Mosquito ~ Control 2015 response

I would be willing to volunteer to help with this job,my neighbour has had experience with development and construction along Fraser river bogs,and says he has put in many of these systems! Don't  know exactly what his experience is , but I'm sure we can come up with a solution to stop the annoying little blighters!

Steve Bird

Mosquito ~ Control 2015 response

TIRRA should indeed address the mosquito issue. The flapper valve would be a good starting point but they could also help individual property owners like myself - with advice, not money - where there are ponds where we might be able to do something constructive. In my case for example, would application of an anti-mosquito product harm our large resident turtles?

Peter Barr

Editor's note: the turtles at Barrs' are not native to Thetis Island, but happy rescues from the SPCA many years ago.

Mosquito ~ Control 2015

Remember how bad the mosquitoes were last year?

It’s time to start thinking of ways to avoid a similar influx again this summer.  The main source of salt marsh mosquitoes - those big, dusty gray kamikaze insects - is the slough at the south end of the island.  They lay their eggs in the mud and when high tides flood the mud flats in spring and summer they hatch in their thousands.  The eggs are viable in the mud for many years and I’m sure last year’s mosquitoes added to the inventory. 

In the past there was a flapper valve on the culvert that runs under Pilkey Point Road.  3 or 4 years ago, that flapper rusted off the culvert and hasn’t been replaced.  We need someone with metal work experience to give us a new flapper valve. 

This is also a health issue as mosquitoes are vectors for West Nile Virus. And since the mosquito infestation affected the whole island last year, this is not something that one or two people should be responsible for.  The whole community needs to be behind this to achieve a community made solution.  Is this an issue for TIRRA to address?   

The purpose of this email is to get the discussion going and it will be in small gatherings. So start thinking and problem solving.  

Next summer’s happiness is in the balance!

Pat English, Secretary, Strata 589

Islands Trust ~ Reply from Jas Chonk to E Vance

February 6 2015

Thank you for input into Islands Trust’s 2015/16 budget.  Correspondence, including email, addressed to the Financial Planning Committee is circulated to the Committee members and will be forwarded to Trust Council.  Please note that your correspondence will form part of a public record and, as such, may be posted to the Islands Trust website.   If that is not your intention, please advise us immediately.

Mr. J. Chonk

Islands Trust / Executive Secretary

Islands Trust ~ From Easton Vance re Islands Trust Budget

January 26 2015

via e-mail to Jas Chonk Exec Sec. Islands Trust

Sir 

This is in response to your request for comment on subject budget via our local eSPOKES net. 

Last year you reported a miniscule response to a similar request. I believe this was due to residents of the trust area being knowledgeable about their own locale and it's needs but not the area as a whole.

Actively involving island residents with local trustees in producing a budget that conforms to their wishes and the overarching requirements of government, prior to submission to council, would produce informed residents and a cost effective work plan.

Similarly cost effective would be the use of existing Government agencies to undertake work the Trust has in the past contracted out to the private sector.

Over the last decade The Trust budget has doubled. The origins of this bloat can be seen in the present proposed budget, wherein $7,000,000 is Input in order to Output a mere $300,000 worth of projects.

A procedure guaranteed to induce fiscal constipation. 

E Vance