Tsunami Logs

Do you think council, marine operators, public works or waterfront managements might take notice and action of the peril to banks and seawalls and small craft if it was brought to their attention?

Should the predicted Tsunami waves of seven to twelve feet reach this James Bay seaport and harbour,  it will pick-up acres of heavy timber buried and lying all over surrounding beaches and cause worse damage than if it were carrying only water and gravel.

The $300,000 worth of work and gravel embanked on Fonyo Beach has shown how our average storms can "play" with tremendous volumes of material. First the east end was completely washed away, much gravel thrown up onto the path, road and bank, then the west end after much reinforcing into steps, gullies, and banks this year is all washed out and maybe added now to the central beach.   The area below the steps descending to Fonyo Beach has broadened and heightened all this winter.  Under it many huge logs lie buried but will easily be disinterred by a small tsunami.  All the expense put into the path above the banks will be an utter waste as the banks will probably be battered down; only the vegetation secured in rocky crags might be left.

This ever-changing gravel bank continues with each storm.  The problem with councils and committees, they prefer to pay out large sums to a consultant from far away who does not know the daily routine of our waterfront tides - rather than fine men, machines, lumber equipment to get the beaches cleared.  Lumber could be shipped inland to the nearest mill, so much in "need."  Also, lumber companies should be responsible for securing their log booms responsible for all this flotsam and jetsam, can we sue them? Or could we if damage was due to loose logs?

Joan Cook