I have been following the wastewater saga closely for the past year. In an effort to understand it better, I have read reports, spoken to experts and attended meetings including the Capital Regional District’s own core area liquid waste management committee.
Many of my questions have been answered, but mysteries remain. Why do most members of this committee continue to stumble down this road to ruin? Assuming that we need wastewater treatment in Victoria, this is certainly not the way to go about it.
This planned megaproject is an enormous waste of money. It is a short-term, unsustainable folly that will prevent the development of higher environmental priorities and cripple our tax base. There are alternatives that would cost less and be more effective.
Furthermore, the CRD has so far ignored the public, bullied communities and disgraced themselves in the process. This is actually a failure of government at all levels. The federal government is to blame for creating a regulation that does not recognize local circumstances. The provincial government is to blame for following a path of perception. Regardless, the buck should have stopped at the CRD. Obviously, it did not.
Now, it is up to the public to stop this monster. And they will. The pressure is growing. Even civil disobedience has been discussed. This scandal could well result in the end of some political careers and even the CRD.
Dave Ferguson
Saanich
