Alistair MacGregor, Chief Administrative Officer for Cowichan Tribes, issued the following statement Friday regarding the remediation of a Tzouhalem Road site located on Tribes reserve land.

“Cowichan Tribes is aware of and has worked collaboratively in support of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ (DFO) Order issued in July 2024 to Certificate of Possession holders and their designated agent to remediate Lots 309-2, 309-3, and 311- 1731 Tzouhalem Road.  

"Unlike several legacy contaminated sites on Cowichan Tribes reserve land, Lots 309-2, 309-3, and 311 are governed under Cowichan Tribes’ Land Code and Waste Management Bylaw.

“The issues identified by Cowichan Tribes, DFO, and consultants on these lots relate specifically to fill placement, slope instability, and the alteration of fish habitat, rather than contamination. 

“As these lots fall within Cowichan Tribes’ jurisdiction, the Nation exercised its authority by: 

— issuing Certificates of Transport for limited volumes of clean fill with environmental conditions.
— enforcing those conditions and issuing non-compliance notices when they were breached.
— cancelling the Certificates of Transport and ordering all work to stop.
— issuing a cease-and-desist letter when unauthorized activities continued.
— directing the cancelled permit holders to pay for remediation.
— commissioning a site assessment to inform further action. 

“Cowichan Tribes continues to work with DFO and qualified professionals to ensure the site is stabilized and habitat is restored in accordance with federal direction and Cowichan Tribes Land Code. 

"A plan is in place for restoration work to be completed at the site during an appropriate weather window to minimize further impacts.  

“The Cowichan Tribes Land Code came into effect in 2019. The Tzouhalem Road Certificates of Transport were among the first to be issued under Cowichan Tribes permitting process. 

"Since this time, additional applications for Certificates of Transport have been received, assessed, and approved or denied as appropriate.”  

sxmountains.ca first reported on Nov. 21 that DFO had issued a Corrective Measures Order for restoration of fish-bearing Tzouhalem Creek: https://www.sixmountains.ca/article/ff1bdaf3-5cf5-4bcc-915c-baaf1b1f3560

Former MP MacGregor new CAO for Cowichan Tribes: https://cowichanvalleycitizen.com/2025/07/29/former-mp-macgregor-new-cao-for-cowichan-tribes/ .

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— Larry Pynn, Nov. 28, 2025