Recently I walked the proposed Seventh Avenue connector corridor. The route will essentially divide a part of the estuary as well as impact one of the more prolific marshes in the area. I came home angry.
By continuing to consider the connector as a future transportation option, our council and politicians are showing the community they are not as "green" and forward-thinking as they would have us believe.
While it is all well and good to give lip service to all the green jargons of the day (sustainability, Smart Growth on the Ground etc.), it would seem they do not fully understand what they are committing to.
Indeed it seems that a nice environmentally friendly, "green" pavilion downtown will make the world a better place. Give everyone that warm and fuzzy glow, complete with happy faces and a ribbon cutting.
Wake up! Never has it been more crucial to preserve the last of the Earth's most important asset - wetlands. The wetlands of the world are disappearing at an alarming rate, and upsetting the climatic balance of the earth. Scientists call them the "lungs" of the Earth.
They store water, filter impurities, offset massive amounts of CO2 (in fact more than a rainforest), regulate temperature and basically help fend off the effects of climate change. And this is on top of being ecologically significant habitat areas. Wetlands and oceans are vital to life on Earth. Humans cannot exist on this planet without them.
You want stable, predictable climate? Hug a wetland.
While more progressive communities like Campbell River, Parksville and Duncan are forming partnerships and doing whatever they can to preserve what's left of their estuaries, our community still entertains the idea of a Seventh Avenue connector.
I am ashamed to tell people, who have heard of our WMA designation, about the proposal. If the estuary is worth protecting under a WMA designation, then how can we possibly agree that a road dissecting a significant portion of it is a good idea?
Our estuary is still distressed from the oil spill, and has been impacted by the Skye development. It has co-existed with a train line for years, and absorbed the various contaminants thrown at it by BC Rail in the past.
Add to this the effects of a busy road - pollution, run off, contamination, degradation and road kill -all death sentences to an estuary. The estuary has had enough abuse and it's time we said no once and for all to any more impact.
I encourage all of you to research the importance of wetlands and demand that our local government work towards partnerships aimed at protecting all remaining sections of our estuary from any further development.
The proposed corridor is not acceptable, and should be removed as an option once and for all. The estuary is something to cherish and protect before it's too late.
Mary Mitchell
Brackendale
