To the Editor,
The Colliery dams saga has almost come full circle. Council first voted to remove them, then to replace them and now the city is only looking at remediation which is the most expensive option. The cost of remediation has been estimated at between $13 and $23 million.
This is not an infrastructure project. It’s not a road or water line. This is strictly a parks and recreation project. The entire 2013-2017 capital plan for parks, recreation and culture is $11 million.
Given the financial hardships many in Nanaimo face and the fiscal restraint that the public is demanding of council, it is hard to fathom that this kind of expenditure could be contemplated to retain the recreational and historic value of the dams.
Since it appears now that the Dam Safety Branch is prepared to wait until 2015 to have this issue resolved, the prudent way forward would be to minimize any further work and expenditures until a public referendum can be held next November.
Fred KardelNanaimo