Editor's note: This is a letter sent to Squamish's mayor and council that was forwarded to The Chief for publication.
It is a sad reflection on our municipal council that no action has been taken against the deliberate pollution of the Mamquam Blind Channel. My letter and complaint (Form 12) of Feb. 12 has not been answered despite the 72-hour deadline, which the form promises. I cannot believe that the unsightly, unsafe and unhealthy floating shantytown problem is unresolveable.
An unofficial skateboard site under the Quest University Bridge received a fast response, but long-term damage to a fragile ecosystem seems not to be worth any effort.
There is increasing anger about the blatant mess along the Blind Channel. Winter squatters will soon be leaving their floating shacks. The resulting mess, whether floating or sinking, will be left to someone else to handle. Reacting to this problem will always be cumbersome and costly. Much better to be proactive and tackle the problem early.
A proactive policy requires level enforcement of our current bylaws and violation should be promptly handled by our bylaw enforcement staff. Failure to do so is the fault of our elected councillors. My complaint is that our public morality about unsightly premises is effectively covered under Bylaw 1868 and retribution should be as obviously enforced.
Ethics and integrity are at the core of public confidence in our elected councillors. Failure to enforce our bylaws does result in my questioning their integrity. My complaint is directly about the inaction of council to move against the landowners in question.
Jim Gracie
Squamish
