N. Cowichan burning changes huge step backward
The goal globally is to improve air quality, but here in Cowichan we’re proposing a giant step backwards.
Cowichan is unique in that we are locked in by a ring of mountains and our only escape is blocked by Saltspring Island; we’re coastal, but we’re an inside passage.
These two factors combine to almost put us on the World Health Organization’s Global Urban Ambient Air Pollution Database of most polluted cities. Courtenay is already on the list, and we will be soon, because we are right behind them in terms of unacceptable air quality in B.C.
If people have properties larger than two acres, they need to find a way to either remove or compost their own debris. North Cowichan also needs to step up and provide removal a couple of times a year. If residents think that they can rid themselves of their properties’ waste by incurring danger to their neighbours, this is not only unethical but against the Human Rights Code. We need to stop outdoor burning in Cowichan, where wood stoves already provide us all with unbreathable air for over half of the year.
Fresh Air Cowichan Team