Hope Slough/Chilliwack/Rosedale/Cheam First Nation – In September of this year, thousands of juvenile salmon were killed by a toxic spill in the Hope Slough waterway . Cheam and Sqwá First Nations have been doing work to restore this sacred waterway within their territory.
Chief Darwin Douglas of Cheam First Nation states “Water is our most sacred resource. All life depends on it. We must protect our sacred water resources, and wherever possible work to restore the health of our waterways. Indigenous people have Inherent Title and Rights to water within our territories, and more importantly, we have an inherent responsibility to protect water”
Cheam staff Roxanna, Sqwá Councillor Eddie Gardner and Lands Manager Anna-lise Cooke discovered the devasting pollution and fish kill September 23, on a routine visit to Hope Slough waterway where they were conducting water sampling. The source of contamination is still yet to be determined but may be related to agriculture and farming activities in the Hope Slough area. Work is continuing to identify the problem that continues to kill fish and potentially wildlife in the area.
There are theories that pesticide runoff from nearby farms was the cause.
It has happened again.
In a November 29 opinion piece, Cheam First Nation sent to media:
This is the second toxic Hope Slough spill in as many months. In September, a toxic waste discharge on the Hope Slough killed thousands of juvenile salmon at the site of a fish habitat restoration project from Cheam and Sqwá First Nations. Through Cheam’s ongoing water quality monitoring efforts another toxic waste discharge was just discovered.
Through investigation by our staff & land guardians, we discovered a pipe spewing industrial waste into a ditch, dumping it into the fish habitat of Hope Slough. The pipe and waste have been recorded and documented on video. Adult Coho salmon are currently migrating through the slough to their spawning grounds. Evidence of this waste discharge can be seen for several kilometres downstream. This pipe is a permanent fixture which leads us to believe that this is not a one-time offense but an ongoing polluter to these environmentally crucial waterways.
Cheam once again is covering the cost of the cleanup with RAM Environmental through their own resources as the provincial Ministry of Environment has declined to respond. We lift our hands to Environment Climate Change Canada who had officers on site within the hour.
Cheam calls on the Ministry of Environment to acknowledge and step up the efforts to protect these waterways and hold the perpetrators accountable.
