Taylor Jenks GEOG 342 April, 2013 Recreational Uses of Colliery Dam Park Although not plagued with

the task of collecting in-field quantitative measurements like some, the challenge of digging up historical records on unintended and often informal uses of the park has proven to be difficult in its own means. Most reports have come via personal accounts and in some cases inference. Initial hints directed me towards four possible uses of the park including military, indigenous, possible pest house location and traditional recreational activities, After an initial search, unstructured interviews were conducted both with veterans and currently serving military members. Although there were many animated stories, time has taken its toll on both their bodies and their memories, leaving information gaped and somewhat irrelevant to the Colliery Dam Park range. Much of the information provided throughout research characterizes this same problem in that boundaries and details fade with time, leaving a general account of Nanaimo military and Snuneymuxw villages rather than discrete locations. Much of First Nations historical accounts are oral reports leaving them susceptible to modification; in the case of the threat to Colliery Dam Park over the recent years with the water main and dam removal it is possible that modifications may be made to tell a story in a way that accentuates the importance of the park with the hopes of achieving their goals rather than the uncertainties that are present. Our western methods of written account are lacking and would prove beneficial.

Visits were taken to both the military museum and to the Nanaimo museum on multiple occasions, which gave insight into details of activities taking place, however again little to no account of where they were taking place. Formal documents were retrieved both from the current military base as well as city websites providing information as to development plans but with little about the past. The most effective research method was by far visiting the local archives as even the provincial and federal online archives had little to offer the topic. Nanaimos archives provided pictures from the parks history, previous studies regarding indigenous uses, and the most concrete data found concerning the military camp in the form of two maps from 1941 and 1944. It was initially thought that Archive employees may introduce bias to intentionally support or negate current public concerns, and although its not possible to really measure the possibility of such, or to disregard the thought that the direction they provided may be biased, Christine Meutzner was the lead to many valuable sources so I can only assume her care for factual information. Much of the information took time to piece together and infer as little sources provided discrete proof. All will be expanded upon below. Recreational Uses So why is it that while initially intended for its industrial uses, Colliery Dam Park took on a whole other character, and now seems to maintain a grounds for personal attachment? Acquired by Harewood Improvement District in 1958 from Canadian Collieries, it has been found that the reservoirs use as a water supply stopped and

they became local swimming and fishing holes for the neighborhood (Ecological Survey, 1980. In 1975 the city of Nanaimo adopted the land surrounding the reservoirs and in 1980 it was designated a public park with PRC-1 zoning (Parks, Recreation and Culture Zone 1,) recognizing its natural and communal value to the area (Ecological Survey, 1980; Current Zoning, 2011) The same recreational uses continued, although then buttressed by lifeguard stations, a floating dock, and formal city recognition (Colliery Dam). According to the Go Fish BC website the bottom two colliery lakes have been stocked since 1978, with close to 23,000 fish between the middle and lower dams from 1978 to 1987, and increasing to over 50,000 between 2003 and 2008 (Go Fish BC. 2013). Although not certain, these high stock rates likely can be attributed to the large amounts of fishing activity that have taken place there since the early 1960s including youth learn-to-fish programs. The park and its dams began to take on emotional meaning to the families in the community, something that has persisted as new generations have come and gone and is playing a part in perceptions on the current controversy. It is vital to note however that the use of the region for family and communal gatherings is not something that started when the city allowed for such. As noted in reports by Snuneymuxw First Nations, the banks of the lower reservoir were used as a winter gathering space for their people for many years previous as it was proximate (Cowie, 2009). The Nanaimo region was home to multiple Snuneymuxw villages throughout time, by all accounts permanent settlements were outside of Colliery Dam Park, however the Chase River in its full extent was of use for fishing and bathing with regions within Colliery Park noted as being involved in such

(Interactive map of Snuneymuxw, n.d.). As late as 2007 there is record of native women leaving the upper pools also known as Granny Falls; although outside of our study area the presence is still worth noting as it exemplifies the timeless character of such practices (Cowie, 2009). Within the park bounds one major practice is worth attention; Culturally Modified Trees (CMTs) are prominent and can be seen from a few of the trails (Cowie, 2009). As explained by Brad Maguire, CMTs are trees, predominantly cedar, whose bark has been carefully stripped in order to access the softer bark underneath (February, 2013). In First Nations culture, the material is used to create anything from baskets, to hats and skirts (Cowie, 2009). Care is taken to strip the bark from the south or east sides in order to allow healing, as well as removed in small enough amounts to ensure no loss of species. Such a lesson should be taken and implemented in todays harvesting practices to ensure the existence of valuable resources for future generations (B. Maguire, February, 2013). Figure 2 shows a map of Colliery Dam Park with its formal bounds shown in green. The clusters of green trees are CMTs that date within the ten years previous to the study (1998 to 2008,) most of which lie outside of the park. The cluster of brown dots however lie mostly within, and they represent CMTs older than ten years but younger than 100 years old. This appears to be a large range to work with and its not mentioned why it was used perhaps its the method of measurement, however the information it relevant in making the point that indigenous presence can be found from a range of dates through time. The last area of interest are the Xs that lie just south of the middle dam. These represent discovered caves; they

are recognized as such due to their proximity to other archaeological sites and noted bathing pools (Cowie, 2009). The recognition of First Nations presence in Colliery Dam Park is important to the subsequent process of identifying the diverse range of stakeholders at play. It also creates not only an additional link to the past, but a cultural one at that.

Figure 2 Culturally Modified Trees, 2008 (Culturally Modified Tree Mapping report)

The third link to Colliery Dam Parks history is through its military past. Camp Nanaimo, as it was called was located where the current base lies, as well as VIU land and west towards the highway (Nanaimo Military Museum, n.d.). Initially developed with the onset of WWII, the camp was ground for training of more than

30,000 troops over its six-year height (Department of National Defence, 1991). Tasked with battle in Europe and even Alaska as the Japanese threatened our northern neighbor (Nanaimo Military Museum, n.d.). After reading through regimental history in search of decisive information, the map seen in Figure 3 provided the most significant of such. This 1941 map from the Department of National Defense shows a camp boundary that extends south past Harewood Mines road and east below Wakesiah Avenue into what is now the corner of Colliery Park, and the 1944 map (Figure 4) re-emphasizes this boundary (n.d.). There are three points of interest that are seen in Figure 4: the first are what as noted in the legend as ditches, a military company was trained as tunnelers during this time and its possible although not certain that these ditches could be forms of such activity (G. Smith, March 7, 2013). The second feature to note is the dashed line, which is labeled as sewer. Sources from Nanaimo Archives have suggested that the camp used the park for such purposes and it seems this may be proof of such (C.Mutzner, February 2013).

Figure 3 Department of National Defense, Military Camp, 1941 (Nanaimo Archives)

Figure 4 Nanaimo Military Camp, 1944 (Nanaimo Archives)

The third and final distinguished feature is the building located in the same North-East corner of the park. Mention was made of a pest house that was built in 1908 with the outbreak of small-pox, however the building seen in Figure 4 doesnt appear to be in the earlier map and it was also said to have burnt down by this period which brings this theory into question (C. Mutzner, February, 2013). There are numerous other claims about the military history within the park such as the depressions found in the north side of the park were part of training, as well as mention by a Veteran that tank training took place in the area, however no evidence could be found directly relating to our site. It becomes clear through research of Colliery Dam Parks history that although unintentional, the recreational and cultural activities that took place within the region play a large factor into the perceptions of the community members. Many Elders collected their means of living, many grandfathers trained to defend the flag, and many parents spent their summers within these park bounds, so there is little question as to why such people are fighting so hard to preserve central features of such. The way in which we move forward with this piece of land today will create the history of tomorrow, and after research, I believe it positive to maintain a tangible link to the identities of many of Nanaimos citizens, and allow future generations a chance to have this park a part of their own.

Works Cited Nanaimo Military Camp 1944 [Map]. Retrieved from Nanaimo Archives Department of National Defense, military camp 1941 [Map] Retrieved from Nanaimo Archives Go Fish BC. (2013). Archived Fish Stocking Reports [charts] Retrieved from http://www.gofishbc.com/fish-stocking-reports/archive-reports.aspx An Interactive Map of Snuneymuxw First Nations [Map]. Retrieved from http://www.snuneymuxwvoices.ca/english/map.asp Department of National Defence, Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt. (1991). Facilities Development Plan, Nanaimo Military Camp. Ottawa, Ontario: National Defence Headquarters An Ecological Survey of the Harewood Colliery Dam Park. Summer 1980. On file with the Nanaimo Community Archives. Current Zoning Land Use Map, City of Nanaimo [Map]. 2011. Retrieved from http://www.nanaimo.ca/assets/Departments/Current~Planning/Zoning~Bylaw~ Rewrite/CurrentZoningLandUseMap.pdf Collins, G. (2012, December 17). Colliery Dams Preservation Society, Geraldine Collins Presentation to Nanaimo City Council. Retrieved from http://184.107.238.234/~colliery/resources/Geraldine_Collins_Presentation_Dec_17_2 012.pdf Nanaimo Military Museum. (n.d.) Camp Nanaimo [Information Board] Retrieved from Nanaimo Military Museum, March 7, 2013. Mutzner, Christine. Archive Employee. Personal Communication. February, 2013 Smith, George. Military Veteran. Personal Communication, March 7, 2013 Maguire, Brad. Personal Communication, February, 2013 Cowie, Julie. (March, 2009.) Colliery Dam Park: Culturally Modified Tree Mapping Project. Retrieved from http://www.asbcnanaimo.ca/PROJECTS/Colliery-DamPark-CMT-Recording-Project-Report.pdf