House offers hope
New place for young men with addictions. Page A13
NEWS: UVic sees healthy growth /A3 ARTS: Ty Cobb story comes to life at Fringe /A10 SPORTS: Canada close to rugby’s World Cup /A14
OAK BAYNEWS Wednesday, August 21, 2013
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Despite protests, sewage plan marches forward
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the islands with the RCMP South Island Marine Section by boat and on foot. People caught trespassing will now face up to a $1,000 fine, 30 days in jail, or both. “The traffic has really died down this year. We aren’t seeing the kind of garbage we did before, and we do still have our volunteers going out and making sure things continue to be cleaned out,” said Sam.
apital Regional District directors once again shut down a motion by naysayers last week to pull the reins on the region’s secondary sewage treatment project. Saanich Coun. Vic Derman put forward a motion for an independent review of the plan and parallel public input process to solicit alternative ideas, both in an effort to appease many residents who feel their concerns have not been heard. The motion was defeated last Wednesday by directors 10-4, or 41-14 when weighted for population size. Two disparate perspectives seem to be solidifying among local Daniel Palmer politicians. A majority of directors are publicly Reporting committed to the current plan because of a strict federally mandated compliance deadline of 2020 and the fear of losing federal and provincial funding, or two-thirds of the project’s $783-million price tag. On the other side, a minority of directors that include Derman, View Royal Mayor Graham Hill, Colwood Mayor Carol Hamilton and Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins believe public confidence in the project continues to erode due to poor consultation. “There is huge concern in the general public in terms of trust, confidence and confusion as to what the heck is going on,” Desjardins said. “And we’re not doing ourselves any service down at CRD by not taking a pause, making sure we’ve answered those questions, and getting communities to come onside. You do that by understanding and by listening to them.”
PlEASE SEE: Island still accessible to boaters, Page A8
PlEASE SEE: Alternative treatment options, Page A4
Danielle Pope/News staff
Songhees Nation Chief Ron Sam stands in front of new signage at Cattle Point which notifies visitors that Chatham Island and a portion of Discovery Island are protected reserve land. The Songhees started an aggressive educational campaign last year to curb damage caused by trespassers who would illegally camp on the islands.
Island protection campaign a success Songhees say patrol of Chatham and Discovery Islands is paying off Danielle Pope News staff
A year after the Songhees First Nation started its campaign to protect their chunk of Chatham and Discovery islands, the work has paid off. Though Chatham, and a large portion of Discovery, are protected Indian Reserve land, the private islands are some of the most frequently trespassed, with wandering explorers camping and often littering on the land. Last summer, through taxation, the Songhees funded a
zodiac to patrol waters with help from a designated bylaw officer and the RCMP. A year later, Songhees Chief Ron Sam says the efforts are making a difference. “It’s been a pretty quiet year so far, one of the quietest ones we’ve ever had, I’d say,” said Sam. The patrols were initially aimed at education to combat the amount of garbage left on the islands by trespassers which, last summer, included a wheelchair. By April, however, the nation had instituted surveillance technology and a mandate to “aggressively patrol”
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