Editor:
We used to live in a nice, quiet, peaceful town with a population around 8,000. We had no worries about water, no waits at the emergency room, trees everywhere, everything was just so perfect. Then something happened. Someone let in the developers. Someone didn’t take a second to think of what was going to happen.
All the trees are gone and houses are too close together, we are now worried sick about running out of water, and we’ve got around a six- to eight-hour wait at the emergency room. We ran out of doctors for all the people. The people! Our population has gone up to about 10,200 (census 2016), from 7,775 (census 2001). That is around 162 people moving to Sechelt every year.
Of course we have realtors who don’t care, developers, contractors, construction workers who don’t care – they want the money. Even though it’s destroying our town and destroying people’s lives, there are those who simply don’t care.
Things are only going to get worse until we put a stop to development – unless around 2,000 people just choose to leave, which would be very nice, but it’s not going to happen. We need to put a stop to things until we can get more doctors, water, and either a bridge or more ferries. And most of all, we need that highway! One hundred and sixty-two per year is just going to destroy this town more than it already has.
Sarah Vatnsdal, West Sechelt
