Editor:
Re: Bay must defend its quality of life, letter to the editor, Aug. 19
I read with interest the Aug. 19 letter authored by Rod Maksym from Boundary Bay espousing, among other things, that his precious beach community will be destroyed if the Southlands proposal is allowed and that the "Bay must defend its quality of life." Despite strongly disagreeing with him, I wish to applaud his honesty. He is one of the first Boundary Bay residents to come right out and admit he just doesn't want anything in his back yard without the need to disguise his true feelings with endless letters and speeches about saving farmland, food security, harm to birds and economically unfeasible eco-tourism alternatives for the land. Mr. Maksym just said "not in my backyard" and for that he has earned my respect.
That being said, I disagree with him in every other regard and, in fact, I am of the view that the rest of Delta, and in particular, Tsawwassen, ought to stand up and "defend its quality of life" against the "Bay." It is exactly the NIMBYism displayed, albeit honestly, in his letter that has caused Tsawwassen to stagnate for such a long time that schools (read: Boundary Beach Elementary), hospitals and libraries are at increased risk of closure, seniors are forced to leave the community to find acceptable forms of housing, young families are financially precluded from moving to Tsawwassen and businesses are closing in the town core. Unfortunately, this has gone on so long that we are now playing "catch-up" and the result is development of a magnitude which may not have been necessary had those who oppose everything not opposed moderate densification over the past 20 years.
The gates of Tsawwassen should not be closed to others, as some would prefer, and the community of Boundary Bay should not have the ability to control what does and does not happen on a private owner's land. I therefore ask Delta council to give due consideration to the Southlands proposal, as amended, with a view to the interests of the community as a whole and, in so doing, to contrast it with the alternative: Mayor Jackson's ALR Inclusion proposal (read: industrial agriculture proposal).
Douglas Bolen
