SHAWNIGAN BASIN SOCIETY

Working To Protect South Cowichan Watersheds

Mission Statement

Working to protect and secure the long-term health and safety of the Shawnigan Lake Community Watershed and the drinking water it provides.
The purpose of the Society is to protect and secure the long-term health and safety of the Shawnigan Lake Community Watershed specifically and the South Cowichan region generally, particularly the drinking water these watersheds provide.
We work to promote a holistic approach toward environmental solutions, community engagement, and local stewardship.

Meet our
Board of Directors

The SBS is responsible for the financial administration and accounting of an annual tax levy CVRD Function 488 which was provided by Shawnigan Lake residents.
We are direct fundraising as the CVRD has set this function fund to $0 (2021, 2020, 2019, 2018)

2023-2024

Directors

Dave Munday
PRESIDENT

Dave (B.Sc., MBA.) is a Senior Environmental Specialist with over 30 years of experience, he has participated as Project Director, Project Manager and Environmental Coordinator for a diverse range of domestic and international projects. He is a registered professional biologist (RPBio.) in British Columbia, and specializes in marine biology, environmental impact assessment, and permitting for aquatic and terrestrial developments.

Bernhard H.J. Juurlink
VICE PRESIDENT

Bernhard H.J. Juurlink has a PhD in Medical Sciences and has spent almost 40 years teaching medical, dental, science and graduate students as well as carrying out research. His research focused on basic mechanisms of oxidative stress and inflammation as well as the anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory effects of Nrf2 activators. His publications can be found on Google Scholar. Since 2015 he has been active in the Shawnigan Research Group’s efforts to obtain removal of the contaminated soil on Cobble Hill Holding’s contaminated soil landfill at 460 Stebbings Road.

Shirley Astleford

A fourth generation Shawnigan resident, business owner and mother of two. Shirley has been engaged in labour and volunteer advocacy for the past 30 years with a focus on organizational and contract analysis and interpretation.
An ardent supporter of long-term planning and the inclusion of all stakeholders as participants in holistic watershed management, she looks forward to contributing toward the resiliency of our watershed for future generations.

Dr Linda Gregory

Linda Gregory completed her undergraduate degree in biology at Queen’s University, her MSc in fish physiology at the University of Manitoba, and her PhD in nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) transfer from a cattle feedlot to ground water and an adjacent river, at the University of Victoria. Her professional career included seven years with the BC Ministry of Environment, largely as part of the Kootenays Watershed Study, collecting, analyzing and summarizing water quality data. She also taught a variety of courses – primarily in the Biology Department – at the University of Victoria, and prepared contract reports for the BC and Federal Ministries of Environment. These reports focused on different aspects of water quality: analyses and summaries of existing data, developing groundwater quality objectives (Osoyoos), and preparing sampling training programs. In addition, she prepared several species summaries for COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada). She is now retired and is a member of the Shawnigan Research Group and a Director with the Shawnigan Basin Society.

Bill Savage

Bill has been a Shawnigan resident and community volunteer for many years, participating on the Parks and Recreation Commission from 2005 to 2015. He estimates spending at least 300 days of the calendar year on the lake itself and consequently, has considerable knowledge regarding past & current events affecting the health and well-being of Shawnigan Lake.

Cliff Evans

Cliff Evans has been a resident of Shawnigan Lake for 67 years. He has been instrumental in successful campaigns preventing the ECO Depot from being located on farmland on Cameron Taggart Rd as well as stopping an illegal garbage dump and a gravel washing operation causing silt pollution of Shawnigan Creek at Owl Rd. Cliff served with the Royal Canadian Electrical Mechanical Engineers for 27 years in several Canadian Provinces, 9 years in Europe and a year in the Middle East. On retirement from the Armed Forces he was a Chief planner/superintendent for Inco Sulawesi Indonesia Mining. As a long-term member of the Shawnigan research group which monitors contaminated soil sites, Shawnigan creek and Lake, he also takes an active role in the Shawnigan Basin Society and believes in being an environmental team player.

Marcy Fenske

For as long as Marcy can remember, she has felt awe, curiosity and reverence for the natural world. As a recent resident of Vancouver Island, witnessing its astounding beauty and biodiversity threatened by the impact of insensitive development, deforestation and climate change, including water sparsity, calls her to service in environmental stewardship.

Marcy holds a degree in Business Management and a Diploma in Human Resources and has held various positions in management, marketing, client and labour relations. She enjoys creating connections with various individuals and organizations with passion, kindness and engaging communication skills. She is a CVRD Parks Advisory Commission Member Volunteer in Mill Bay and spends time in nature every day.

Paul Doherty

Paul is relatively new to Shawnigan Lake, he was immediately interested in becoming a volunteer with the purpose of learning about his community and chosen home. Paul is a junior environmental consultant with five years of experience focusing on contaminated site investigation and remediation and a registered Articling Agrologist with the British Columbia Institute of Agrologists (BCIA).

Dave Hutchinson

Dave Hutchinson spent summers at Shawnigan before becoming a resident in 1969. Attendance at
George Bonner and Cowichan Senior Secondary led to graduation from the University of Victoria with
degrees in Mathematics, Computing-Science and Economics Timber-cruising around the province and
several years’ work at the pulp and paper mill in Crofton preceded a career in Information Technology.
Public-sector employment in multiple program areas interspersed with private-sector work in
Southeast Asia and India have provided a useful perspective. A belief that Shawnigan is a wonderful
place to live, and an interest in preserving and protecting our natural environment, provide motivation
for becoming involved with the Shawnigan Basin Society.

Ed Wiebe

Ed has been a resident of Shawnigan Lake for 25 years. Ed’s professional career, spanning over 35 years was in Medical Diagnostic Services, mostly in smaller hospitals both as a bench technologist and in management positions. Having worked in these capacities in Manitoba, Washington State and in British Columbia, he also held the position of Director of Diagnostic and Outpatient Services in the Powell River Hospital for five years. Ed completed his professional career in Victoria, working as a bench Microbiology Technologist for MDS Laboratories.
The fight to stop the dumping of contaminated soil in our watershed and other local issues made him realize the importance of getting involved to stand up and work to protect our community. Ed has been a member of the Shawnigan Basin Society since it was formed and presently is also a Shawnigan Research Group member.

How We Work

Functional Core Capabilities of the Society

Development of a Watershed Master Plan based on ecological, physiographic and socioeconomic information that is assembled and catalogued from a variety of governments, research programs, and private sector sources.

Systematic engagement and integration of local watershed management efforts with private sector land owners, the CVRD, agencies of senior governments, and similar civic watershed initiatives arising elsewhere.

Preparation of grant requests to foundations and government infrastructure and environmental improvement programs for projects intended to improve the ecological status and function of the Shawnigan Watershed.

Core Administrative Functions of the Society
Previously Funded by CVRD Tax Allocation which ceased in 2018

Provisions of a watershed planning office in Shawnigan Village, cost-shared with other public and private sector partners, where the Society can keep records, display maps and models, meet with interested parties, hold public planning sessions, and provide access to Basin Society members and staff.

Provision of an Administrative Assistant to organize the day-to-day work of the Society in public communication and involvement, engagement and support of volunteers, research assembly, planning, fund raising, record keeping, and project reporting.
Executive Director duties are currently provided by volunteers.