Re: Sooke still in a world of denial (Letters, March 18)
I couldn’t agree more with letter-writer Roland Alcock about the direct contradiction between Sooke council’s declarations and its actual decisions and actions.
Besides declaring a climate emergency in 2019, council has spent a lot of money advertising its “emerging vision statement” of a “net-zero emissions community,” “enjoyable and distinct,” with the protection of the waterfront, “ecological areas for habitat and agricultural lands for farming.”
But what’s really happening in Sooke with council’s blessing?
We’re seeing intensive development on an unprecedented scale rivalling Langford’s mushrooming apartment buildings, ghettoes with houses and townhouses on scrawny lots, smaller parking stalls. Look at the plans for Otter Point Road, Church Road, Charters Road, Sooke Road, etc.
Council even wages war with the few remaining green spaces in town, like John Phillips Memorial Park, with plans for a dog park, a children’s playground, a concert stage, more parking, and what not there.
Planning for 12,000 new residents in tiny homes in the crowded town centre is neither ecologically responsible nor humanly healthy.
Hasn’t council learned from COVID that deadly germs originate and spread like fire in unhealthy crowded conditions? People flee such conditions in Asia to come to Canada and live a healthy life.
If councillors want to turn Sooke into Shanghai, it’s time to re-elect them before adopting the official community plan. They seemingly ask the residents for their input, but it’s never taken into account. Do we have elections coming soon?
Nina Leshinskaya
Sooke
editor@sookenewsmirror.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter