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History repeats itself

I thoroughly enjoy and appreciate the hard work and dedication displayed in Ms. Peers historical articles. The history of Harbourview Road and recreational access to our community lakes has been particularly helpful, and I would like to thank the Capital Regional District (CRD) for supporting the museum.

I have a historical account of my own that may be of interest to others in the CRD.

As a result of mismanagement of regional planning such as in the ”Spetifore Affair,” with the Municipal Amendment Act, 1983, the provincial government completely abolished the planning powers of regional districts.

In an act of monumental administrative excess at a time of great economic hardship, the Greater Vancouver Regional District refused to allow the development of property owned by an individual by the name of Spetifore. That, and similar economically damaging and socially divisive actions so outraged the provincial legislators that they went on to cancel the legitimacy of all regional plans and strip regional districts of involvement in land use decisions.

Sustainability is not all about conservation. Sustainability is also about the regional economic health required to pay for conservation, and the social cohesiveness of the region required to make conservation initiatives effective. Trying to use a Regional Growth Strategy to advance a “beggar my neighbour for conservation” attitude does not work.

It’s been a long time coming that regional districts have again been entrusted with land use decisions. With the current nonsense about changing the voting structure to kill off Ender Ilkay’s Jordan River development, perhaps a few at the CRD board should take a history class on regional districts in B.C.

Or then again, perhaps not. History repeats itself, and there are quite a few of us voters that would be very happy if they carried on this foolishness to a similar end.

Terrance Martin

Sooke