RALLY​ ​TO​ ​PROTECT​ ​GIBSONS ​AQUIFER

Are​ ​you​ ​thankful​ ​for​ ​Gibsons​ ​world-class​ ​drinking​ ​water​? ​So​ ​are​ ​we! And​ ​we​ ​want​ ​the​ ​next generation​ ​to​ ​be​ ​able to be thankful​ ​for​ ​this​ ​amazing​ ​source​ ​too. But Gibsons​ ​Aquifer​ ​is under​ ​threat and we need your help to protect it. Please join Gibsons Alliance of Business and Community Society (GABC) for a

THANKSGIVING​ ​RALLY​ ​AND​ ​FUNDRAISER TO PROTECT​ ​GIBSONS​ ​AQUIFER AND OUR ENVIRONMENT!

Where: DOUGALL​ ​PARK 

When: SATURDAY ​OCTOBER​ ​7th, ​2017 ​11am​–​​6​​pm

What: Live Music​ ​and​ ​Speakers ​on​ ​the​ ​stage​ ​

-​ ​information​ ​and​ ​donations​ ​in​ ​Kinsmen​ ​Hall

Planned​ ​excavations​ ​for​ ​contaminated​ ​site clean-up​ ​and​ ​construction​ ​of​ ​the​ ​George​ project ​pose the real risk of ​perforating​ ​Gibsons​ ​aquitard, ​​​ “blowing-out” ​ our drinking water​ ​supply​ ​and​ ​spreading​ highly ​toxic​ ​contamination.

Consultants working for the Town and the George developer have identified a maximum excavation depth for the project from .05 - 1.5m, to protect the aquifer. Yet, over the summer at a last minute special meeting, Gibsons council approved a remediation plan that includes excavating below 2m and sets no limit on maximum excavation depths. The Town is​ aware​ ​of​ ​the​ ​risks, yet​ development and building ​permits​ were approved and issued in August, ​with​ ​no​ ​requirement​ ​of​ ​a​ ​security​ ​bond​ ​and​ ​only an emergency ​contingency​ ​plan, in ​the​ ​event​ ​something goes wrong.

THIS LEVEL OF RISK TO OUR AQUIFER IS NOT OK.

Our rally and fundraising event aims to increase public awareness of the dangers our drinking water aquifer and environment face from this project and raise money to defend them. How to DONATE.

GABC has championed the issue of protecting against RISKS posed by the George since 2013. We have actively worked with technical and legal experts to determine what the real risks/issues are; engaged and informed stakeholders and government agencies; devised and implemented a strategy to protect against remiss actions by the developer and the Town. We are currently engaged in legal action on this issue with the Environmental Appeals Board of British Columbia and the BC Supreme Court. We recently learned the George developer does not intend to wait for the legal and technical issues to be resolved but plans to press ahead with potentially dangerous works on the site. This may put GABC in a position of having to apply to the court for an injunction to stop work on the site, which could get expensive. All funds raised at this event will be used for legal and professional experts to help us protect the aquifer and the environment. Volunteers will be on hand in Kinsmen Hall to accept financial donations to help with legal costs. 

We have so much to be thankful for in Gibsons on this Thanksgiving weekend. We have some of the best drinking water in the world, untreated, straight from the tap… and we want to keep it that way!

We are also super excited and grateful to have an awesome lineup of volunteer performers playing music for us throughout the day of the rally including:

Grant Olsen, Bonar Harris, Ken Dunn, Greg Willy, Steven Jack, Simon Paradis, Matt Watson, Pamela Messner, Susan Ssun, Jenica Vaneli, The Midds, Jeevious family and Susann Richter!

Guest speakers​ ​will​ ​also​ ​talk​ between sets about​ ​the​ ​history​ ​of​ ​aquifer​ ​protection​ ​in​ ​Gibsons, ​risks​ ​posed​ ​by​ ​the George​ ​project, ​lack​ ​of​ ​diligence​ ​on​ ​behalf​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Town​​ ​and​ ​what​ ​we​ ​can​ all ​do​ ​to​ ​help​ ​protect our precious natural assets.

We look forward to seeing you down at Dougall Park on Saturday October 7 from 11-6 pm.

With thanks!

GABC