After nearly 20 years of struggling to resolve water problems in Sandpiper, I was delighted to read that an agreement has been reached that Qualicum Beach will now share their water with the subdivision — a position staunchly resisted for many years.
Through many incumbents, in the patchwork of jurisdictions that come into play, the problem has simply been in the “too tough” basket and pushed along waiting for some future solution to appear. For those not aware, the attached poster will indicate the type of third world sludge that all too frequently flows out of our taps — staining our clothes, damaging our appliances, and potentially impacting our health should we actually drink it.
And then came Lehann Wallace. Since her election as our current Area G director on the RDN board, she has been committed and relentless in pursuing a solution to this issue. Following a presentation to the board by several concerned residents in June of last year, the board agreed that they would take action within 30 days. Unfortunately, any action that occurred in the year since then was conducted “in camera” with no opportunity for those affected to measure progress, if any — until this week’s announcement.
I offer my heartfelt thanks to Director Wallace for her persistence on this matter and to Mayor Weise for adopting a big picture approach and reaching a collaborative solution.
With the juggernaut of climate change overtaking us, it is no longer appropriate to look at our forests, oceans, aquifers, and the air we breathe, from a one industry or one jurisdiction perspective, but rather through a whole ecosystem lens. That will require cooperation from all parties.
Hopefully, this announcement will show the way forward for future decisions affecting our region.
Larry Biccum
Sandpiper resident
