SmartCentres: Group seeks halt to development.

Salmon Arm council says it’s powerless to help a community organization concerned with the SmartCentres development in the Salmon River delta.

Council received a letter from Wetland Alliance: The Ecological Response (WA:TER) asking the city to bring further development on the SmartCentres property to a halt until a professional, independent study of the river, its floodplain and associated wetlands commissioned by WA:TER could be completed.

Council’s response however, was to defer. Coun. Ken Jamieson suggested that WA:TER president Warren Bell, present in the gallery, speak with SmartCentres. Bell said he was told that SmartCentres currently hasn’t the time or energy to meet with community groups.

Bell acknowledged the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is allowing fill to be dumped on the site provided it’s 50 metres away from the river, as per the province’s Riparian Areas Regulation (RAR). But he argued that this setback is an arbitrary measurement that does not define a riparian area. He explained WA:TER’s concern is with the way the regulation is interpreted and enforced.

“It sounds like there is a belief that the science of the Ministry of Environment and DFO and the RAR hasn’t been based on any science, based on what Dr. Bell just said, and I think that’s an extremely arrogant opinion…” commented Coun. Kevin Flynn, quickly cut off by deputy mayor, Coun. Alan Harrison, who asked Flynn to choose his words more carefully.

Noting the city is without a soils deposition bylaw, with which it might be able to act, Coun. Chad Eliason, too, thought Bell should talk to the developer. Harrison suggested the group might do better talking to DFO and MOE.