UPDATE: Council defers rezoning

At their Monday June 26 meeting, a majority of Township council voted to approve an amendment to the Official Community Plan for Aldergrove鈥檚 Gloucester Estates industrial park, but deferred third and final reading of a rezoning application that would allow building on the last undeveloped portion of the park to have staff look into 鈥渞equired senior government environmental approvals.鈥�

Lynn Perrin, chairperson of the West Creek Awareness Group, said the deferral was already required. 鈥淚t had to go to the province and Fisheries [and Oceans], anyway,鈥� Perrin commented after the meeting.

She maintained the rezoning also must have First Nations approval.

Perrin said the developer has been cautioned in a lawyer鈥檚 letter, from the coalition opposing the development, against carrying out preparatory work before the necessary approvals have been obtained.

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More than 40 people demonstrated in front of the Township of 91原创 main civic building on Saturday, June 24 to oppose a proposal to develop 37 acres of land in Aldergrove鈥檚 Gloucester Estates industrial park.

Among the speakers was Eddie Gardner president, of the Wild Salmon Defenders Alliance who said the site is part of the headwaters of West Creek, a provincially designated sensitive stream, that provides habitat for coho, chinook and chum salmon

鈥淭he habitat of our wild salmon are disappearing at an alarming rate and it must stop,鈥� Gardner said.

鈥淲e must do something to prevent that from happening.鈥�

Lynn Perrin, chairperson of the West Creek Awareness Group warned that more than salmon would be at risk if development is allowed.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just fish,鈥� Perrin told the 91原创 Advance Times.

鈥樷�淭here鈥檚 migratory birds, there鈥檚 amphibians frogs, and you know, they鈥檙e looking at 600 trees that I don鈥檛 know how many of them are going to be saved or how many of them are going to be cut down, and those are really important to birds.

According to the group, the site is one of the 14 most sensitive creeks in British Columbia.

鈥淟eave it undisturbed forever,鈥� Perrin declared, drawing applause.

Some protesters wore hoodies that read 鈥渨ild salmon forever,鈥� some had signs that read 鈥渓et鈥檚 not pave paradise again鈥� and 鈥減rotect west creek鈥� and some drew a chalk outline of the rivers and fish on the sidewalk outside the civic building.

One of the protest supporters present was Bob Puls, past president of the 91原创 Field Naturalists, who warned it would be a 鈥渂reach of trust鈥� if council decided to proceed with the development proposal.

鈥淎t the time the Gloucester industrial estate was removed from the land reserve, it was with an important condition,鈥� Puls maintained. 鈥淭hat condition was the green space [in the gold lands] and some other acres be retained as such.鈥�

READ ALSO: Plan to rezone last undeveloped space in 91原创 industrial site draws opposition

The application to develop the land passed first and second readings at 91原创 Township council in late May and was expected to come back to council on Monday, June 26.

It would remove 36.79 acres (14.89 hectares) from the site, currently zoned for a golf course lands, which sits near the middle of the industrial park.

If approved, the remaining 55.13 acres (22.3 hectares) would be protected as environmentally sensitive areas, as well as expanded stormwater collection ponds.

More photos of the protest can be viewed online at the .

READ ALSO: Fish sightings encourage protectors of West Creek