MP Savoie grilled over hot topic
Victoria MP Denise Savoie's views on sewage treatment were in conflict with the more vocal of the attendees at a talk on the economy Saturday at Windsor Park Pavilion.
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Updated: November 16, 2009 5:33 PM
Oak Bay economy talk takes turn toward sewage
What was supposed to be a pre-federal budget discussion instead turned into a sewage debate.
Victoria MP Denise Savoie hosted a two-hour afternoon talk Saturday at Windsor Pavilion with a University of Victoria expert on federal-provincial relations in tow. But after Michael Prince finished speaking about an increasing trend toward regionalized politics, audience members got to pepper their member of parliament on a subject they really cared about: sewage treatment.
“There are no clear benefits … and you should stand up to say it’s not needed,” Rockland resident Shaun Peck told Savoie. He cited Capital Regional District data that shows current effluent values from local outfalls to be well below provincial standards.
Victoria Real Estate Board spokesperson Jim Bennett argued that treatment costs will not only be prohibitive for homeowners, but for tenants. He estimated that $100 a month could be tacked onto monthly rents across the region.
“Can we afford sewage treatment in a particularly difficult economic time?” he said.
Savoie is on record in favour of sewage treatment and stayed that course in responding to queries from the audience that numbered about 40.
“Can we afford not to have sewage treatment?” she asked, pointing out there is opportunity for resource recovery revenue in trapping gases that can be used to “heat all of James Bay, including the legislature.”
Saying she has spoken several times with CRD core area liquid waste management committee chair Judy Brownoff about proposed plans, Savoie said “I have been watching the costs like a hawk.”
She also cited reports from University of Victoria scientist Peter Ross, who is concerned about levels of pharmaceutical dilution in near shore waters.
The MP did acknowledge her own concerns about sewage treatment plans.
“I don’t believe all sewage treatment is equal for sure,” she said. “I certainly don’t approve of large monolithic structures.”
vmoreau@saanichnews.com
