Comox Valley Project Watershed Society says the steel wall at Kus-kus-sum will come down during the winter of 2025/2026, pending completion of all the earthworks, plantings and site stabilization preparations currently underway.
Project Watershed made the announcement at its annual general meeting June 22.
“We were delighted to celebrate the successes of our 30th year with our supporters and announce some exciting updates and new projects,” reports Caitlin Pierzchalski, executive director.
The Kus-kus-sum project began in 2017 and is one of the most ambitious habitat restoration projects undertaken on Vancouver Island. The work is transforming a derelict sawmill site into a living saltmarsh and deepwater pool similar to what existed before the industrial period. This restoration is key to a healthy salmon population, which uses the Courtenay River estuary as a transit point between spawning grounds and the ocean.
Project Watershed also shared that they will be working on revamping the Dyke Road Park in partnership with the Stewardship Centre of BC, Comox Valley Regional District, K’ómoks First Nation (including the K’ómoks Guardian Watchmen), and the Guardians of our Salish Estuaries. The work will include removing the shoreline armouring and invasive species, recontouring the site, planting saltmarsh and installing a new boardwalk. Some of these activities have already started, with saltmarsh planting occurring in the fall and next spring.
“Our organization continues to grow and change,” said Kathy Haigh, Project Watershed director. “Over the last year, we have added five new staff positions and welcomed three new directors to the board at our AGM”.
The new directors - Ben Kingstone, Clarke Goble and Lynne Kilpatrick - will complement the continuing directors Kathy Haigh, Alisha Drinkwater, Tom Grimmer, James Godwin, Brodie Guy, and Geoff Wickstrom. Since the meeting Grimmer has taken the position of chair, Guy has become vice-chair, Wickstrom the new secretary and goble is Treasurer.
In a keynote presentation at the AGM, Marika Ai-Li, Project Watershed restoration and monitoring manager, stressed the importance of the relationship between native bees and native plants saying that “some native bees only pollinate certain native plants – if the plants disappear these bees will disappear and vice versa.”
She highlighted ways to identify native bees and closed by saying that the protection of wild spaces and native plants is key to native bee survival.
For more information on Ai Li’s bee presentation, the Kus-kus-sum project or others visit the organization's website at www.projectwatershed.ca.
