectively, the wereof the Village of Queen Charlotte. among 17 municipalities extending invitaSome residents of Haida Gwaii tions during a marathon tour of thereported region. objects shaking and windows rattling, but no On Haida Gwaii, it serious was thedamage first timeorainjuries were reported. As the islandswas of Haida Gwaii all have federal debate unique geological qualities, the effects of an held this side of the earthquake can vary from island to island. Hecate Strait. Every community reported feeling the quake in On Oct. 1 roughly different ways. Queen Charlotte Village which 35 people filed into has rockCentre, base didn’t the aKay as feel the quake as much as the residents of the northern parts of Graham Queen Charlotte island. Tlell and north is mostly- Jeannie a sand based Parnell Mayor Greg Martin area and feels almost every quake that happens. served as moderaShirley Wilson of Skidegate reported tor, pitching seven feeling the earthquake. question ranging in “I was sitting in my bed heard the house creak.” After topicwhen fromI global the initial creak she feltdevelopments her bed start rocking warming and pipeline to Bill and ornaments rocking. “The C-51noticed and theher Northern Living Allowance. ornaments rocked for while afterofthe Very little divided thearesponses thequake Green stopped,” Ms. Wilson told the Observer. “My Party’s Jeannie Parnell, the Liberal’s Brad son and brother who were also in the house Layton and the NDP’s incumbent Nathan didn’t the earthquake at all.” civil, if Cullen,feel helping foster a notably Barry Pages of Masset, director of the agreeable table discussion. With the absence Skeena-Queen Charlotte Regional District of Conservative candidate Tyler Nesbitt, said feltathe quake because it was therehewas dearth of but middle ground, as fairly short he wasn’t toothree concerned. However, he candidates for the liberally-minded added, a reminder every one to be parties “This mostlyis ignored the to ultra-conservative prepared.” responses of the Christian Heritage Party’s Earthquakes Donald Spratt.are nothing new to Haida Gwaii. The comes weeks after On globalquake warming, thejust consensus was a study identi ed Haida Gwaii as ground zero clear, that much more must be done to reduce for the next major seismic event on the west Canada’s carbon foot print, whether through coast. waste reduction or renewable energy research This recent earthquake doesn’t qualify as and development, and to reengage with the the big one scientists predict, as it was smaller international community whose respect of than even some of the aftershocks after the 7.7 Canada has soured under the Harper govmagnitude earthquake in 2012. ernment. Mr. Spratt was the only dissenting The same thatbelieve Haida in Gwaii got voice, sayingweekend he did not man-made hit by this 6.1 tremor, Nepal was devastated climate change. by a 7.8 magnitude event. Earthquakes between a 6.0 and a 6.9 are Seethe DEBATES on Page 4 considered a strong on Richter scale.

“C-51 is a red flag. They have to go. Now.”

Submitted photo

SubmittedOct. photo Fast Fuel owners Tony and Tracy Aucter celebrate the grand opening of their new card lock facility in Masset, 5.

Committee members of the Pulling Together Haida Gwaii Event demonstrate their teamwork abilities at the carving shed in the Kay Centre. The group will be holding a fund raiser May 2. See full story on Page 3

Eagle Spirit support of Laxafter Kw’alaams Search andtouts rescue suspended Day 3 By Quinn Bender By Quinn Bender Haida Gwaii Observer Haida Gwaii Observer The Nine Allied Tribes of Lax The searchhave for Kumdis Ilsand resiKw’alaams signed an exclusivdent, Brent Hendren, was suspended ity and benefits agreement in support lastthe weekend one of Haida of Eagle following Spirit Energy project, Gwaii’s largest search and rescue saying Lax Kw’alaams mayor and operations in more than 25 to years. council have no authority dictate “I know for a fact that if he was project support. alive there have “Asout they havewe forwould the last ten found thouhim. There’s no chance we would sand years, our tribes hold aborigihavetitle missed him. The community nal to their traditional territory should know we did everything we directly — not through the colonial possibly could to find him,” said invention of the mayor elected under Chris Ashurst, SAR with the Indian Act,” readmanager a statement Archipelago Ground Search and signed by chiefs and matriarchs. The Rescue and deputy unit leader with

Prince Rupert’s

“We know “I know forif awe’re fact not involved the that if he was alive government will out...there would pushwe heavy have found him.” oil through our territory.” - Chris Ashurst - Jack White

Massett Marine Rescue. announcement the Mr. Hendren,lends 27, support was lastforseen energy company’s upgraded oil piperowing out to his Kumdis Island line territories stretching cabinthrough rental with supplies Sunday

from Prince Rupert to Terrace. morning, April 18. He missed dinner The announcement came on the plans with friends later that night. morning of Oct. 1, mere hours before The followingofTuesday representatives the HaidaMasset Nation RCMP received a missing persons prepared its long-awaited legal chalreport,inwhich led to thecourtroom, discovery lenge a Vancouver Mr. Hendren’s boat the abandoned and aimed at overturning federal govoverturned south of Watun River ernment’s approval of the Enbridge near Pure Gateway Lake Provincial Northern pipeline.Park. “It is strongly believed Brent Eagle Spirit’s preliminarythat proposal drowned when his rowboat capsized is for the building of a pipeline that west of Kumdis Island,” Mr. would pump upgraded oilAshurst from said. “This is based on information Alberta to Grassy Point for shipfrom witnesses, theGwaii location the capment past Haida toofoverseas sized vessel, and the distribution of his markets. personal effects along the shoreline. See PIPELINE on Page 2 See SEARCH on Page 2

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