Letters to the Editor

Sewage Treatment

The citizens of James Bay are urged to make their voices heard about the sewage treatment plant scandal. I recently sent an e-mail as below to our new Minister of Environment pointing out the most significant facts.

Dear Mr.Coell,
I write to you as the only person to have written a book about  Victoria's sewage, which I did some twenty years ago in a desperate  attempt to stop the proposal then current to have land based  treatment plants installed for Victoria. The referendum so proposing was defeated at that time. I imagine my book is still available in your Ministry library or other libraries and can be read at  members.shaw.ca/sewagecircus.
It is, of course, as obvious that one cannot discharge sewage without treatment as that the sun goes round the earth. Out of some thirty-five years of research locally,  in the USA, England and Australia, I draw your attention to just three items: Professor Isaac's address to a committee of Congress acting on behalf of American scientists explaining why secondary treatment was not needed with long outfalls; the Royal Commission (no less!) in England in 1984, which concluded that comparing the two long outfalls "could be environmentally preferable"; the statement by Professor Littlepage of UVic that "we should be promoting our  system as one of the most efficient and environmentally sound systems in North America". No one knows more about it.
The evidence is quite clear that under the right conditions (and ours are ideal) long outfalls are environmentally preferable to secondary treatment, but the situation is worse than that implies, for the construction and operation of land- based plants would carry significant adverse environmental health and safety risks. Pleas to have them examined have been ignored. Furthermore the impacts will continue generation after generation, for the massive civil engineering work involved would be irreversible.
Perhaps the most serious aspect of this matter is ignoring our University. Our scientists must wonder why they bothered with all those exams and what their purpose is thought to be when the most important advice they will ever give on a local topic is swept aside.
I have been fighting this battle since I was 42 and am now 84 and still hope to see science prevail. So please, I urge you to re-examine this issue.

J.E.Dew-Jones, P.Eng.

Action Now

James Bay residents, collectively. are an odd lot. While they might react to events that might seem to threaten enjoyment of their residency, they do not offer proactive suggestions on how to prevent this from happening.
For example, when developers propose a building threatening to cast a shadow on their patios, they protest. Where those structures might cause more street parking, they protest.
More importantly, in the larger scheme of things, there is neither the strength of ideas nor collective action on how James Bay might look in, say, the year 2050. Will it just develop, topsy-turvy, like a shanty town in Third World countries? Will rail transit ever be considered as the smartest way to connect our growing population to other Greater Victoria communities? Will our roads be clogged increasingly with noisy and dangerous traffic?
More taxis rushing through to meet cruise ships?
Overall planning for our future might seem obvious. But by whom or what: developers? City council? Plain wishing for something nice to happen?
Moreover, while James Bay, surrounded on three sides by water, is a key and attractive part of the harbour of the city--thanks to that geography-it falls short, on its own, as a tourist destination.
We can't blame others for that. The Downtown Victoria Business Assn. does a splendid job of reaching out to tourists, (with the one exception of their not acknowledging the outstanding Johnson Street Bridge for its true worth). But, James Bay: where's that, what's there? DVBA, in its looking inward, cannot be blamed for that oversight.
Really, is there anything stopping our very own organized community from taking an inventory of our natural or built amenities? Is there?
We can go further. We can create an image--a centre, even--that boldly defines James Bay as an entity of historic proportion. Something visual and positive that one can write home about. A place attractive to tourists. No need for shyness.
For maximum clout, we could seek a volunteer Press Release officer. We could collaborate with other organizations trying to influence various governmental bodies.
The way I see it, action beats reaction, anytime. Planned evolution is the way to go.

Redner Jones

A for Ashley

I was delighted to see Ashley Richter's cartoon "Ready for School" in the October issue of the Beacon.

Ashley has a great sense of humour and good sociological insights. I hope that we shall see more of her cartoons in the paper.

Yana Bazett

Driving Me Crazy

My family often tells me that I get way too up-tight about the poor drivers in Victoria.

A few days ago I was crossing Simcoe Street at Menzies in mid-afternoon. When I was just a bit less than half-way across a car tore through in front of me, didn't even slow down despite a clear stop sign.

The middle-aged male didn't look anywhere but straight ahead, maybe thinking that if he doesn't look there is nobody there. Or maybe that stop signs and pedestrian crossings are mere suggestions. Either way, old folks and young drivers do not have a monopoly when it comes to just plan stupid and dangerous driving.

Jim Gerwing