To the Editor,
Before any attempt is made to remove the dams at Colliery Dam Park, the public has a right to know what was said in the in-camera meeting where the decision was made.
While they are technically owned by Snuneymuxw First Nation under Canadian law, they were once controlled by a mining corporation that is now defunct.
Is this Crown land, city property or privately owned?
Another question is was there any suggestion in the meeting the land could be considered for subdividing by developers?
The Forest Practice Code forbids deforestation within 10 metres of a water course. Draining the lakes would provide developers a much larger land area to exploit and degrade.
Engineers who had worked at dam repair gave presentations at the public meeting on this issue and agreed both dams could be upgraded for less than $2 million.
The dam at Westwood Lake was upgraded for $500,000. So now the city has hired the same firm that told them removal will cost $6 million to answer our objections to their estimates.
There’s so much that stinks about this deal that a court should be requested to untangle it before we end up with another paved park in the south end.
Jim Erkiletian
Nanaimo
