To the Editor,
Re: School board’s safety priorities misguided, Letters, Sept. 12.
It is upsetting to witness what passes for truth from the lips and pens of supporters of maintaining the Colliery Dams.
The letter writer maintained that the risk to life and property was now reduced. That is not true. Engineers have determined that the risk remains and council was ordered to produce a short-term risk management strategy. That does not fix the problem, it only provides for forms of emergency response should the dams breach.
As for the school board’s role, the letter writer should know that the board of trustees were informed by council last October that the plan was to remove the dams, thus removing the risk. Then the dam follies began and here we are with the continuing risk to 600 of our students, our staff, and the infants and toddlers and staff of Little Ferns Child Care Centre. Yes, those “piddly dams” could cause great loss of property and life thanks to this summer’s delays.
The board watched anxiously until the hour for demolition passed and we responded with anxiety to council about the next steps. The board does not care what replaces the dams, only that they be removed as soon as possible.
I hope there is more emphasis on truth and less on factless emotion as this issue is resolved.
Jamie Brennanboard chairmanNanaimo school district