With anti-biosolids signs in hand and passing cars supplying a few honks of encouragement, eight people walked down Nicola Avenue to meet with two fellow protesters on horseback at the end of Juniper Drive.
Once there, those on foot passed a bag caring local soil and water — a symbol of the Nicola Valley chiefs’ biosolids moratorium — to one of the riders.
Led by the local band chiefs, a caravan of people opposed to biosolids are walking, horseback riding and driving to the provincial legislature in Victoria to deliver the self-imposed moratorium on spreading biosolids in the Nicola Valley and the bag of soil and water to the provincial government as part of a rally.
Lower Nicola Band Chief Aaron Sam said the goal of the rally is to build awareness surrounding the biosolids issue and let the provincial government know the issue isn’t going away.
The caravan began Tuesday from the Coldwater reserve, and continued to the Shackan reserve Wednesday.
With potlucks and campouts along the way, the caravan is travelling up Highway 8 and continuing along Highway 1 with stops near Spences Bridge, and then in Boston Bar and Spuzzum.
Sam said supporters will stop walking from there and the caravan will drive the rest of the way to the Tsawwassen ferry terminal on Sunday.
After boarding a ferry to the B.C. capital, the plan is to hold the rally on the front steps of the legislative building Monday at noon.
Sam said the caravan has yet to decide who they will deliver the moratorium, water and soil to once in Victoria.
“We may have somebody receive it on Monday,” Sam said, noting they intend to invite politicians to the rally.
He said a bus will depart Merritt on Sunday to transport anyone not part of the caravan who want to be in Victoria for the rally.
Recently, the biosolids company BioCentral met with protesters for an information meeting.
At that meeting, protester Arnie Narcisse suggested BioCentral enter into the Lower Nicola Band’s referral process with regards to its Sunshine Valley Road composting facility.
Sam said the chiefs haven’t had any discussions with BioCentral, but their main focus is to have dialogue with the provincial government on biosolids policy change.
