A Saanich News article dated Nov. 6, 2024 refers to the community voicing its concern during the public input process over plans for Cecelia Creek and potential daylighting of the waterway in the area.
Coun. Karen Harper says she appreciated those concerns, but noted the district's biodiversity conservation strategy identifies high-priority areas for restoration and this was previously developed. It doesn’t look at “creating a natural state out of an area already heavily developed.”
The thing Coun. Harper didn’t refer to is the Uptown-Douglas Plan which clearly states an environmental objective to “enhance and restore environmental assets including Cecelia Creek and its watershed.” This objective will not only invigorate biodiversity back to this area that had been heavily developed in the past, but it will also be a big step forward for the health of the community in a positive way.
Maybe council should consider “creating natural state areas in the redevelopment process of heavily developed areas” to increase the deteriorating biodiversity within Saanich.
When this area was first developed the values and importance of our watersheds and our creeks were not fully understood. Today we now understand the importance of the high values and benefits of having functioning watersheds and natural areas close to where we live.
So why are we not taking full advantage of correcting the misunderstandings of our watersheds' importance with this round of redevelopment? It is really mind-boggling especially when the Uptown-Douglas Plan has an environmental objective to enhance and restore environmental assets including Cecelia Creek and its watershed.
Council seems to have overlooked the full importance, values and benefits of this type of asset being included in Uptown’s redevelopment in its decision-making.
Do we finally start admitting mistakes were made towards this watershed in the first round of development and start the process of mitigating and correcting the mistakes, or do we just continue to deny the fact and continue to pass the mistakes made onto future generations which really isn’t the right thing to be doing and they really don’t deserve that, with this golden opportunity of redeveloping this area.
Ken Whitcroft, chair
Friends of Cecelia Creek Falls Park Society
