Up front: Officials knock vigilante track ‘improvement’ off the rails The Good Life: Good times going south for Cowichan seniors
page A3 page B1
For all the news of the Cowichan region as it happens, plus stories from around British Columbia, go to our website www.cowichannewsleader.com Your news leader since 1905
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Rick Neufeld and family enjoy the Crofton Seawalk ofÄcially opened Saturday. For the story on the completion of the decade-long project and what the future may hold, see page A1.
Andrew Leong
Shawnigan gets candidate sympathy but no promises to halt soil dump Peter W. Rusland
News Leader Pictorial
A
draft permit to dump and treat contaminated soil in the Shawnigan Lake watershed has done something rarely seen in B.C. politics. It has united provincial election candidates from each of the four major parties. Cowichan Valley’s NDP, Green, Liberal and Conservative hopefuls each told hundreds gathered for Monday’s politically charged public meeting in Shawnigan Lake they shared widespread community concerns about the proposal. The ¿rm South Island Aggregate wants to use an existing quarry site south of the lake to accept and treat some 100,000 tonnes of chemically laced soil.
Fiesty town-hall meeting: hundreds express fears of water pollution from SIA’s proposed dumping of contaminated soil in lake-area quarry But while each candidate joined some 1,800 south Cowichan residents in signing a public petition opposing the permit, none took the next step demanded by many: a promise to pull it should it be formally approved prior to, or after, the May 14 election. “Rescinding it after May 14 could lead to lawsuits,” said Shawnigan Lake CVRD Director Bruce Fraser, “and government needs the courage to do that.” Cowichan MLA Bill Routley, and NDP environmental critic Rob Fleming, told the crowd they couldn’t make promises to yank a permit
without their party’s OK. Still, Routley vowed he’d talk to NDP leader Adrian Dix. Routley also noted said he’d back inspection of all soil rigs crossing the Malahat into Cowichan. “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.” Liberal Steve Housser, the meeting’s chair, cheered residents’ action about watershed protection and said he is appealing to government to intervene. However, he declined to comment about his party’s handling of SIA’s draft permit so far. “(Environment Minister) Terry Lake has been asked to intervene, and I’d prefer to wait and see
2003 Chev Silverado 2500
DL#5963
Stk#B1116A
$13,995 6466 Bell McKinnon Road, Duncan
what he does before making a judgement.” B.C. Conservative Damir Wallener also opposed the permit. He urged folks to continue speaking out, stressing SIA’s permit should contain environmental safeguards acceptable to Cowichan’s regional board, and the Shawnigan Residents’ Association. And Green candidate Kerry Davis slammed the permitting process, and SIA’s plan. “The (B.C.) environmental assessment is broken, and it needs to be ¿xed.” Several folks spoke of starting, and supporting, lawsuits against SIA — whose agents didn’t speak at the meeting and have yet to respond to last week’s News Leader Pictorial interview request — if Shawnigan’s water is threatened. more on A4
2007 Honda Element EX
2006 Mercedes ML 500
$18,995
$22,995
Stk#33-129B
250-748-5814
Stk#32-449A
www.discoveryhonda.com