Neighbours start to raise water concerns if massive Island Timberlands plan goes ahead

Walter Cordery
The Daily News
Monday, July 18, 2011

Residents in the Yellow Point area worry their concerns will be ignored if the City of Nanaimo and Regional District of Nanaimo agree to allow a proposed Island Timberlands 2,500 homes, and commercial development to proceed.

"This is very similar to the concerns that we had that were ignored with the Cable Bay plans," said Laurie Gourlay, a resident of Yellow Point and the president of the Mid Island Sustainability and Stewardship Initiative.

Gourlay and his neighbours fear there is not enough water in both the Cassidy Aquifer and Yellow Point Aquifer to provide the water needed for such a large development.

On June 21, Gourlay and a residents committee of both Area A residents from the Regional District of Nanaimo and Area H residents from the Cowichan Valley Regional District held a meeting at the Cedar Heritage Centre to address concerns about aquifers in the North Oyster-Cassidy region.

Environmental scientist Pat Lapcevic, a section head of the provincial government's water protection branch of the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource told the audience there is no provincial protection for aquifers on the books in B.C.

"We think that before any further development in this area is allowed to proceed, the needs of the people who already live here should be paramount," Gourlay said.

Joe Burnett, RDN director for Area A which includes Cedar and Cassidy said the needs of the existing citizens in the area will be considered before any governmental body allows a new development.

He said changes to the electoral areas Official Community Plan and the RDN's regional growth strategy will ensure developers can guarantee that there is enough water in the area for any new development proposal.

"We are making it their responsibility to ensure us this is not going to be a drain on aquifers."

Burnett also disputes Gourlay's belief that the majority of the proposed Island Timberlands development will stress the Yellow Point aquifer any more.

"My understanding is that much of that development will be sourced by the Cassidy aquifer."

That's not much comfort to Gourlay.

"The regional district has been so wrong before. We'd like to see it get this right before they allow another huge development drain our water supply."

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© The Daily News (Nanaimo) 2011