A Greater Victoria resident is calling on the District of Saanich to intervene in an ongoing situation he says has been getting worse and worse over the years.
Chris White’s parents have lived near Arbutus Cove for 20 years and have seen an area of the beach become an “eyesore” as people take advantage of the cove and use it as a “private party place.” The rocky walls are covered in graffiti and broken glass is frequently scattered on the ground around remnants of a large bonfire.
“It’s not a family-friendly path [to get down there.] You can get down there with a case of beer, but you’re not going to take your infant down there,” he says.
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White worries about the people who are scaling up the 10-metre cliff to spray paint on it, above the hard rocky ground. He says over the years his parents have tried to bring the issue to the attention of Saanich staff but have received little to no help in mitigating the problem.
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“It would be great to get someone in Saanich with a brain to look at this and see what the most cost-effective thing to do is before someone gets killed and before they continue to make this part of [Greater] Victoria look horrible and embarrassing,” he says.
Adding to the problem, White has some concerns about the potential impact on the environment in the area with a Garry oak ecosystem nearby and the fact that seal pups have been seen in the area.
“Can you imagine the photos of this area if there was broken glass and seal pups got cut up?”
According to Megan Catalano, communications manager for the District of Saanich, Parks staff looked into the graffiti and found it was on private property.
To report graffiti in Saanich visit bit.ly/34znnrf.
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