To the Editor,
Re: Senior staff rule council, Letters, Oct. 20.
It may appear to be none of my business that the ‘Terminal Trench’ study is going ahead but, it is my and other’s tax money being spent on a speculation that there is garbage laying under the mine tailings within the private industrial properties.
Of course there is oil residue and the odd piece of garbage under those buildings. There is also a natural spring and the circa 1853 HBC Pemberton map of Colville shows two spring locations. I am assuming the springs have been piped, but what are we going to do when they find these old pipes? This alone is a big can of worms.
It is also the location of auto dealerships and motor repair shops. Everyone polluted oils excessively, tossing oil on the dirt roads back in the day. There was no such thing as recycling.
If we are worried about accumulating gases then simply drill holes and ventilate. Of course there are gases – Nanaimo sits on old coal mines.
The city has its priorities wrong. Fix the evident environmental problems first. Businesses are leaving the downtown core and there are many vacancies with one more known to be closing by month end.
It would be a different situation if there was a shortage of rental properties in the downtown core. There is absolutely no reason to be investing in new buildings or property value strategies at this point in time.
Matt James
Nanaimo