Text of Presidents Report, May 22, 2002
by Ms. Kym Hill

(Thanks to Ian McKenzie, who has delivered his annual report as secretary prior to this speech)

Now that Ian has "done" Langford, I’m going to review the Metchosin activities.

As much as I like to be thorough, if I was to try to go into detail about all of our activities, even those limited to Metchosin, I would quickly go beyond bragging and well into boring.

There has been an incredible amount of work done over the years; Educational programs in the elementary schools, Restoration work at 1/2 a dozen sites, fisheries inventory, water quality data collection.... it’s a long list, the details are available if you’d like them, contained in our annual reports on display here. (motion to tables)

But I need to condense, so I’m going to focus just on the Metchosin work of the past year, then I hope to express a word or two about an inspiration, a revelation, I’ve had and some thoughts that have arrived over the last few days as we were preparing for this meeting.

So, ... [pause] by far the most time consuming work taking place over the last year ...at least for "yours truly", was that involving the Bilston Action Team ....also known as "BAT". What was ‘sposed to be a three month committee stint turned into over two years of continual meetings.

The goal of the "Bat" group was to devise recommendations and draft bylaws for Metchosin so they could lift the building moratorium that is in effect on the upper section of the Bilston drainage area. A moratorium area means there is a ban on new building construction. The idea was to prevent development there until chronic drainage problems in the adjacent valley were solved...or at least addressed.

As said, the BAT group was to devise a set of recommendations and draft bylaws to deal with the problems so the moratorium could be lifted, I was one of the six members of that group. One of six very diverse members. [Pause]

Anyway, we finally did produce the recommendations and draft bylaws....and the job was finally finished(or so I thought) last July. Finally done.

At that point, I must admit, I felt exhausted. I was happy the task was over though I wasn’t overjoyed by the product. I felt it was hard to read, had some weak areas but you know, better it be done than perfect. After all, it would be fine tuned by staff before it became law and besides.... I had taken up the fanciful idea of retiring from the volunteer work. After 10 years in general and especially these last very trying 2 years in particular, I figured I had done my part.

Well, as you can see, it was a retirement that was not to be. I couldn't walk away.

Why? Well because in October, after the BAT recommendations and draft bylaws had been introduced to council and the public, it became obvious that 2 of the BAT members had either changed their minds or maybe they had never really intended to support the recommendations and bylaws...the product of all that work. Whatever. The two dissenting members made it known, and continue to make it known, that they are unhappy. They formed a group and now there are a whole bunch of unhappy people. However, it remains unclear and unexpressed just what it would take to bring happiness to them. This exercise has been the most frustrating experience and the biggest waste of time I have ever encountered during 15 years in stream work.

So, what do you do?

It’s awkward because the association and myself both made a promise....a promise to help make the agreement that would lift the development freeze. Yet it remains - literally years after that commitment was given.

So, what do you do?

Well, if you are an optimist...and most volunteer group prez are of that ilk, you look for the up-side. Failure is lousy, but failure always brings a lesson with it...and the lesson here is, ah....hmmm...Don’t trust people? ....Not all BATS Are Created Equal?" no no no.... it’s this. Sometimes you just have to leave it behind...do something else.... change your approach......you know! Work with Different BATS! Like these ones!

[Show new Brochure - "How to be a great conservationist by doing nothing".... featuring smartie cartoon bats]

I am of the opinion that the Association can do little about the moratorium at this point...we have done our bit there. Now we have other fish to fry! Oh - that's an unfortunate way of putting it, ah...rather, we have had this project on the back-burner.

While we were fussing with the moratorium issue, the need for this project has been growing. It’s about saving things that are precious. It’s about teaching..or just reminding people that we have precious things in our care.

This little brochure was made to do that. Metchosin, who is chipping in to produce this, call it educational material...we prefer to think of it as a "think bomb". It will be sent to every household in the district of Metchosin.

As well, we have had very positive feedback from elsewhere in the community. Tonight we have guests from the Habitat Acquisition Trust. This group has expressed a wish to distribute versions of our pamphlet in other watersheds of the CRD.

Other inroads towards lessons in watershed assets will be undertaken by our am"bat"assor Ms.A.H. Bat, whose first article of an eight part series appeared last month in the "Muse".

In monitoring work, we have helped keep the two flow data loggers in place and operational.

Over the last year we have served as stream "watchdog" at council, following the upcoming proceedings by monitoring the Agenda on a regular basis. We hold our own meetings monthly (first Tues of each month, 7:30pm) in Metchosin at the Community Hall.

While there have been no new major developments proposed in Metchosin, we continue to make input on single lot developments and to give notice about actions, especially violations, when they affect the watercourse common assets.

Finally we have done, and will in future, what we can to assist the municipal government to implement the sensible, and long overdue, Provincial Streamside Protection Legislation. This, you may or may not know, is protective legislation that must be put in place by the municipal government within 5 (now 4) years. These rules are coming because the federal government has made it a legal requirement to protect streamsides. This is to protect all fish, not just salmon.

People will resist this unless and until they realise the resource will be damaged and eventually altered forever if we continue with our present practices. New rules are necessary and important. But for us, the regular folks with no badges, for us, I think the strongest tool is education. And after getting out and about over the last few days, visiting folks along the stream, seeing how they treat it, I really think that the prevailing instinct is to do the right thing...I think that nurturing that instinct is the real key. Our Associations name promises to protect...well, we protect what is precious - right?.. let’s make sure the precious nature of our assets are known, let’s take every opportunity to discuss and brag about what we have. Let’s encourage knowledge that will bring protection in its wake, "for in the end, we will save only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught."

Plus, learning is fun....Just find out some facts about bats! You’ll agree with me for sure!