Paul Walton
The Daily News


Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Let us all hope the squabbling over low-barrier housing ends under this mayor and council.

Though it's now time to make it a priority to get that facility up and running - and to correct a distinct lack of dialogue with residents in the Uplands Drive area - we cannot let this issue dominate the early agenda of this council. There are other matters to consider and one sneaked up on us too late to be an election issue.

On election day the Daily News ran a story titled 'Nanaimo's water could prove key to luring more cruise ships to the city.'

I quote: "City officials are considering selling potable water to cruise lines as an added service.

It could persuade cruise ships to use Nanaimo as a destination, rather than a stopover as it's considered now. The city and the Nanaimo Port Authority are only in the early stages of creating a partnership to sell the city's water supply, but both are eager to take advantage of the opportunity."

This is one of those ideas that looks good initially - until we start asking more questions.

To put this in context, go back to the mayoral debate held at the Daily News. In not quite answering a question about capital spending, mayor-elect John Ruttan said that Nanaimo's water system is good for about another 10 years before it is outpaced by the growth of the city.

You want to know why this city, like so many in Canada, was so appealing to 19th century settlers seeking to leave crowded and dirty European cities? Two things: wood and water. The province and the timber companies may have now made a mess of forest management all over B.C., but this city continues to have one of the best water supplies, many have rightly claimed, anywhere in the world.

We can't mess with it. It's shameful that the Vancouver Island Health Authority would abuse its considerable powers to order the city to build a new multi-million dollar water treatment plant when the focus of both VIHA and the city should be to safeguard our watershed and water supply.

The second-biggest issue during the election in Lantzville was water, and that district is considering an agreement with Nanaimo to provide water as one possible solution.

Selling water to cruise ships is, when considered at any level, a really bad idea. Those floating pollution palaces, dedicated to good old fashion hedonism, require substantial amounts of fresh water.

Nanaimo residents use an average of 600 litres per day of water. Four cruise ships, if they took on board enough for 100 litres of fresh water per day per passenger for a three-day run, would likely require about 1.5 million litres of our water. And we want to commodify this resource to attract more cruise ships?

There's also the question of legalities. Selling water to cruise lines may be as illegal as exporting it to another nation. And if isn't, it ought to be.

Entering this sort of agreement could also have long-term consequences for the city. If in 10 years we can no longer satisfy the rapacious thirst of the cruise lines, they will go elsewhere and this strategy will have backfired badly. And could cruise ship lines then take legal action under some obscure section of the Free Trade Act?

Those promoting this idea use that logical justification heard most commonly from children: "But other cities are doing it!"

And other cities may be soon regret selling off their water to cruise ship lines. Acting in the best interests of the city means more than just attracting investment and creating jobs, though these things are important and necessary. It also means protecting our natural resources and water is at the top of the list.

Contact columnist Paul Walton at PWaltonnanaimodailynews.com or call 250-729-4246.

© The Daily News (Nanaimo) 2011