Spencer's Pond is a seasonal pond with dynamic ecosystems that are in constant flux. The pond water level ranges from completely dry in the late summer to well over 3 meters in depth in the late fall. The pond is home to a healthy population of Pacific tree frogs, aquatic insects such as dragonflies and various water beetles and many birds, amphibians and mammals.
What's New
Please add your comments (Click here)
Karst cavities in the path of the interchange (click here)
Red Tailed Hawk nest with young only metres from interchange construction (photos June 29,2008).
Interchange construction on one side of a ribbon strip of trees where the Red Tailed Hawk nest is, and wetland clearing and draining on the other side where large gas driven pumps are pumping out surface and ground water. Observed young feeding in the nest. Blasting halted in area adjacent to the nest until young leave nest. Birding in BC
Adult Red Tailed Hawk near nest |
Nest |
Immature hawks on branches near nest |
|
|
|
Wetland by the the TranCanada is being drained and filled. (photos taken June 29, 2008)
Wetland being drained and filled |
Red legged habitat destroyed |
Hoses used to drain wetland |
|
|
|
Destruction continues (photos taken March 29, 2008 at the end of Leigh Road by Spencer Pond)
Weapons of mass destruction |
Protected tagged Yew tree cut down |
How close is close (pond in background) |
|
|
|
Bear above, Bare below - Goldstream Gazette Mar 28, 2008 (click here)
Langford green-lights interchange borrowing - Goldstream Gazette Mar 21, 2008 (click here)
Langford cries foul on loan financing - Goldstream Gazette Mar 19, 2008 (click here)
Loan plan for interchange abandoned
- Times Colonist Mar 13,2008 (click here)
Contractor workers confront protesters - Goldstream Gazette, Mar 5, 2008 (click here)
Whose home is it? ... And who's calling the shots - Times Colonist, Mar 4, 2008 (click here)
Langford threatens to sue protesters - Goldstream Gazette, Feb 29, 2008 (click here)
Island's beauty slipping away - Times Colonist, Feb 23 (click
here)
Trees cleared from Spencer interchange route - Goldstream Gazette, Feb 20, 2008 (click here)
Tree-sit Toppled - Monday Magazine, Feb 20, 2008 (click here)
New report alleges conflicts of interest, backroom dealings at Bear Mountain - Martlet, Feb 17,2008 (click here)
View interactive panorama of clear-cut (click here)
Clear -cut photos by Carolyn Knight
(click here)
See Langford Lake Cave website to view impact on cave
| Feb 14, 2008. Video clips of tree cutting by Damien Gillis |
|
|
wmv format |
Feb 14, 2008. Tree harvesting equipment in the woods.
Today's police actions (Feb 13, 2008) to remove tree-sitters and enable the cutting of the forest for the interchange.
Click on images to enlarge.
|
|
3 police officers pin Ingmar Lee |
Large tree harvester arriving at the site |
|
|
Tree-sitter being dragged off |
Police and city workers behind barricade |
Comments from the barricade (Rob Bowen - observer)
Witnessed Ingmar Lee being arrested
A large tree harvester appeared on Goldstream Ave at Leigh Road. Ingmar and a tree-sitter moved in the path of the vehicle. They both lay down on the road. They were physically dragged off of the road. Ingmar made his way back on the road and then was removed from the road by three officers. He was then placed on the ground face down by the three officers and was in pain (audible yell) as the officers placed handcuffs on him. He did not resist their actions. While he was on the ground a police officer stated that he was under arrest and would be going into the station. He was then moved to a police van and removed from the site.
Tree-sitter
I talked to a treesitter who was in a treetop platform when the police arrived. He addressed the police who hadn't noticed him. They ordered him to come down and apparently flashed a weapon suggesting threatening action. He climbed down as he did not want to be shot at.
Police action was coordinated with significant numbers both on the road barricade as well as in the forest. A SWAT team as well as a tree climbing team were at the scene. No media were allowed within the barricaded zone. A-Channel, CBC radio, Goldstream Gazette, and Times Colonist media were present. Several observers were present to photograph and witness events but were not allowed past the barricade. A police media officer was present to talk with observers but information was slow. I asked questions to officers but officers refused to comment.
Insights from scientific community
Importance of Vernal Ponds to the environment (click here)
Biological connectivity between pond, cave and forest
(click here)
First Nations - Land Rights and Environmentalism in British Columbia
Background on SPAET Cave in the path of development
 |
Environment threatened! |
Construction crews take over at site of interchange protest -Times Colonist Feb 15, 2008 (click here)
CFAX 1070 poll on police action: 53% too harsh, 47% appropriate - Feb 14, 2008 (click here)
Link to CHEK News top story video on police action - Feb 13, 2008 (click here)
RCMP move in on anti-highway protest site - Times Colonist Feb 13, 2008 (click here)
Petition - 2,250 residents opposed to the city’s plan to grant $25 million loan - Monday Magazine Feb 13, 2008 (click here)
Langford Petition Group Successful - press release Feb 11, 2008 (click here)
Truce bid falls flat with protesters - Goldstream Gazette Feb 1, 2008 (click here)
Interchange gets green light - Goldstream Gazette Jan 25, 2008 (click here)
Seven letters to the editor on Denise Blackwell's article - Goldstream Gazette Jan 23, 2008 (click here)
Denise Blackwell's comments about interchange conflicts - Goldstream Gazette Jan 16, 2008 (click here)
CFAX 1070 poll on interchange: 28% for, 68% against, 10% undecided- Saturday Jan 12, 2008 (click here)
Petition launch date January 12th to involve public input about funding issues of Interchange (click here)
$25 Million for Who? - Monday Magazine Jan 11, 2008 (click here)
Interchange loan riles Langford citizen group - Goldstream Gazette Jan 11, 2008 (click here)
Spencer Road Interchange ~ 2007 Newsmaker of the Year - Goldstream Gazette Jan 2, 2008 (click here)
Spencer Interchange ignores triple bottom line ~Oak Bay News Dec, 19, 2007 (click here)
Comments on Golder EA reports - complete notes (click here), Goldstream Gazette Dec 14, 2007 (click here)
Fight for the forest - Goldstream Gazette Dec 5, 2007 (click here)
Spencer interchange work to start; protests planned ~ Times Colonist Nov 1, 2007(click here)
Province chips in for Spencer interchange ~ Goldstream Gazette Nov 2, 2007(click here)
Interchange Impact (click on before and after maps)
Before Interchange
(CDR natural area atlas) |
After Interchange
(Open House chart) |
Flash version
|
Webmaster's response to Open House meeting (click here) Also published in the Goldstream Gazette (Nov 14, 2007)
The City of Langford held a public open house on the Spencer Road Interchange project on Tuesday, October 30, 2007 at 5-9pm. The meeting was held at the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 91, 761 Station Avenue, Langford. The city finally reveal its plans for this controversial interchange.
Pond article in the Goldstream Gazette, April 6th, 2007
Click here to view article (pdf 80kb)
Proposed interchange map showing the close proximity of road to Spencer's Pond
Improved map of Spencer's Pond
Unusually high water levels due to record breaking
rainfall in November 2006
For information on how to obtain a copy of the Spencer's Pond multimedia CD-ROM click here
