Water main construction

Bad enough the oil companies want to trash portions of the farm, see an older posting;

       This Water main project to Port Mann, in Surrey, was actually started before the oil pipeline project by Metro Vancouver, and being that it is a government project it grinds along like a glacier; and as usual it ran into problems that required complicated fixes; SEE: Drilling to resume on stalled Metro Vancouver water tunnel for Surrey area

       I was sent a report today, created by:  Diamond Head Consulting Ltd., entitled:
  Arborist Report Portman Main No.2, North, Coquitlam, B.C. updated 19 January 2015 (2869K) PDF.  No idea where the name of Portman comes from, should read Port Mann I would think, because that is where this water main is going.

And also a map Portmann Main #2 tree retetnion and removal   19 January 2015  (PDF)

       I spelled it the way it was written, so we are getting a little closer to Port Mann, but fail in the spelling of "retention".  The last PDF is a map of the areas being impacted by the water main going through the Riverview Hospital property.  Another nasty scar slashed through the landscape, from Riverview hospital up near Mariner Way, through Colony Farm, through its critical habitat treed wind-break to go under the Fraser River near the Port Mann bridge, and into Surrey and beyond.  

Port Mann is named after Sir Donald Mann and  most of the area that we know as, Port Mann was previously known as Bon Accord, prior to the railway yards being built there.  A salmon hatchery, and a salmon cannery were once in the area, both named Bon Accord.

 The project is part of  the Port Mann Water Supply Tunnel  read the PDF factsheet
From what I understand the numerous pipelines (gas,oil,water,communications) under the river at this point have had issues with the river exposing them, which places large stesses upon them.

Sheep Paddock pedestrian trail

         As a result of input from the public last year, Metro Vancouver staff are exploring options for a pedestrian only trail section of the Sheep Paddocks trail in Colony Farm Regional Park.  This is in addition to the ongoing design work for a combined cyclist and pedestrian trail.  You are invited to attend a workshop to discuss the possibility of a pedestrian only option and help identify key aspects of this project.

Date:  Wednesday February 4th, 2015   6:30 – 8:30 pm

Location:     Royal Canadian Legion – 1025 Ridgeway Ave, Coquitlam

Please rsvp to colonyfarmoutreach@metrovancouver.org by if you plan to attend the workshop.

Please share this invitation widely with your members and friends.  Additional information as well as an online questionnaire will be available on the Metro Vancouver website (search ‘Sheep  Paddocks Trail’) starting late next week if you are unable to attend the workshop.

Thank you

Jamie Vala, MBCSLA, R.P. Bio
Park Planner , Regional Parks - Central Area
Planning, Policy, and Environment
t. 604.520.6442

Jeffrey Edward Stuart, escaped from the Forensic unit

 After a nice lull in escapes from this institution.
The Province:   Man escapes from Coquitlam psychiatric hospital
Tri-City News:         Man missing from Colony Farm

The Coquitlam RCMP:  Unlawfully at Large - Jeffrey Edward Stuart

This fellow looks like he needs a wide berth, if the photo tells me anything.

UPDATE:  This fellow is back safely in custody.

Washroom now Open

Finally after a long wait, the new washroom is finally open for business. Located near the end of Colony Farm Road, near the Community Gardens, and public parking lot.

 It has a timed door lock on it, but no sign stating the hours of operation, are posted on the building yet.

   Separate entrances for the Rams and Ewes, Does and Bucks, etc.

   There is even a water fountian close to the ground for pets. Now if we could train them to use the facilites, Hmm..

Looks more like some tiny whistle-stop train station, in some far away place, choo, choo,,

Trans Mountain pipeline project

         Apparently the Trans Mountain Expansion Project,(AKA Kinder Morgan) want to use the fields of the forensic institute portion of Colony Farm, to store their vast quantities of pipe, and also use the area as a general staging area. And possibly even continue through the park, and along the Lougheed Highway on its way to LaFarge, then Burnaby (download the PDF).  Not an appropriate use for farmland, in my mind.

A cropped shot of a better quality image than is found in the public document.
Easier to visualize the huge impacts that the pipeline would have on Colony Farm Park from this picture.

Press Release:

        We value the feedback, questions, concerns and comments from communities through which our pipeline study corridor runs. It has, and will be, used in our planning as we continue to optimize our study corridor and then ultimately our pipeline route.

We invite you to join us to learn about and provide your input to the optimization of the proposed pipeline study corridor for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project in person or online:

IN PERSON

  Burnaby Open House
April 3, 2014
Drop in between 7:30pm and 9:30pm
Executive Plaza
405 North Road,
Coquitlam

ONLINE
Go to Trans Mountain Talk after the event to review material shared at the Open House and provide your feedback. 

Should you have any questions please don t hesitate to contact us at  info@transmountain.com  or 1.866.514.6700. More information about our proposed project is available at Trans Mountain 
Address: 2844 Bainbridge Avenue, PO Box 84028, Bainbridge, Burnaby, BC V5A 4T9
Twitter:   @TransMtn
 
Trans Mountain of course in theory must answer to the National Energy Board, (NEB) the public can view the regulatory documents that the various companies submit in their applications.

Not directly related to the Trans mountain application, but related to transportation in Burrard Inlet :  1973 Oil spill in English Bay   Trans Mountain of course will  create a large increase in shipping traffic through Burrard Inlet, much more than they do at the present time.

Personally I struggle with the fact that a company can apply to build something, yet they have no idea where it will be located.  Kind of like me going to the nearest city and saying, I want to build a gazillion square foot building, but I have no idea where yet, and expect an Okay from the local council; something wrong here.

On very short notice, some concerned citizens gathered at Colony Farm, the show their displeasure at Kinder Morgan, wanting to damage the park. A few more pictures of the event HERE

Few old pics

In the Victoria, B.C., newspaper,  The Daily Colonist, of  December 3, 1911 there is an article about the local Conservatives, having a look around Colony Farm, I shared another image in the past that must have been taken on the same day, in this POST

The arena barn, this building was Huge!  over 200 feet in length; sadly destroyed by an arson fire.

A different look at the bunkhouse, still standing today. Still waiting for the bureaucrats to make the right decision to properly conserve the building, tick-tock-tick-tock. 

Excuse the quality that is as good as it gets, from a lousy scan that UVIC did of these papers.

Washroom, about time !

After sixteen years of waiting Colony Farm park will finally have a decent public washroom. Unknown when the completion date is, but you can bet that the bureaucrats will burn through more of our money to have a party to celebrate the opening.

Separate Lambs and Ewes entrances too !
Baa

NO to Kwantlen experiments at Colony

The Natives are restless:  Coquitlam farm academy plan wilts
Not surprising that Metro not including the First Peoples in their scheming. Metro as usual did not do a good job of informing the public in general; classic fail, we know best attitude shown by the staff.  The Kwantlen preliminary concept plan that I saw, told me that they were doomed to fail anyway, failure to understand the soil conditons, past uses at Colony Farm and they wanted to grow fruit trees! "Stupido!!!"  typical desktop farmers!

 View of Essondale's Colony Farm during a flood; showing a small portion of the flooded area.

 8 June, 1948               BC Archives    I-68904

[ Note the windbreaks, all gone today, and Metro was adamant that they not be replaced ]

 Apparently there will be a meeting on November 7, at Poirier Library at 7pm, to look at options,input for the Sheep Paddock trail. Not public knowledge yet, typical!  See the Metro page that is "supposed" to keep the public informed about the Metro Parks schemes for exact tdates and times.


A large water pipeline is also in the planning stages that will have impacts on Colony Farm, read portions of this Article

And in the coming year you will notice large volumes of trucks going onto the Kwikwetlem reserve dumping their loads of spoil from the 10 Metre diameter, 2 km long Evergeen line tunnel, the truck traffic will apparently will be active up to 18 hours a day, and six trips per hour.  A lot of traffic.

Body found near the Sheep Paddocks

From the Vancouver Sun:  Homicide probed in Coquitlam's Colony Farm park
And from the Vancouver Province:
     Coquitlam cops suspect foul play after man’s body found on trail in Colony Farm area.

Coquitlam murder victim identified as Clifford Devitt
     (contains a picture of the deceased, and his bike; police are looking for information )

And the Tri-City News:  Homicide investigation at Colony Farm Regional Park.
     Update: Colony Farm Park homicide victim identified

The Coquitlam NOW:  Homicide investigation at Colony Farm Regional Park

Download a map of the park (PDF)

The Sheep Paddocks are generally the area located on the eastern side of the Coquitlam River, and northerly from the Mundy Creek slough.  (Sites A,B, and C in this image )

I hope that this is not the start of a trend. 

Barn Swallows declining in B.C.

A Global News article about Barn Swallows declining in B.C
 There is also a short video that talks about the barn swallows; was filmed at Colony Farm and Minnekhada Farm. The team led by Derek Matthews of the Vancouver Avian Research Centre has a bird banding station set up at Colony Farm; and also as seen in the video at the Minnekhada Farm stables.

Colony Farm tidal restoration proposal, causing concerns

Colony Farm park habitat compensation risks disrupting wildlife By Anne Murray, Georgia Straight

Colony Farm fish habitat will hurt birds, naturalist says. By Kelly Sinoski, Vancouver Sun June 18, 2010

Fish habitat will hurt birds, naturalist says. By Kelly Sinoski, Vancouver Sun June 19, 2010

Draft conceptual plan for Wilson Farm north tidal channels. ( PDF 809 Kb ) The plan has been changed a few times since this report was generated.

Metro Vancouver, Parks Committee agenda for June 17, 2010. ( PDF 4.96 Mb )


Dr. Golds brings up an important point, in that there is nothing in place to protect bird, small mammal habitat loss, through the existing parks bylaws, via a "No net loss policy".

If a portion of the parks are removed for other uses, they should be replaced with the same amount of habitat, preferrably nearby. These proposed "tidal" channels will impact considerable hectares of land, now used by other forms of life. Restoration of part of the farm to tidal flows, may seem a good thing at first glance, but the bed of the Coquitlam River is actually raised above the surrounding area, a condition that did not exist prior to the dikes being built in 1908.

The riverbed of the Coquitlam River, has infilled considerably mainly due to gravel extraction, channelization throughout most of its length, and lastly urbanization of a large part of the lower watershed.

DFO, affectionately known as the Dysfunctional Fisheries Organization, is also to blame for their policy of not restoring old channels, but creating entirely new ones, that can take many years, if ever to gain their full potential. Whereas the old channels frequently still have intact riparian areas, and the streambeds are intact.

Wilson Farm proposed destruction, Open House

Notice of Open House

Colony Farm Tidal Restoration and Habitat Enhancement Project

Metro Vancouver Regional Parks and the Transportation Investment Corporation invite you to attend an open house on Monday, May 3 to view and comment on a proposed project to restore tidal flow and enhance habitat for fish and wildlife in the Wilson Farm, an area within Colony Farm Regional Park that was drained and diked for agriculture in the early 1900s. This work is proposed as part of Port Mann/Highway 1 Improvement Project’s environmental commitments.

The project has been designed to meet multiple objectives including: the restoration of natural tidal flows to improve water quality; the provision of winter rearing habitat for juvenile coho and chinook; greater control and flexibility of drainage regimes for vegetation management; and enhanced habitat for resident and migratory birds.

The open house will provide information on:
· Existing conditions and project objectives
· Proposed work required to restore tidal flows and allow fish passage
· Drainage improvements and the implications for park management
· Potential benefits for salmon and other aquatic wildlife
· Habitat enhancement components for resident and migratory birds

When: Monday, May 3, 2010

5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Informal open house
7:00 – 7:20 p.m. Presentation
7:20 – 8:00 p.m. Question and answer session

Where: The Outlet, 2100 - 2253 Leigh Square Place, Port Coquitlam

For more information, contact Metro Vancouver Parks at 604-520-6442.

W.J.Moore panorama's 1913-4

1921 Colony Farm

CPR station, located in the middle top area of the map

1920 Colony Farm

Notice how Pitt River Road, is named Dewdney Trunk Road

1919 Colony Farm

1914 Colony Farm

The CPR station shows up on this map in the far left, as a black pie-shaped object, just inland from the steamer landing. This is the earliest map, I have of the property.

Veterans Unit at Colony Farm in 1949

Aerial view in 1928

From the 1928 Hospital annual report

Farm House,(Farm Cottage) 1924

This building housed the patients who worked the farm. The building was removed many years ago.