Shameless manipulation of the public good in Cowichan Estuary
Our lives in a so called civilized setting are determined byincreasingly complex rules and guidelines - laws that most are expected tofollow to keep things on an even keel for all players. Recent years haveseen a deterioration of how laws are placed, who happens to be well versed withmodern, complex issues enough to follow them, and how they are enforced. Localbylaws are notoriously ignored until complaints arise. That, on a large scale,captures the local politics of the shameful Estuary Issue of illicit Companyoperations on Dock Road (Westcan) Terminal. The entangled, outdatedconstitutional setup of CVRD allows Regional Councillors from Mill Bay,Shawnigan, Lake Cowichan and Ladysmith, but not North Cowichan (who have manyof their voters living on and around the Estuary) to vote on this Valleydividing issue. This week's timing was very cute with so many diverting currentissues in the Valley such as the National election, Cowichan pot shops,Motosports decisions etc to finally sneak this in under the radar. In ashameless end run of the well laid out laws and regulations (ProvincialOrder of Council), the CVRD has ignored every common sense aspect of theprocess, twice bypassing Testing Environmental requirements, even confusingtheir own Directors as to what and when the Bylaw was being voted on. Oldfashioned pork barrelling is encouraged by Corporations aiming for an angle tomake more profits without concerns for mere environment. At a time when localsalmon + whales are dying and young students are scolding adults for theirimmoral running of the planet, CVRD finds it appropriate to fall back to an erawhen ill pledged promises to neighbours and friends outrule decent andprincipled moral actions for the people the taxpayers they represent. Theselocal politicians do not make a good enough wage for the work they put in, andhave no further interest in Public Meetings that end with a dishearteningresult at midnight. But some aspire for better positions where the money andperks are far better, maybe.
Cutting corners with a poorly conducted Public Meeting thatshut out many, many dozens of concerned citizens from having a say, they haveleaned on questionable input, when convenient, to "transparently"push through their goals. The Provincial NDP have crabwalked to the right (inthe dramatic image of previous National NDP leader Thomas Mulcair) in pushingJobs, Jobs, Jobs and Corporation access, and posted Chairman Ron Diederichs ofthe Nanaimo Forestries Division to act as their pointman to decide there are noconcerns with possible environmental complications (if the Storm runoffguidelines and Municipal protocols are in place etc, he said to me in theSpring). They quote CEEMP Chairman Diederichs to advantage, but ignore hisrecommendations for the little due process he did ask.
This is not about local Jobs. The truly sad part is thatCorporations have zero care for the homeless as well as hard working taxpayersand their jobs. Increasingly they push robotics, driverless cars and moreprofits by running slipshod over the environment. They are on a missionto take more jobs, just as they stole from Island logging. DirectorIannidinardo claims Western Stevedoring got a bad rap, but they are owned byCarrix and run Tidal Harmony Holdings that illegally sublet the lease toPacific Marine for a fine profit on the paltry sum they now pay - PIM over thedecades built up quite a profitable, illicit business on the Terminal to thedisadvantage of their legal local competitors. Carrix is a hugeMultinational out of Seattle and this multileveled corporate model spreadacross international borders has repeatedly shown itself convenient fordivesting environmental responsibility and annoying legal suits. If CVRDdoes not perceive possible difficulties with that, I suggest it is patentlynaive. Squatters' rights with growingly profitable PIM bridge and dockcontracts cannot be justified by mere presence, when other local landlockedMarine businesses are shut out. If legal processes are twisted now to fit anillicit situation, one can only imagine what could develop with guidelines thatallow much further expansion. Fine homes overlooking the Estuary Terminal inCowichan Bay Village will likely lose almost half their assessed values in theyears ahead. We are cynical in expecting politicians to now help themselves byfacilitating just such Corporate business, but if we sit idly by, we will againget a government we deserve on Monday - and locally into the foreseeable futurewhen we will no longer need to worry about mere innocent salmon, whales, Gretasand scenic views.
Robin Lawson, Duncan