Squamish-area residents - not to mention the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office -need to approach claims that all the water needs of the Garibaldi at Squamish (GAS) development can be met by tapping into an aquifer in the Paradise Valley with a rather large grain of salt.
Back in 2010, when the EAO suspended the environmental certification process for GAS, the resort's potential impact on little Brohm Creek and safety issues surrounding the proposal of at least eight reservoirs, some of them above residential areas, were among the concerns expressed by the ministers of environment and tourism, culture and the arts, respectively.
On the surface, the successful proving-out a water source would appear to resolve both problems. But what's the environmental impact of piping that much water uphill, in perpetuity, to supply 22,000 bed units of housing and accommodation, not to mention a ski resort with 25 lifts? Clearly, the devil's in the details and when analyzing the data from the recent flow testing of its Paradise Valley wells, we need to hear from a neutral third party with expertise in hydrology to determine whether it was a "pass" or "fail."
It's been encouraging to see the creation of a new group, the Paradise Valley Community Association, to represent the interests of area residents. In February, the new group stated that it is not anti-GAS per se, but that it merely wishes to be notified of "any process concerning any approval or permission relating to the GAS project" by government before decisions are made. It added, "We would like to constructively participate in the process to ensure that the best interests of the Paradise Valley and the overall District of Squamish are respected."
In 2010, water wasn't the only issue that led the Squamish council of the day to ask that GAS not receive environmental certification "in its current form." Local lawmakers and others also had concerns about the size of the proposal and whether it could successfully deliver the promised economic benefits over the long haul.
From his statements this week (see page A7), it appears Mr. Richter feels that once the EAO has the flow-testing data, certification for the proposal is just around the next bend in the road. But given the concerns of opponents, and the changing political climate both locally and provincially, we would advise him not to start revving his bulldozers' engines just yet.
- David Burke
