BY BERT GREEN

Critics of the Central Saanich
revised sewerage scheme. were
allowed considerable latitude at a
meeting sponsored by Central
Saanich Chamber of Commerce
in Brentwood elementary school
auditorium last Thursday
evening.

Chairman Gordon Ewan in his
‘introductory remarks said that
the need for sewers was not in
question. “‘In certain areas they
are an absolute necessity.”

: Matters at issue, he suggested,
related to the extent of the
proposed installation, parcel
3 charges, pumping facilities for
certain potential users, and other

PAGE SEVEN

financial details as recently
publicized by council.

Platform speakers supporting
the scheme were Alderman Don
MacLaurin and Art Bolster. They
were opposed by former
Chamber president Howard
Laatsch and Haldor Beebe.
Following the main submissions,
the meeting was thrown open for
debate; when views ranging from
strong support to outright op-
position were voiced from the
floor.

Alderman MacLaurin said that
for some years Central Saanich
council has become increasingly
aware by comment of the public
and representations by the health
authority of serious pollution

_ there

‘correcting. -a serious

through uncontrolled effluent
issuing from septic tanks, and
had given considerable thought to
ways and means of dealing with
the problem.

BASIC REASONS

Referring briefly. to the
sequence of events following
rejection of the scheme to service
Brentwood Bay alone, he. said
are three basic reasons
supporting the present plan:
health
hazard, establishing a proper tax
basis,
contro! of future land use.

By installing a trunk line from
west to east we obtain gravity
flow for the lateral lines from the
north and south; said Alderman

ee

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NOVEL MAIL BOX MOUNTING has ©

~ little Rowen Hives puzzled. ‘What does’.
he want, milk or letters?”’ the five-_
. >. year-old might be saying; ‘The shiny:
_. milk can stand for Frank Norton’s mail.

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‘box at 8590 West Saanich Road catches
the eye of passers -by as well as Rowen |
who lives nearby with her parents, Mr.

: Tim
“Saanich, (Review. Photo). chee

Hives, 8555. West.

SSRIS AINE TN ie ee chore

and obtaining effective:

a ACen De et ndtv betel et Tonle agit

MacLaurin. He indicated that the
expected $2,500,000 cost is
$250,000 above the price
estimated last December, when
council’s. proposals. were
defeated in a referendum.

With the preamble that he has
occupied a V.L.A. half-acre and
house in the Keating Ridge area
since 1966, Howard Laatsch
charged that council should not
have allowed residential building
to proceed at such density. He
said that building lots have
become. progressively
and argued that it is not fair
people should have to face more
expenses after laying out $500 to
$1,000 on septic tank installations.

BRENTWOOD PROBLEM

Saying that council in reality is
asking for a blank cheque, he
observed, ‘when the » pollution
problem was first discovered it
was in Brentwood. -.we should
clean up the.areas designated by

Dr. Whitbread, if necessary. by.

installing a small sewerage

LANDLUBBERS

GO TO SEA
UNDER SAIL

Newly. formed - Deep Cove
Sailing Club was away toa ‘good
start on Sunday. Excellent

Sailing weather drew a number of
‘interested spectators, and. both:

Thunderbird sloops were kept
‘busy initiating landlubbers in'the

Three 8-ft. El Toros,..one. En-
terprise and a Corsair. with.

scene.

ducking: but. was quic ckly rescued.

experience.
-Itcis: hoped. that*plans to: start

Interested. persons

_ FALSE PRETENCES oy
Elmer Laskoski of Sidney

pleaded guilty in Sidney police

court on ‘Saturday. to two charges
of false ‘pretences involving the

fined. $50 on each chase “|

"MINOR FINED:
Entering a-plea- of not guilty,
Larry Smith of Brentwood. Bay,
was ‘convicted in: Sidney. police
court on Saturday on a charge of

being a minor in possession: of
Jiquor, He was fined $35. 7

NOUR ee yet ite ie

Sebi tt

— —
Verve hake AACA Ag able

smaller -

: financing.’? : 7
He urged all parties tolay aside
any. thought’ of -an- “autocratic:
and ‘to avoid fur-

routines: of salt. water sailing. |.

Tefer endum,”’
colorful sails Tent variety, to the . :

Sidney Freight _
land Development |

“One_ el Toro’ sailor. ‘got a

After.a hot bath. he. ‘seemed none: :
the worse ‘for. hi

‘sailing. instruction: can. now be

‘completed.
-both: male and female. and, over:
the age of 10 are invited. to: con-.
‘tact Henry.
Marina at o56- 2810.

to. ‘Sidney. ‘Town. Counci ‘for,
dustrial» “development. of. his
‘Bird, Deep. Cove . A i
‘| possibilities of. sewer: service.

passing of worthless cheques at|”
Sidney grocery “stores. ‘He .was

Tir siewe

system. “‘Has anyone been or-
dered by the health inspector to
clean up his pollution in a given
time?" he enquired.

“We have got to agree on one
thing or another, and soon, but
not to put in a big trunk line from
west to east to cause further
pollution in the sea just to sub-
sidize land speculators,”’ said Mr.
Laatsch,

Panelist Art Bolster said: ‘To
those who are against sewers, ‘I
say that a negative vote is not
enough. How are you proposing to
stop the spread of pollution? How
can the line against new housing
be held?”

He said that because of the
present way of building houses,
and the large amount of water
now being used by households, no
septic tank is adequate.

User charges for those on fixed
incomes. are’ problems” to . be
faced, ‘but can they afford to
attempt to fix up their existing
septic tanks when sewers will be
installed in a few years time in
any event?’’ he asked.

YES AND NO =

In reference to the terms of the

sewer referendum, Haldor Beebe

said, “The former referendum
asked us to agree to the financial
arrangements; and.when we.did

“not agree on finance we voted

‘against the necessity for sewers.1

“submit it is impossible to vote:

Yes, 1 agree we require a are
No, I> don’t. agree with...

Development of: the: and. has

| been made possible’ by removal

of a 160- foot ‘set-back restriction

which. was. imposed. by the.

Department of ‘Highways. Mr.
Jackson is
Freight Service (1964) ‘Ltd.
Mayor. Stan ° Dear. suggested
that Mr. Jackson’s plans be sent’

at for comment to Capital Regional -
~ Planning Board and also that the
applicant be advised of the town.

policy which assumes only 25 per
cent:.of the sewer. costs.

Mills Road residents | _paid for”

their own sewer installation last
a year,” noted the Mayor,

530 —

desala lthingplsadagldas

“newcomers,” .
adding, “The land. speculators’
are sitting back waiting for us to
‘install: sewers.””

~The ‘speaker. urged that there

~-should ' be proper ecology. plan- \~
ning whereby the minimum harm

c assured.

‘proprietor of Sidney | f

“Mr.
Jackson may not be aware that.

vane
ouattptoantl ey

REVISED CENTRAL SAANICH SCHEME AIRED AT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE- SPONSOR

ther bickering by agreeing to
hold further meetings to discuss
alternate ways of financing.

“We cannot call our Mayor and
council autocratic, They. have
asked for your opinions. Some of
us have voiced ours, but most
only criticize; they do not seek to
find any other solution. If any
governing body is autocratic, it is
because of the apathy of the
public it seeks to serve,” said Mr.
Beebe.

-He suggested that considerable
capital. borrowing could. be
avoided if those in a position to do

so could put. up:a. substantial —

amount: of their. sewer ‘in-
stallation charges in advance,
“leaving newcomers. to the
dis trict to come in under our
terms.”

Mrs, Patricia Grove pointed

_ out.that the plan is to service all.
the recognized residential areas,

“although many. houses have

excellent, well- ‘functioning septic

tanks.”
FARMERS’ SHARE
‘We pay $144, while the farmer
pays only $10. We are asked to

‘ subsidize houses with: faulty

installations and also those. of
she | objected,

to the environment : would be

sour Gonily can imake seme
. “Spr ing season, expecially

niversiry. Suddenly, it's

+ digs vont wartad ees

Daveis suddenly gone

dhe be

W. E. Corbett, Tammany
Road, said that on moving inte
the area some years ago he had
been assured that there would not
be sewers for 15 to 20 years. He
had since spent $3,000 on septic
tank, ditching and controls.
“Now you are trying to. shove
this down my ‘throat,’’ he
protested.

David Prosser, Mount Newton
Cross Road, alleged that ‘public
health laws have -been — con-
sistently. flouted in) Central
Saanich for the past 10 years.”
He said that building permits
have been issued ‘‘in areas just
opened up. by the O.K.. of a
retained engineer, ‘with
pollution problems’ arising: on
properties - that had passed
percolation tests.

Speaking on behalf of farmers |
of Central Saanich, Willard
Michell recalled. that «a com-°
mittee on zoning of 10 years ago.

had recommended the division of

acreage into 10-acre lots accord-
-ing to health standards, until a”

way was. found to dispose. of
sewage. ,

“Referring” to the proposed :
_ parcel charge in the white areas:

(not to be serviced),
“Tm”

he. ‘said,

should pay too much for it.’”

“Why doesn’t. Brentwood look
after its own sewage rather than |
pump it over to the other side?”

he added.

VICTORIA: GREATEST SPRING SALE The dav you and

of the mont outstanding buys ofthe:
this year, The year of our 300th an-
here, The values, The savings. The) -
Uy reduced prices; Act now, Before Bay |
. Ant you! ve tuissed the Brent hargalns. .

ED PUBLIC

‘have

in favor of sewers, but :
. sewage does not affect the far-
mers and I don’t think they -

: Thteons Bry Company |

To a suggestion that taxpayers
may also be asked to sanction
new expenditures on water,
Mayor A. M. Galbraith said that
he does not anticipate a: water
referendum.

NEW DEVELOPMENT
Countering a. suggestion. that
sewer. installation will mean’
“perhaps 2,000 new houses,’’ the
mayor said that the projection is
for no more than 100 to 125 ina

year. , ,

Alderman-elect Ken Stanlake
said that the cure for pollution is ©
not ‘‘just a case of the inspector

rooting. out the faulty septic -

tanks; the problem is that in most
cases the land will just not abosrb
the water.’

“How does it affect the
hospital. Do we get it if. we don’t
sewers,’’ Alderman
MacLaurin. was.-asked.

“T have. talked with various
authorities, but have been given
no definitive answer,’ he replied...
“Personally I believe that sewers...

and hospital will come together.”

Aldermen Ted Clayards, Percy.

Lazarz and Margaret Salt an-. ~

swered questions from the floor,
many of which were beyond. the _
terms of reference. ee

‘Scrupulously. timed: periods for
rebuttal were allowed . 7
principal speakers, and: the...
meeting concluded by an appeal

to the 124 persons ‘present. ‘to join _
“the Chamber of. Commerce by
" » president. Bob. Parkinson. eee

the =~