– RJ Senko is a Vice-President at the Esquimalt Chamber and President of RJStrategies. He can be reached at 250.888.3534.
ESQUIMALT – When it comes to the sewage treatment issue in Esquimalt, I can’t help but quote former New York Yankees all-star catcher, Yogi Berra, “It’s like déjà vu all over again”.
Remember back in 2014 when Council voted against the zoning amendments contained in bylaw 2805 and then confidently declared the issue of a sewage treatment plant on McLoughlin Point was over? During that debate Council claimed technical criteria such as lot coverage, setbacks, climate change and tsunami threats made it impossible for it to pass the bylaw. In reality Council was doing what politicians do – namely follow the “will of the electorate”, especially when that electorate was soon to be marking their ballots.
So it was more than just a little amusing to attend the September 19 Esquimalt Council meeting and listen to many of those same politicians claim that those technical criteria were now being addressed and as such, “the new and improved plant” on the last piece of vacant waterfront property in the entrance to Victoria harbour is actually a victory for Esquimalt residents and businesses. Such spin doctoring would make even Donald Trump’s media advisors blush.
While it is true the criteria that caused the zoning amendments to be defeated two years ago have been addressed, it is also true that the plant no one wanted on the waterfront will be built and Council now has very little say in the matter. At least that is what we are being told.
As a Chamber, your Board has asked that Council release all legal, financial and staff advice it has received so that everyone can feel confident that Council has done all it can do. We also expressed our concerns regarding the capacity of the plant and the technology being proposed.
In regard to technology, we have asked Council to request the CRD engage with the post-secondary institutions in the area to see if a “Centre of Excellence” could be incorporated into the plant so that there might actually be some local economic benefit.
In an effort to help address on-going and future concerns around mitigating some of the effects of the project, our Board has also recommended Council strike an advisory Committee of local business owners and residents to ensure Council gets the best possible advice on how to spend the approximately $20 million in “amenities” from the CRD.
So stay tuned because as Yogi would say, “It ain’t over till it’s over”.
