Editor:
Bob Patrick’s letter (“Water relationship broken,” April 26) clarified much of my thinking about the water situation on the Coast. It prompted me to dig up much of the historical record and the personalities involved, and as always when government is involved at whatever level, there are lots of photo opportunities and attributions in stakeholder conferences but little actionable results. Of particular note was a conference called the Sunshine Coast Water Summit in 2006 of which little of note was achieved except lots of recommendations for further study.
Playing soldiers earlier in my life taught me that there is a world of difference between staff officers, who make sure that the men on the front have lots of stuff they don’t need, and line officers who improvise to get everything they need to do really nasty things to people. At the moment, everything is being done by staff officers who have little clue about how to get things done but who are happy to formulate policy and fill in the right forms.
I would suggest that the four municipal governments hire competent engineers and tell them to drill wells, hook into some of the many lakes around us and tie all the existing systems together. It will take 25 years to pay for it, but without it we will pay the same money tinkering and getting nowhere. It could have been done by now if we had the kind of professional leadership that we deserve and municipal staff of sufficient technical standing who understand how these things get done and why.
Hire the best and pay them. It’s not that hard. Or do I have to do it myself?
Chester Machniewski P.Eng., Gibsons
