I was deeply disturbed by last week’s council meeting, where staff brought forward a recommendation to council “for a commercial truck route, along the Seventh Avenue Corridor, with preliminary costs, schedule and funding options.” Not only is the 7th Ave connector (whether you call it a dike or a road) a bad plan, but the fact that staff was ready to start building it in 2015, was quite an eye opener. While several councillors were on board with the idea, I was relieved when Mayor Kirkham and councillor Heintzmann put the brakes on, pointing out that the various route options need to be assessed, before any one of them can be approved and built. My thanks to the mayor and councillors who did stick up for the Estuary!
Preference for the 7th Ave. connector is flawed on many fronts, not least of which is the Multi Modal Transportation Plan. While that plan does have some valid information, it seemed at the time that municipal staff had an agenda to place the 7th Ave. proposal front and centre, despite opposing views from some members of the transportation committee and detailed discussion of other options. The other often-quoted document is the 1999 Estuary Management Plan (SEMP). While the plan allows provision for a transportation corridor, “if and when needed,” one should keep in mind that this was the best compromise that could be agreed at the time. We are now 15 years smarter, we know the value of the estuary and we have other options. Under the SEMP, any proposed road development requires a full environmental assessment and public consultation as well as a review under SERC.
We need to look at other municipalities like Campbell River and celebrate our estuary as a wildlife refuge, not a recreational or commercial asset, but a place to appreciate nature.
I urge all of us to look at how we approach wildlife and habitat in our community: the pressures on the estuary; the destruction of wetlands due to development; the lack of enforcement for riparian infractions; the lack of wildlife corridors; the flawed beaver management plan; and the watered down role of the environmental co-ordinator at city hall. If you care about nature, make it an election issue. Ask questions of the candidates. Together we can make this a model town that works with wildlife and nature in spite of its inconvenience, and still remains a great place to live.
