User:Riclque/sandbox

History

Aboriginal

QayQayt First Nation Territory

The area around Hawthorne Park are the traditional lands of Sto:lo, Coast Salish peoples, Kwantlen First Nation, Qayqayt First Nation, Tsawwassen First Nation, Squamish Nation, Musqueam Indian Band, and Semiahmoo First Nation. One of the groups that lived closest to Hawthorne Park, were the Qayqayt. Due to a small pox epidemic that appeared in 1862, ref>http://web.uvic.ca/vv/student/smallpox/overview/timeline.html "The Spirit of Pestilence." The Smallpox Epidemic of 1862 (Victoria BC)--Overview and Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.</ref>the Qayqayt tribe went from 400 members to less than 100. After the population decreased, the Qayqayt tribe lost almost all of their land including the area around Hawthorne Park.

Environmental Issues

Pollution near Creek in Hawthorne Park

Traces of oil above the water

Climate change and global warming are issues for Hawthorne Park, and many environments in British Columbia, Canada. There are large amounts of litter in Hawthorne Park, that is comprised of food packaging, cigarette butts or filters, furniture, and other garbage left behind by people. Ducks, coyotes and other wildlife mistake the litter for food and ingest it, resulting in diseases or death. That garbage, washes into the streams and block up the stream path, ruining habitats for fish and other animals. Besides garbage, chemical waste has been found in both Hawthorne and Bon Accord Creeks. The litter and chemicals have been found in Hawthorne Creek and Bon Accord Creek, which changes the pH level, affect the turbidity, and destroy habitats. An acidic or alkaline pH level can result in the death of insects, fish, and plants in the water, while a high turbidity prevents sunlight from reaching aquatic plants requiring photosynthesis. Animals, such as dogs, take in nitrates and nitrites from their food, which when excreted and swept into the water may cause eutrophication .

As shown by Vancouver International Airport's "Web Track-YVR” web tool, Hawthorne Park is located directly under several different flight paths to and from YVR. Other noise pollution is caused by the cars by on the two major roads, 104 street and 108 street.