Friends of Davie Bay

My boyfriend spent his summers in Texada growing up, a small town in the Gulf Islands of BC. A small mining town of 1,100 residents that boasts a spectacular and diverse environment.

Upon arriving in Texada the first sight you will see is an enormous gravel pit from the island's Limestone mine.

Getting past that it's almost impossible not to spot eagles, deers, hawks, and vultures as you drive across the island. It's a pretty pristine place that feels like it's yet to be discovered.

There have been certain benefits from the mining industry, including an old gravel pit that has been filled with water and is now a stunning water hole to swim in:



I've been lucky enough to go to Texada a number of times now and I can see how it would be difficult for residents to balance mining activity while trying to perserve the ecological gem that it is.

It's a balance that not everyone agrees on. Lehigh Cement Company has applied to the Integrated Land Management Bureau to build a barge facility in Davie Bay in Texada.

Having visited Davie Bay myself I can say that it is easily one of the most beautiful, clean, and environmentally diverse areas of the entire island. Which is why the island is divided as to whether mining should be allowed in the area, which would likely devestate the ecosystems there.

A map of the proposed plans can be found here.

As the facebook group 'Davie Bay Think Tank...I think they should leave it alone' describes it:

'They will be loading the raw material near the forestry road at the land formerly known as terrace park. there will be a conveyor bringing the material over the cliff at the south end of the bay, just past the spit where the cabin* was.'

*The cabin can be found on the map.

The site also goes on to point out that the area is a Rockfish Conservation Area and that it's home to the rare prickly pear cactus.

The residents of Texada and opponents of the plan are even more concerned about the project since the BC Government decided not to have an environmental review of the area.

Why? Projects that are only considered 'large' are subject to review. In this case it means more than 250,000 tonnes per year. The proposed plan is for 240,000 tonnes a year. But the proposed infrastructure is capable of supporting a much larger mine...

Luckily there is some hope as the 'Friends of Davie Bay' non profit organization was formed to halt the project and West Coast Environmental Law have taken up the cause. On July 26 a petition was filed challenging the BC government’s failure to conduct an environmental assessment.

For more information on Friends of Davie Bay, check out their facebook page. For more information on the effects of the project and West Coast Environmental Law's case, click here.

The FODB are a David challenging a Goliath and welcome any financial contributions, whcih can be done here.

Stay tuned for more...