Karin Bagn's letter to the editor, in the Arpil 1 issue of the Gazette, fails as an April Fool’s prank largely due to the seriousness of the subject matter. It is time this community unequivocally repudiates the tyranny of the dwindling minority and declares itself wholly behind the water metering initiative.
Instead of writing a note of support to "safe affordable water"—whatever or whomever that is—who use all manner of bunkum and fear-mongering to thwart the initiative and achieve their, as yet, undeclared end game, I urge citizens to send a few words of support to city at info@grandforks.ca to show our administration that we, the 90 per cent of us already metered or lined up for the service, really care about individual water management. We already have “safe affordable water” and are appreciative of it.
The fact that every citizen in this city uses some 730 litres of water every day year round is a blot against any notions we may harbour of responsible environmental stewardship. Metering is an effort to assist us all to do a better job before rationing becomes the next option. Readers who haven’t experienced rationing are in for an ugly surprise.
Those among your readers who believe that loss of 90 perc ent of our glaciers by 2100 is nothing to concern themselves about are wrong; those who believe that snow pack levels on the coast, at only some 13-15 per cent of the norm, doesn't affect them, are also wrong; those who are unaware that B.C. has a new Water Sustainability Act should become better informed because a water scarcity crisis is in their futures; and those who don’t believe the Kettle River is in dire shape are also wrong. How much science do they need?
Without the WSA, population growth, climate change, resource "development" and continued waste and pollution of water supplies will render our part of the world a radically depleted place. Just hope the WSA has teeth and robust enforcement legislation.
As to the case of our CAO and the carping about his remunerations, consider this: I think it likely that someone whispered to this mayor and council that a breach of contract was in the offing and that two things must happen to avoid it: 1) that council pass a resolution to bring the metering programme to completion, and, 2) that they get hold of someone competent enough to avoid the lawsuit.
I believe that is why Doug Allin is back in his chair and I regard his settlement a far better deal than getting dinged with a multi-million dollar lawsuit.
Finally, without malice, as the mayor is still offside with 90 per cent of the population, he cannot reasonably be expected to represent the community at the UBCM annual meetings and should be kept home.
Dave Milton, Grand Forks