By Roy L Hales
Three quarters of Quadra Island lies outside the fire protection zone. BC Wildfire Service responds to forest fires in this area but, normally, do not come on to private property.
Last June, the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) asked North Island residents if they would like to have the same level of coverage as the south. While roughly half of the respondents said they thought all Quadra residents should have the same level of protection, 64 per cent indicated they were happy with the present system and less than 10 per cent were willing to pay for any additional coverage.
The Electoral Areas Services Committee (EASC) instructed SRD staff to draw up a report on how to move forward. Staff suggested forming an advisory group, comprised of representatives from each of the residential areas on the north island. Instead, EASC decided to let the proposal to extend Quadra’s fire protection die.
Example of a densely stocked, pole‐sapling C2 fuel type - from the Quadra Island Community Wildfire Protection Plan
Extending fire protection too expensive
As Quadra Island’s Regional Director, Jim Abram, pointed out, they would need three fire halls to effectively cover the North Island and said that “it’s just too expensive.”
Map showing settlement density classes. – Quadra Wildfire Protection plan. Note the Quadra Island Fire Department’s mandate is currently to serve the highly populated south of the island.
Land ownership on Quadra Island (a compilation of SRD and Provincial data) – Quadra Wildfire Protection Plan
Not consulting with the director
Staff received flack for not notifying Director Abram about their proposal, for an advisory group, prior to the meeting.
"I would have appreciated at least some notice that this was going to happen, since it will be a sort of standing committee on the island and appointed people that are my constituents," Jim Abram said.
“Yes, the director should be consulted. He is the elected representative," Regional Director Brenda Leigh added. "He has the right to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to these initiatives. It shouldn’t simply be staff driven all the time. I mean Quadra doesn’t even have an APC (advisory planning committee) – so why would they have all these other extraneous committees over issues that aren’t even very well supported so far?”
“This is a report recommendation from staff," Chief Administrative Officer David Leitch responded. "If the director or the committee doesn’t support it, then don’t support it. We will tell the people that the issue about fire service is dead there. So it is not staff driven, it is a recommendation and if the director and the committee don’t care for it, don’t support it.”
Updated fuel typing for the study area and relative hazard for each type – Quadra Island Community Wildfire Protection Plan).
Proposal to extend Quadra’s fire protection to the north dies
That’s what they did.
The clincher came when it was time to vote. No one suggested that EASC recommend the SRD set up the proposed advisory group. The only motion was that a decision be deferred to the next committee meeting and there was no one willing to second it.
The fire coverage issue died.
Related entry from EASC’s minutes for Sept 16, 2020. As there was no motion to adopt staff’s plan, and consequently no ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote, the issue was not recorded.