As authorities continue to investigate a spill that killed hundreds of fish in Sidney, the incident has also been an educational experience for the children who made the grisly discovery.
Summer Sinclair and her children Jeremiah, eight; Cheyenne, six, and Savannah, three, were walking along Reay Creek around 1:45 p.m. on June 4 when they discovered the first of what would ultimately be more than 300 dead fish. While the investigation is ongoing, initial signs point toward bleach as the contamination agent, entering the creek through a stormwater drain via a perimeter drain.
Jeremiah said the discovery of the fish surprised them. “So then I ran home, put on my boots and grabbed the big long net that we have and we pulled them out of the water,” he said.
RELATED: Several hundred fish dead in Sidney’s Reay Creek after suspected bleach leak
After catching some fish and putting them in a bucket, Summer Sinclair eventually called the Town of Sidney after having noticed more in the water.
“That is when all the excitement began and these kids were hanging out here all afternoon, watching and learning (from crews tracking the cause of the spill and collecting the fish),” she said, adding crews were generous in sharing details about their work.
Sinclair, whose family lives near Reay Creek, said the incident has been a valuable learning experience, giving her children the chance to learn about the effects of pollution and ways to prevent it.
Jeremiah said the entire experience has left him with mixed feelings.
“It was actually pretty fun and it’s also very sad,” he said. “What made it fun was that it was sort of a scavenger hunt, finding all of the dead fish. The sad part is that the fish died.”
RELATED: North Saanich’s Deep Cove Elementary School helps to restock Sidney’s Reay Creek
Both federal and provincial authorities are investigating the incident. The provincial Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy is the lead agency determining the cause of mortality, while the federal Ministry of Environment and Climate Change is looking into whether any federal legislation prohibiting the disposition of harmful substances into waters frequented by fish were violated.
The Sidney Anglers’ Association has since recognized the children with gifts.
Do you have a story tip? Email: vnc.editorial@blackpress.ca.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.
