To the Editor,
Re: Dam remediation moves forward, July 17.
The Colliery dams debacle continues to shed light on how decisions are made in Nanaimo.
Freedom of information documents clearly point out extensive discussions regarding removal of the dams in March 2012. A round table discussion of 19 attendees including city staff members discussed at length the implications for decommissioning the No. 1 reservoir, the status of the Colliery dams and the viability of the Chase River. This meeting occurred a full seven months before the issue was brought to council on an emergency basis in October 2012. The public were not made aware that extensive changes were planned that would permanently alter the landscape of our community.
It seems clear that a decision had been made well in advance that the dams were to be removed and the park decimated. The ensuing process was tainted with this agenda. This direction by staff set us on a path to an incredible waste of time, money, and energy. However, it also galvanized and united our community in a manner not previously thought possible.
It is one thing to make mistakes and then take responsibility for inappropriate decisions, but it is another to proceed along the same road in a concerted effort to prove that there was no wrong doing in the first place. Our community deserves better, much better.
Jeff SolomonColliery Dam Park Preservation Society