Submitter: Cherizar Gagne

Community: North Vancouver

Date Submitted: August 27, 2023

Summary:

To keep our province pristine, Dr. Miller must be allowed to test farmed salmon before the commission comes to any conclusions.

Submission:

Hello,



This is an important message from a single parent of two boys, which have now, almost grown. My boys are 15 and 11. They were born here in BC, and I am proud of that. I have been living here since I was 13, and honour that this is my home.



I am writing to you on behalf of my friends and family that not only support me and our home, but that want to keep our home as a natural, self-sustaining province. I choose to vacation here in BC because I have so much love and curiosity for the natural interdependence going on. Why has it remained so largely pristine and protected? It is not solely by the government or any, one organization or person, or community, but by the entire spectrum of support that our province continues to have together, that we respect our habitat; our home; and the laws of nature that are able to govern themselves so successfully, when given a protected place to do so. This is why we need to let Dr. Kristi Miller test the farm salmon before coming to any conclusions and this Must Be Done Right Away. I am very concerned about our salmon. I have travelled from Mission, all the way to the Queen Charlotte Islands and further on to Alaska. I understand the system of fish, how it has behaved over the last century, and for the remaining two decades that I have lived here. I have spoken with many people, native, non-native, and visiting tourists over the years and presently. I have tried my hand at commercial fishing and been involved with the DFO. There is a plethora, (and I do not use that word lightly), of people like me, and even more educated than me, who have the initiative to operate and live with the land. We all want protection, peace, and investigative, administrative action in the correct directions. With these decisions in your control, on behalf of the many communities that know me, acknowledge and support nature and have developed understandings of how to continually protect and enhance our habitat, I want to convey a respectful and peaceful belief and trust that you have our best interests at heart.



Thank you for this opportunity to be understood, and to share a common goal.



Sincerely,



Cherizar Gagne