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Why do you think the whitewater kayakers in this corridor are banning together to voice their opinions on the fate of Rutherford Creek? To stop the project? No! To cause trouble for the area's economy? No! Well, what is it all about then? It is about

Why do you think the whitewater kayakers in this corridor are banning together to voice their opinions on the fate of Rutherford Creek? To stop the project? No! To cause trouble for the area's economy? No! Well, what is it all about then? It is about the water. Yes, plain and simple, the water.

Having travelled and kayaked in many parts of this world, I have been saddened by the terrible state of many of our planet’s waterways. British Columbia's river system seems to be one of the few with relative purity, and there is still hope for clean, free flowing water here. Even if you are not a kayaker, but you have sat on a riverbank and admired a river, fished in a lake, swam in the ocean or actually drank your own tap water, you should be concerned. The whole system works together and humans need clean water to survive.

On Sept. 22 over 30 kayakers of all ages and abilities gathered to run Rutherford Creek and show how important rivers are in nature's life cycle. We have all joined forces, written letters and supported our provincial whitewater association to represent us in this battle. We must convince the Department of Fisheries and Oceans that it is not reasonable for a private power corporation to divert a public resource such as Rutherford Creek, reap countless millions in profits, yet only allow water for mother nature and all the users of the river less than 1 per cent of the year.

This is only one project of over 200 in the Vancouver-Pemberton corridor currently under review for water diversion licences. This number is huge. Please take a moment to think about this.

I must thank you indeed for recently printing the article about the Rutherford in the Pique . Although the issues seemed unclear and the information presented was not thoroughly accurate, you have helped us in raising awareness just by printing it.

We as kayakers are not a confrontational lot, rather we want to speak for the river. Whitewater enthusiasts world wide have helped to lessen the abuse of rivers around the globe.

It's about the water. Yes, plain and simple, the water!

This issue concerns us all; please get involved. There is more information on the WKABC Web site at www.whitewater.org and further detailed information at www.headwaterspress.com. Should you make only a small contribution, do it now, in your own sphere of influence: turn out excess lights, avoid unnecessary power usage, use environmentally friendly laundry soap and dispose of liquid and hard waste properly. Every little bit helps.

Barb Ruzicka

WKABC Member

Why do you think the whitewater kayakers in this corridor are banning together to voice their opinions on the fate of Rutherford Creek? To stop the project? No! To cause trouble for the area's economy? No! Well, what is it all about then? It is about the water. Yes, plain and simple, the water.

Having travelled and kayaked in many parts of this world, I have been saddened by the terrible state of many of our planet’s waterways. British Columbia's river system seems to be one of the few with relative purity, and there is still hope for clean, free flowing water here. Even if you are not a kayaker, but you have sat on a riverbank and admired a river, fished in a lake, swam in the ocean or actually drank your own tap water, you should be concerned. The whole system works together and humans need clean water to survive.

On Sept. 22 over 30 kayakers of all ages and abilities gathered to run Rutherford Creek and show how important rivers are in nature's life cycle. We have all joined forces, written letters and supported our provincial whitewater association to represent us in this battle. We must convince the Department of Fisheries and Oceans that it is not reasonable for a private power corporation to divert a public resource such as Rutherford Creek, reap countless millions in profits, yet only allow water for mother nature and all the users of the river less than 1 per cent of the year.

This is only one project of over 200 in the Vancouver-Pemberton corridor currently under review for water diversion licences. This number is huge. Please take a moment to think about this.

I must thank you indeed for recently printing the article about the Rutherford in the Pique . Although the issues seemed unclear and the information presented was not thoroughly accurate, you have helped us in raising awareness just by printing it.

We as kayakers are not a confrontational lot, rather we want to speak for the river. Whitewater enthusiasts world wide have helped to lessen the abuse of rivers around the globe.

It's about the water. Yes, plain and simple, the water!

This issue concerns us all; please get involved. There is more information on the WKABC Web site at www.whitewater.org and further detailed information at www.headwaterspress.com. Should you make only a small contribution, do it now, in your own sphere of influence: turn out excess lights, avoid unnecessary power usage, use environmentally friendly laundry soap and dispose of liquid and hard waste properly. Every little bit helps.

Barb Ruzicka

WKABC Member

As a kayaker who was present at the meetings between Rutherford Creek Power and the local kayaking community I must make comments concerning the article headlined "A creek apart on the Rutherford."

It seemed the writer was concerned with animosity between the two groups, not the facts or the big issues.

Using words such as "battle" and "pitting" is misrepresenting the feelings between the two groups. There has never been one raised voice or fist. We have tried to negotiate in a fair manner.

The facts are not correct or straight. The writer did not research the story correctly or fully. Comments from RCPL stating that "We believe the project will leave a lot of water in the stream," and "It will not have a substantial effect," are ludicrous. The company’s sole purpose is to take all the water possible out of the river and use it to generate power.

It’s not just kayakers who should be concerned that over 200 diversions are planned for this area. Almost every creek and river from Squamish to Lillooet – 200 ecosystems – is being considered. The power doesn’t even benefit Canadians, but the long term effects are here to stay with us.

John Withington

Whistler