Once again SmartCentres dominates the front page. This time they are suing the environmental consultants that sang from the songbook they wanted to hear. WA:TER (Wetlands Alternative; The Environmental Response) gave several presentations to council regarding this property in 2006-2007 informing them of the importance of specific river channels, wetlands, and riparian setbacks. Their message was clear: It would be an unfavourable location for a shopping centre. After a marathon hearing, the Smart-Centre development was eventually turned down on first proposal.
The second time around – this ragtag group of local engineers, professionals and concerned citizens pooled their resources and had their own QEP analysis and report conducted. This second report shot the SmartCentre’s report (by EBA, now being sued) so full of holes that the Ministry of Environment could not ignore this and ordered their own QEP report.
The third report found that EBA was not “rigorous enough” and as a result the size of their development was reduced from an original 42 acres down to 16.5 acres. Salmon Arm has essentially “dodged a bullet” by not also being named in this $3.3 million suit. The majority of our council and city staff chose to defer to the SmartCentres QEP and ignore the local citizens’ recommendations.
Fast forward to the day online shopping renders big-box stores redundant and we have a 900 car parking lot pushing up weeds on a piece of fertile property that could have fed Salmon Arm into the millennium. Should the “Salmon Arm is open for business” attitude be at the expense of our lakes and rivers? Ultimately, future councils must be the stewards of our precious resources and their future.
Duncan Morris
