Thank-you to everyone who has signed this petition, and welcome to those who have just arrived to this site!  It was given to the Islands Trust, The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, and the CRD by the mid-November deadlines. As this land is unceded territory of the Hul’q’umi’num’ and SENĆOŦEN First Nations, and as we still have hope for a hold to be put on the application (until other solutions can be explored), this petition will remain up until a ‘final’ decision, or appropriate mediation, has been made.  

This petition was written by a group of concerned citizens. It began on October 21st 2024. 

Baker Road Beach is a much-loved public beach on Salt Spring island that is facing the imminent threat of being transformed. An application proposed by four oceanfront property owners intends to fill the beach and waters with 85 truckloads of coarse gravel, plus numerous large rocks.  The affected area would stretch for over ½ km from the Quarry Drive Beach access to beyond the Baker Road steps. 

We the undersigned, petition the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship to put a hold on application file # 1415573 until such time as:

- independent professionals can review the application and publish their findings in such a way as to be easily accessible by all the residents of Salt Spring Island  (Edit Feb. 2025: some of this has been done)

- we publicly hear a response from All Concerned First Nations. 

- we publicly hear from independent marine biologists about the impact this may have on the Eelgrass beds, on the spawning grounds of Pacific Herring, Sand Lance, Surf Smelt and Plainfin Midshipman fish, and on the Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingfisher, River Otter and Bald Eagle nesting and hunting grounds.

- we are assured by independent engineers that the tons of shoreline fill (labeled shore “nutrition” in the application) will not shift and cover other areas of the beach --smothering the biodiversity of marine life on the beach. 

- we publicly hear from independent erosion experts that the property owners' concerns regarding erosion are, in fact, accurate and that the erosion is from waves; not created from poor drainage and/or interruption of plant growth on the slopes. Such a review must assess the degree of success this project would achieve in realizing its stated goals.

-we have public forums involving the Islands Trust, First Nations, the CRD and islanders, to ensure a favourite swimming, socializing, walking, exploring, bird-watching and recreation site for everyone will not be degraded, blocked or impeded.