Three golf courses in the small municipality of Oak Bay. It begs the question: Why?
Surely, somebody, besides me, must have thought that Oak Bay, if indeed we are to be in lock-step with the B.C. government’s housing target, should make use of at least one of these properties for just that purpose.
I’ve mentioned this idea to a few people here in Oak Bay. The overriding response has been the same. Oak Bay council would never upset “the rich” users of the Victoria Golf Club, and the less pricey Uplands Golf Club by having the temerity of expropriating the land to meet the housing target number.
Rather, my friends, to one voice, all agreed that it would be the public, par-three, Henderson Golf Course that would be expropriated.
One does not have to reflect too long on this knee-jerk response as to why this would be. But, why should this always be the case?
However, it would make more sense to expropriate either one of the other courses. Both Victoria, and Uplands golf courses would provide far more land upon which to build. They would also avail Oak Bay the opportunity to institute a new network of basic infrastructure: water, sewage, and electrical systems from scratch. Communication networks and business opportunities would be available, along with transportation systems.
Why shouldn’t those with a bit less of an income still keep their golf course? Henderson Golf Course is well-used. Why should the regular areas of Oak Bay keep being disrupted, the streets dug up, the traffic rerouted, the already overburdened infrastructure taxed more and more. And street parking in places becoming somewhat of an issue. People I have spoken to are not happy with the densification of Oak Bay.
Although not a lover of former U.S. president Ronald Reagan, he did make one statement that I wholeheartedly agree with: “No matter how one slices the pie, [big slices, or small slices], the size of the pie stays the same.”
So it is with Oak Bay.
In my very humble opinion, one does not need to intensify the status quo. Rather, it is incumbent upon our council to lead for the good of everyone, not just the few. With that in mind, new housing needs to be well-thought-out, strategic and planned on land that can sustain, has room, and is safe to create it.
Frances Flynn
Oak Bay
