tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21789427.post1424205956709566592..comments2023-11-03T07:30:29.008-06:00Comments on Cameron Wigmore, Green Party Member: Stop Cable Bay boundary extension before Aug 5thUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21789427.post-56698573324938908992008-07-25T16:39:00.001-06:002008-07-25T16:39:00.001-06:00I just phoned Roger McKinnon, Director of Sales fo...I just phoned Roger McKinnon, Director of Sales for Cable Bay Golf Resort & Spa, and spoke with him at length about his planned development.<BR/><BR/>He is a courteous and reasonable fellow, and I'm grateful that he took the time to speak with me. Roger listened to my concerns, and I heard his case for their efforts in this community, and the perceived "need" for another golf course.<BR/><BR/>My problems with this development still stand:<BR/><BR/>1. this is an expansion and further sprawling of the city, rather than a densification and urban renewal of Nanaimo. I was told there is no where within city limits to build this project, but that's not an excuse to do it anyway on the outskirts.<BR/><BR/>2. This development is rezoning local agricultural land and turning it into a resort and golf course.<BR/><BR/>3. The golf course will likely use huge amounts of city water<BR/><BR/>4. The golf course will likely use chemical pesticides.camsax@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06674088043146569577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21789427.post-55815327210464759932008-07-25T16:39:00.000-06:002008-07-25T16:39:00.000-06:00Roger McKinnon, Director of Sales for Cable Bay Go...Roger McKinnon, Director of Sales for Cable Bay Golf Resort & Spa makes his case for a golf course and resort by listing the ways the land under current RU4 zoning could be developed. He forgot to list agriculture, as in food crops. If the project goes ahead, we will be developing land that could have been used to grow food locally.<BR/><BR/>The golf course developer Gary Browning is trying to be green by committing to use rain water, but this golf course will also use on-site wells, and even city water when the weather is dry. I suspect it will use a substantial amount of city water.<BR/><BR/>They will be using cosmetic pesticides. I understand that the golf course designer will be using pesticides that are endorsed by Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency, but that is of little comfort. At least 50 active pesticide ingredients registered for use in Canada have been banned in other countries due to health or environmental concerns.<BR/><BR/>The same cosmetic benefits can be achieved by alternative non-pesticide methods, but that is apparently too green for this golf course. In 2003, the Ontario College of Family Physicians published a scientific literature review that showed “consistent links to serious illnesses, such as cancer, reproductive problems and neurological diseases” associated with chronic pesticide exposure. While many cities and even the provinces of Ontario and Quebec have enacted bans on cosmetic pesticides, golf courses have strangely been allowed to carry on using toxic chemicals to make their grass look good.<BR/><BR/>A golf course that takes away agricultural land, consumes city water and introduces pesticides is one that I don't want in my city.<BR/><BR/>REFERENCES:<BR/><BR/>The ugly truth about cosmetic pesticides<BR/>http://www.davidsuzuki.org/about_us/Dr_David_Suzuki/Article_Archives/weekly03280801.asp<BR/><BR/>Cable Bay Golf Course Designed To Audubon Society Standards (press release)<BR/>http://insidegolf.ca/content/view/103094/483/<BR/><BR/>RDN Rural 4 zoning (page 64)<BR/>http://www.rdn.bc.ca/cms/wpattachments/wpID1419atID2315.pdfcamsax@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06674088043146569577noreply@blogger.com