Editor:
On Friday, June 6, Gibsons lost whatever vestige of simple innocence it may have once had.
What took us years as a community to gently build as our special brand — our unequaled and world-recognized water — was smashed forever by the fumbling of a few, in a day. Faith in our most precious commodity was lost; the communications a disaster.
I was the proud mayor in 2005 who worked personally to prepare and submit the application for the Berkeley Springs “Best Water in the World” award. Despite the doubts of some, we proved to the world that our pure water was not only unique — it was irreplaceable.
I made it my concern to personally look over all the regular water test results and question any change in the numbers. It was during my term as mayor that council obtained the funds and initiated the aquifer mapping and protection plan that this council is only now attempting to enact.
In the subsequent days I’m sure there will be attempts at explanations about why our town was placed under a boil water advisory and efforts to fix the problem, but truly folks: the damage is done. We’ve all seen the “Don’t Drink the Water” signs prominently displayed around town, where the “Best Water in the World” used to be a point of pride. There is no returning to Kansas, Toto.
So perhaps it’s time we ask ourselves a basic question: would 10- and 12-storey condo towers and hotel, with their foundations planted in our fragile aquifer, improve this tenuous situation?
As Walkerton showed us all: there can be no mistakes with water.
Barry Janyk, Gibsons
