Hello my name is Chris Fordham, and I and my family (parents and children) are long term residents of Thetis Island.
40 plus years for the adults.
We love Thetis Island, the natural setting and the community.
We are committed with all those who call Thetis Island home to preserving the best parts of Thetis Island and investing for the future of those who come after us to enjoy and to experience the island the way we have.
This reality is currently in grave jeopardy with the proposed industrialization of Preedy Harbour (with the approval of an application for an extend shellfish farm lease), one of the Jewels of the Gulf Islands. The end result being a permanent eye sore, increased noise and light pollution, a hazard to navigation and a potential ecological travesty, all for the financial profit of a company and resulting in loss of use and enjoyment for gulf islanders, visitors and residents of Thetis Island.
The proposed project would be an unsightly eyesore destroying iconic beauty of the island itself for generations to come.
This whole development is also a potential safety issue with posing almost certain hazards to navigation and the lost of the public’s full use and enjoyment of Preedy Harbour for recreational and other uses.
Not to mention the concern as to what this certain project might mean for the the sea and all of it’s creatures as well. To our knowledge no impact study has been done.
It has come to my attention recently by Norm Kasting’s notice on E spokes that soon the Islands Trust will be deciding on whether or not to confirm the rezoning of Preedy Harbour to allow for a 44 acre shellfish farm that will occupy the passage all the way past Overbury extending to Scott/Damon islands .
Rezoning will change the nature of this passage from natural to industrial. Commercial activity as well as large navigational buoys, which blink throughout the night will permanently alter the natural aspects of this passage as well as disrupt how both you and our families and friends and visitors to Thetis Island will be able to use and enjoy the harbour in the future.
I ask that you look into this application
http://mail01.tinyletterapp.com/espokes/thetis-espokes-thursday-february-13-2020-7-items/16279658-arfd.gov.bc.ca/applicationposting/getfile.jsp?c=d3b714bc-3305-49b1-aea2-6c9ee9899578
Please Email Islands Trust about this matter as it concerns you and it will affect your life and experience on Thetis.
If you intend that your comments are to be considered by the Thetis Local Trust Committee (the elected officials) who will be considering this application and making decisions with respect to the application's advancement, please ensure that the email is addressed to Thetis Island Local Trust Committee.
You can do this through this link:
http://www.islandstrust.bc.ca/connect/contact.aspx
Also please share your concerns by email ASAP with Jordan.Wagner@gov.bc.ca minster of forests,lands and natural recourses.
Sincerely, and thank you in advance.
Chris, for Preedy Harbour
***Please pass this information along to anyone you know who might share these concerns. There is apparently a clock in this as no helpful notice or dialogue has been given or had to this point).
Wednesday, February 19, 2020 at 4:33PM 
