Letter Writer Expresses Utter Frustration

---

The following is printed as a letter to the editor and has not been edited in any fashion. It is a heart-felt plea from yet another Nanaimo resident who simply cannot reconcile the reasons this city staff and council keep giving as justification for ripping out the lakes at Colliery Dam Park.

Christina closes her letter with her opinion that there should be an election to replace the Mayor. Does anyone feel like taking on a recall petition?

---

Why I believe our council has a hidden agenda in regards to the Colliery dam.

I think our council most definitely has a hidden agenda, especially after the meeting of May the 13th 2013.

I sat through the whole council meeting watching the bored faces of most of council who had obviously made up their minds well in advance as citizen after citizen, professional after professional pleaded to keep the dams.

First the big issue with council was cost. They argued it would cost more (and now mysteriously, they propose we have the money both to demolish and then rebuild the dams.) and then while the provincial branch had spoken with some members of the preservation society, telling us we had plenty of time and there was no hurry to remove the dam, as early as 72 hours before the meeting, council mysteriously had a piece of paper that allegedly states the province wants a decision immediately that same day (suspicious! even noted by one of the fellow council men)

We should all take note of the three people on council who stood up for their community, and remember who voted to destroy the dams and demand an election because I don't trust our current mayor, Park destroyer, anti environmentalist, Rutton and the council men who voted against rebuilding right away including Diane Brennan (I find it appalling this lady is in charge of the Nanaimo environmental sustainability committee.) The bored look Brennan had the whole time the community was speaking was unbearable, but the look of shock and surprise she had on two occasions (once while a speaker mentioned hidden agendas, and once when a fellow council men said the sudden change of heart from the provincial branch was suspicious and she chewed him out for stating it) was very interesting, slightly amusing and again, highly suspicious.

Those who voted for destroying the dams are the council people I think have a hidden agenda and desperately want the dam gone for whatever scheme they have. I find it funny they act like the dam is leaking and ready to break but its been said by scientists and engineers that the dam is built to the same safety level as our hospital and homes. Our homes would fall down on us before the dam broke, so I find it suspicious first council went on about the cost.. now they're doubling the expense and claim its about public safety (because they want it built to the standards of a nuclear power plant right away instead of leaving it as for a short time)

I think this whole thing is a sham and I'm glad our community came out in support of the colliery dam. The show of our community was truly heart warming even though the decision by council was heart breaking to the point I stood in that auditorium in tears and continued on to give the mayor and council a piece of my mind, then received an applause from the people who had stuck around to listen as I yelled "You do not speak for me or my community."

Thank you to all who came out and spoke out for democracy. For the wildlife that lives off the water in the dams, for the children who swim and fish in the dam, and the community that thrives on the dam. Thank you all. I no longer have faith in our current mayor and believe we desperately need a new election as there is something highly suspicious, even noted by one of the council men, at the meeting, about this whole dam debacle.

Christina Zurita