Re: “Sewage plant’s future is murky,” editorial, April 9.
The editorial’s rationale for Esquimalt residents’ opposition to the Capital Regional District’s application seems to be NIMBYism. This is clearly not the case.
In reality, the opposition to the CRD’s wastewater treatment plan has a broader base than just Esquimalt residents. This is evidenced by the location of the residences of speakers who presented at the recent public hearings on the rezoning.
Approximately 50 per cent were from Esquimalt and the other 50 per cent were residents of Victoria, Saanich, Songhees Nation, View Royal and Colwood. Of the 117 who spoke, 114 expressed their opposition to approving the CRD application.
Based on the information provided by presenters, there were many substantial concerns with the current plan. NIMBYism was not evident as a concern. These concerns were clearly shared by the Esquimalt councillors, as each explained rationale for their decision to vote against the CRD application.
Your readers would be better served if you provided more in-depth assessments of this project’s issues and a more balanced portrayal of citizens’ concerns about them. A well-designed “state of the art” wastewater system is what we need, and certainly not one that is located in an inadequately sized, high-risk location.
I look forward to your future coverage of this project and hope it is more objective.
John Noyes
Esquimalt
