Council doing terrible job on open burning
To our mayor and council of the Municipality of North Cowichan:
I write to ask a question and as a family member of five generations in this Valley and someone who has worked diligently for 18 years to end open burning I feel I am entitled to an answer. We all are.
I understand that on council there are four members who keep voting to allow open burning; my question is to you.
You have been provided with reams of facts telling you our Valley is polluted many days of the year, with wood smoke being the greatest contributor. The information has come to you from the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Health. The entire time I have worked on this there have been countless studies all coming up with the same results. You have been told repeatedly that the smoke is harmful and is causing all kinds of serious health issues for us.
My question to you is this: How come you are still voting to pollute us?
Please don’t tell me it is because it is more convenient for you because you burn yourselves. Don’t tell me you have to consider everyone, because what consideration do people wanting to open burn deserve? What they need is to educate themselves about wood smoke. They do not yet understand how serious this situation is and until they do it is up to you to go to work with this information and end open burning. If you are not willing to do this then obviously you do not understand yourselves what the problems are which are causing unnecessary suffering.
You were voted in to take care of us and you are doing a terrible job of doing that in regards to open burning.
I am part of a large group of people who feel as I do. We are tired of fighting for what is our right. Fresh air is essential for all of us and if you don’t care enough about us to vote to end open burning then I ask you please step down from your position and leave it to someone who truly cares about what is best for us. You need to ask yourself how come you are not able or willing to listen to the facts.
Exasperated, with a sore throat from the recent air quality, and tired of this battle I leave you and ask that you think of those of us asking for a healthier life; one that cannot exist without clean air.
P.S. Perhaps you might consider ending all the meetings and studies which are costing us taxpayers a lot of money and instead purchase a vehicle for curbside pick up and a chipper for larger parcels of land.
Shirley Crosson
Fresh Air Cowichan Team