Qualicum Beach’s population cap is back.
Not in any official capacity. Nor will it appear as such in its new official community plan.
Yet, talk of a population cap will no doubt return if the Town of Qualicum Beach pursues dumping a portion of its share in the Arrowsmith Water Service onto the Regional District of Nanaimo.
With politicians and municipal officials scurrying into behind-the-scenes meetings over the town’s recent anti-AWS overtures, the matter of drinking water quantity and availability will come up often around the water cooler.
Qualicum Beach is a partner in the AWS — although not connected to the system — and is banking on its existing well fields to supply the town with water. Therefore, they want out of paying their share as established in 1998. The existing wells, however, can only supply a certain number of townspeople for a certain amount of years.
Say, 12,000 people by 2050. Around the same number as the so-called population cap, which was an estimation of how many people the town can support on its existing zoning and buildout.
Town council says is will tap into the Little Qualicum River (via Cameron Lake) to add to their supply in the future if need be. Yet the town’s own staff report on the issue states it’s unlikely the governing bodies will grant them further water licenses.
Town council is, therefore, placing bets on the province relaxing that stance in the future and pulling their money off the AWS table.
They better hope the dice roll their way, else their wager might come up dry.
— editorial by Steven Heywood
