Editor:
Re: “SCRD grants farmers two-week exemption,” Aug. 20.
I’m sorry to hear of SCRD chairperson Lori Pratt “tearing up” while allowing local registered farms extra water rather than over the harm this decision may cause thousands of others if our water supply fails as projected, seven hours – half a waking day – earlier than would otherwise be the case in a few weeks.
But more significantly, when SCRD politicians decided these 16 registered farms require special treatment, they revealed a shockingly poor understanding of human nature. The security of food supply from countless other gardens is equally important to hundreds, perhaps thousands of residents, particularly pensioners and others struggling with the rising cost of food. They are even more deserving in that they receive no registered farm tax exemptions and their produce is totally consumed locally. Each one knows they need and deserve water just as much as the registered farms and many will act accordingly. As a result, this political decision may precipitate an early water supply failure of not just seven hours, but possibly many days.
We need to be fair, and we need a consistent policy for all food gardens rather than simply pandering to a small, vocal, commercial group. If our current crop of politicians aren’t up to the task, then we need new leaders who can make hard decisions with wisdom rather than emotion.
Rick Andrews, Elphinstone
