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Letter: Saanich council's rejection of sewage site was 'paternalistic'

Re: Saanich council rejects Watkiss Way sewage site in tight vote, saanichnews.com (June 23)

Re: Saanich council rejects Watkiss Way sewage site in tight vote, saanichnews.com (June 23)

Monday night’s Saanich council meeting displayed, yet again, how long term, entrenched councillors, are not interested in public participation in important decisions because they think they know best. A proposal to add a possible sewage treatment site for consideration by the core group was voted down. Councillors expounded at length on matters for which they had no expertise.

They insisted they did know better than an engineer who was present. One councillor even stated that “the pipes would be so big you could drive a Smartcar through them. Absolute nonsense.

All that was asked was for the site to be put to the engineering tests that other proposed sites will be put to.  But they denied that possibility because of their paternalistic ideas that “We know best”.

Any possibility of public input, discussion, or comment was shut down by this decision. So much for openness, accountability and transparency.

Bill WilliamsonSaanich