Friday, July 21, 2017

Fire, Boats and Noise

I hope everyone is having a great summer.  I am.  My grand kids have come and visited a couple of times. The weather has been great and my dock has been my favorite place to be.  Along with fun and summer comes some issues, this blog post covers some of those.

Fire...
We have all watched with deep concern for communities through out BC who have been evacuated and sustained horrible losses related to wildfire.

I am of the mind that we need to do what is within our control to minimize the risk of wildires and to be prepared if we do get hit.

1. Be Careful ....starting with campfires.

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We currently have a campfire ban...but that ban includes MUCH MORE than fires...

Specifically, prohibited activities once the campfire ban takes effect will include:
  • campfires, as defined in the wildfire regulation: www.gov.bc.ca/wildfirelegislation
  • the burning of waste or other materials
  • stubble or grass fires of any size over any area
  • the use of fireworks, sky lanterns, tiki torches, chimineas, burning barrels or burning cages of any size or description
  • the use of binary exploding targets (e.g., for target practice)
  • the use of air curtain burners (forced air burning systems)
These prohibitions do not apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes, or to a portable campfire apparatus with a CSA or ULC rating that uses briquettes, liquid or gaseous fuel - as long as the height of the flame is less than 15 centimetres. The use of a campfire apparatus that does not meet these specifications is prohibited.

These prohibitions cover all BC Parks, Crown lands and private lands, but do not apply within the boundaries of a local government that has forest fire prevention bylaws and is serviced by a fire department. Always check with local authorities to see if any other burning restrictions are in place before lighting any fire.

Anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a ticket for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of $10,000 or, if convicted in court, fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail. If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.

2. Other fire starters....Also think about other devices that might cause sparks or start fires - 
-cigarette butts
-sparks from bike/ATV/Dirt Bike/Chainsaws etc.

3.  Volunteer to respond.... get trained for the Gun Lake Fire Protection Society or the Bralorne Fire Department.....

Let's get through this season INTACT without a fire!


Boats......
Gun Lake in particular has great opportunities for all kinds of boating ....and related activities.  Those opportunities also exist on Tyaughton Lake and Marshall Lake but perhaps not to the same degree.
We want boaters and the activities to have lots and lots of fun.  We also want to make sure that swimmers, floaters, dock lovers and so on also have lots and lots of fun.
Did you know there are shore line speed restrictions for boating on lakes?

From Transport Canada - When boating in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia, please observe the unposted speed limit of 10km/h (6 mph) within 30 meters (100 ft) from shore. 

A boat wake can damage other vessels, docks and erode the shoreline. It can also be a risk for swimmers, divers and people on small boats that might capsize. Be aware of how your boat's wake might affect others. 


Have a happy and safe summer boating season on Gun Lake!

Noise.................
Coming to Bralorne, Gold Bridge, Gun Lake, Tyaughton Lake, Marshall Lake is all about FUN!  Your fun though, if its super noisy in the middle of the night may not be that fun for others who can't sleep or have to work.  We have had instances this summer of parties on land and on water all of which have brought phone calls to me.

We also do a lot of building, renovating, fixing and so on of our places.  In busy times of year please think about your neighbor and start a bit later or talk to them about what might work for them for a start time.  Some people are up with the birds...others...not so much!

This year I have had MANY complaints about noise of all kinds.  

We do not have a noise bylaw and I'm trying to not have a noise bylaw....but if we can't figure it out as neighbors and friends...it will be put in place.    

When a neighbor approaches you please try and listen and put yourself in their shoes. 

 We have had one instance that a neighbor trying to resolve an issue has been intimidated repeatedly since just for asking that things quiet down.  

If this sort of intimidation continues, a noise bylaw will also surely be put in place and even more unpalatable as we love our freedom here,  is repeated requests to RCMP will bring them on land and on water.  So get off your high horse and get along with your neighbor and compromise with them re noise making activities.