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Save Haro Woods initiative against sewage treatment site


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#1 Mike K.

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Posted 09 March 2010 - 12:04 PM

An initiative has been launched to save Haro Woods, a large plot of green space near UVic, from becoming one of the sites of the regional sewage treatment system.

A website for the initiative is available at http://www.saveharowoods.ca and states:

Haro Woods now faces a new threat, that of the destruction of its central core in order to build one of the secondary sewage treatment plants being planned by the CRD. Both the CRD and the Saanich municipal government first denied any intention to construct a sewage treatment plant in Haro Woods. Then the CRD announced that they had purchased an option to buy the northwest half of the Woods from the Queen Alexandra Foundation (now under the control of VIHA) so that it would be available to use for sewage treatment.

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#2 sebberry

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Posted 09 March 2010 - 12:08 PM

It would be sad to see that land go and be built over by something we don't need.

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#3 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 09 March 2010 - 12:13 PM

I'm OK with losing it. Saanich has a huge forested park a few hundred metres away at Mt. Doug, and lots of little parks with beach access too, right nearby (Arbutus Cove Park and Hollydene Park), plus Cadboro Bay beach too.

As I think maybe Holden said once, Saanich should just demand some kind of awesome amenity to be built on top of the plant as part of the deal.

I don't think they use the field on top of the Mt. Tolmie reservoir, do they?

#4 G-Man

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Posted 09 March 2010 - 12:48 PM

Me too there is so much parkland in this area it is not a big loss especially for something so sorely needed.

I agree that Saanich should try and get something cool on it. Perhaps a new rec centre to replace Gordon Head and here is the bonus: The hot tub is heated by human biowaste!

#5 piltdownman

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Posted 09 March 2010 - 01:07 PM

Is this really about "lost woodlands" or is it really about not wanting to be close to a "sewage treatment plant". Even if its not, it sounds pretty foul to me.

#6 G-Man

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Posted 09 March 2010 - 01:24 PM

this is all about Nimbyism and property values.

#7 sebberry

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Posted 09 March 2010 - 01:29 PM

this is all about Nimbyism and property values.


No, it's the destruction of natural areas for the building of an entirely unnecessary facility.

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#8 aastra

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Posted 09 March 2010 - 01:33 PM

It's about eliminating an urban forest to save the environment.

If only they were replacing the Amazon rain forest with sewage treatment plants...

#9 pseudotsuga

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Posted 09 March 2010 - 05:07 PM

I don't think they use the field on top of the Mt. Tolmie reservoir, do they?


Not much of a field imho. Moss and concrete.

There are CRD signs requesting that dog owners remove their pet's waste as drinking water is underneath.

#10 rjag

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Posted 09 March 2010 - 10:37 PM

From what I remember about this site was that it was zoned residential and the QA sold it for approx $6million. The actual size of the plant is fairly minimal compared to the footprint if they sold the land for housing. Look at the zoning to see if Saanich has changed anything yet. I dont think so. I think the crd has to apply for the change....

#11 Coreyburger

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Posted 10 March 2010 - 12:21 AM

It is indeed an ex-QA piece of land. It is zoned residential. It is also the reason that the CRD had to go back and borrow more money late last spring, because they were forced to use some of their consulting/planning/public outreach budget to buy the property when the option ran out as the project was pushed back.

#12 Firefly

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Posted 11 March 2010 - 12:27 AM

Is this really about "lost woodlands" or is it really about not wanting to be close to a "sewage treatment plant". Even if its not, it sounds pretty foul to me.

Yes, in all sincerity, it is about lost woodlands - if you go to the Saanich Urban Forest Strategy you can review the 193 reasons residents want to keep the connecting green spaces in our community that allow the animals and birds to migrate from one space to another. By the way, have you taken a walk through the forest? Did you know that Cooper's Hawks return every year to their nests? Did you know that it is home to hundreds of Deer, and many University Rabbits. Haro Woods is part of a fragile eco system - one that the University respects enough to protect into perpetuity and use as a classroom as well as a learning environment? Were you aware that the residents have been trying maintanining the forest for 30 years and trying to have it rezoned to a Park for 20 of those 30 years. Mystic Vale would not be around today if we did not value the natural woodlands and the habitat that we get to enjoy and live with in the process.
If you had the opportunity to live by a forest, and it was part of your daily experience, you would understand more fully how we feel about our little 10 ha green space. The children at Frank Hobbs have had classes in the forest - the are so excited about 'their' forest, that they counted all 300 trees on their school property. If it was as simple as being labelled a NIMBY - I could live with that. But it is a much bigger picture that needs to be considered and so much more at risk. If there was to be a raw sewage spill, say like the one that just happened in Halifax or say, what happened in Hamilton - you would see that not only is the land at risk, but the marine environment that includes the JPod Orcas. Consider a major sewage spill dumping through the children's hospital 100 meters from the proposed site. After you have that image from your mind, think about the reprocussions of raw sewage running through the children in the hospital right across the street. Or perhaps consider the seniors that use Goward House for their activities, which by the way is a Heritage Home. Or, consider the individuals who have traveled from all parts of our world to go into retreat at Queenswood - supporting the retired Nuns that are in residence on the same property - right across the street from the proposed secondary sewage treatment plant.
Like I said being labelled a NIMBY is the least of my concerns - visit www.saveharowoods.ca to get informed There's more at risk than you realize. Thanks for taking the time to comment - awareness is everything

#13 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 11 March 2010 - 05:38 AM

^ I don't think raw sewage "spills" are a serious concern at a treatment plant like this.

#14 Bob Fugger

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Posted 11 March 2010 - 05:54 AM

^^Yeah, I'm sure that this has absolutely nothing to do with property values, at all. This forest sure provides a lot of cover - literally and metaphorically.

There's nothing wrong with admitting that you're worried about your investment - hell, I'm sure people would respect you and your argument more if you just admitted it; rather than insulting our intelligence by regailing us with how Haro Woods is a sanctuary for the scourge of rabbits overwhelming UVic. Yeesh.

#15 piltdownman

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Posted 11 March 2010 - 09:17 AM

If there was to be a raw sewage spill, say like the one that just happened in Halifax or say, what happened in Hamilton - you would see that not only is the land at risk, but the marine environment that includes the JPod Orcas.


Don't we not dump our raw sewage into the water now, the whole point of the sewage treatment plant is to stop this.

#16 rjag

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Posted 11 March 2010 - 09:38 AM

Don't we not dump our raw sewage into the water now, the whole point of the sewage treatment plant is to stop this.


We dont dump raw sewage its screened and is 99.97% water. Check out rstv.ca to get the data.

The harm to the environment is our antiquated storm drain systems, these will not be addressed by spending over $1billion on a sewage treatment plant.

#17 piltdownman

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Posted 11 March 2010 - 09:57 AM

Personally I could care less what "Responsible Sewage Treatment Victoria " defines as raw sewage. Both the Federal and Provincial governments as well as the US government have classified what we spew out as raw waste. If it really requires more treatment is highly debatable, but using the potential death of orcas from a spill is a very weak argument against the project.

#18 yodsaker

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Posted 11 March 2010 - 10:39 AM

The orcas have been swimming in the soup for years and aren't being washed up dead en masse. The greater danger is the industrial and household goop which our shiny new billion-dollar treatment system wouldn't catch.

#19 Bob Fugger

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Posted 11 March 2010 - 11:19 AM

If it really requires more treatment is highly debatable, but using the potential death of orcas from a spill is a very weak argument against the project.


I wonder if John Luton has any issues about his wife breathing in the toxic sea air as she bikes along there. ;)

#20 rjag

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Posted 11 March 2010 - 12:28 PM

I wonder if John Luton has any issues about his wife breathing in the toxic sea air as she bikes along there. ;)


Hahaha, maybe its drifting to the inner harbour and eroding the bridge!!!

I lived on Finnerty Rd right across from the daycare and student housing from 1982 - 1988. At that time the woods went all the way up to McKenzie, I used to walk my dog in there. I dont seem to remember a big uproar when UVic flattened most of it for student housing / commonwealth games accommodation.

I agree that Haro Woods is not a great spot for this plant and would like to see it maintained as is. However it was always zoned for residential and the crd paid $6million for it. Therefore to reclaim it someone's going to have to come up with at least $6 million plus go through the process of rezoning it. Not going to happen. For all that people claim its a nature sanctuary, it was never zoned that way.

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