The Port aux Basques Town Council is hoping the winds of change will blow through Environment Canada's forecast structure.
Councillors are questioning Environment Canada's decision to group Wreckhouse in with the Stephenville-Bay St. George weather forecast.
It results in Wreckhouse wind warnings being read in the same breath as the Stephenville forecast on radio. Warnings also appear with Stephenville's forecast on the Environment Canada website, rather than with the forecast for Port aux Basques.
Members of council feel the forecast can be misleading for tourists and truckers arriving in the province because they might hear a Wreckhouse wind warning for the Bay St. George area and think they can safely drive through the Codroy Valley.
Wreckhouse wind warnings were announced with the Port aux Basques weather until 2003. That spring, Environment Canada redrew its forecast region boundaries for the province. That change put the Codroy Valley in the same area as Stephenville-Bay St. George.
Earlier this year, council asked Town Manager Melvin Keeping to write to Environment Canada expressing council's concerns about the misleading nature of the new forecast system.
In his letter, Mr. Keeping explained how tourists heading to the Crabbes River campground might think it safe to drive there because the Stephenville-Bay St. George area is still 50 kilometres away from their destination.
"Little do you know that when you leave Port aux Basques you will encounter the Wreckhouse winds 10 to 15 minutes outside of Port aux Basques," wrote Mr. Keeping.
Wayne Osmond of Cape Ray is a fierce proponent of providing more warning to drivers about the Wreckhouse winds. He pointed out the folly of listing Wreckhouse wind warnings with the Stephenville weather on his blog in May.
"The Wreckhouse is closer to Port aux Basques and this disinformation may be causing accidents," wrote Mr. Osmond. "The Wreckhouse is over 100 kilometers from the area they forecast and some unsuspecting motorists unfamiliar with the area may die because of this disinformation."
Mr. Osmond routinely features dramatic photos of tractor-trailers and campers blown over by Wreckhouse winds on his blog.
He believes the provincial government should have digital signs at either end of Wreckhouse to alert drivers of the current wind speeds and the danger of the localized winds.
The possibility of digital signs has been discussed for about a decade by several local groups and provincial departments. However, disagreements over responsibility and jurisdiction have so far stifled any progress.
Mr. Osmond doubts action will be taken any time soon.
"I have a feeling not much will be done out there until someone dies. It always seems to take a scandal or tragedy in this province to get government moving," he said.
Environment Canada
In a response to Mr. Keeping's letter, Bill Appleby, director of the Atlantic region for the Meteorological Service of Canada, wrote that forecast region boundaries are drawn "to encompass areas which experience similar weather conditions under certain regimes."
He also explained that while the Wreckhouse wind is most famous in its namesake region, the phenomenon appears to be common in many areas along the west side of the Long Range Mountains.
Mr. Appleby's response appears to contradict Environment Canada's own definition of Wreckhouse winds, which it defines on its website as southwest winds that occur between Cape Ray and St. Andrew's.
Mr. Appleby said Environment Canada initiated a review of public forecast regions this past summer.
"Your comments are timely as they will be incorporated into this review and it is likely that any proposed changes to our forecast regions will address most of your concerns," he wrote.
That response did not satisfy town council. Mayor Button asked Mr. Keeping to again get in touch with Environment Canada, and discussed the possibility of inviting an official to meet with council for a discussion.
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