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1

WAITING FOR ACTION ©

For Bobsien Crescent residents,
court would almost be a relief

Residential septic systems
continue leaking their contents
into Bobsien Cresent and
Queensway Drive ditches, and the
funding situation in Victoria
remains unchanged. There may
be room for optimism, however;
Skeena MLA Helmut Giesbrecht
spent Tuesday and Wednesday in
Victoria lobbying for adequate
funding, and the possibility of
provincial aid for a sewage
disposal system that works has
not yet been ruled out.

In the meantime, Bobsien
Cresent resident Dave Giesbrecht,
has seen the Feb. 29 Ministry of
Health deadline to correct the
situation on his property come
and go. Giesbrecht is the only
resident in the area who has been
given a deadline to date.

Chief public health inspector
Ron Craig visited his property on
Monday, and chief medical officer
Dr. David Bowering stopped by on
Tuesday, Neither offered an ex-
tension to the deadline, leaving
Giesbrecht, who is currently un-
employed, to come up with the
estimated $6,000 to $7,000 to
repair his septic system or ignore
the order and take his chances in
court.

Another choice not really
being considered at the present
time is the installation of a proper

sewage system. Opting for
this system with the provin-
cial government’s most
recent offer of financial
assistance would raise prop-
erty taxes to something
around $2,000 a year on a
$40,000 home.

Whatever his decision,
though, Giesbrecht is not
alone. All home owners in
this closely knit neighbour-
hood, about 24 in total, are
facing the same situation.
All have septic systems that
have apparently failed. Sev-
eral systems are now being
checked by Public Health
officials and the only ques-
tion in their minds at the
moment is who will be given

The problem is obvious.

an ultimatum next.

This, say these residents,
leaves them no alternative but to
stand together in each other’s
defence. To this end they have
elected a committee to spearhead
their cause. And this committee,
the Bobsien-Queensway Action
Committee is preparing for just
that... action. Appropriate funding
from Victoria, though, would
leave this committee with nothing
to do, but according to one mem-
ber, that’s just fine with them.

The problem facing this neigh-
bourhood of Bobsien and Queens-

way residents is as mysterious as
it is unique. Official government
knowledge of these failing septic
systems goes back to 1977. Yet
the problem persists.

And efforts to try and track
down the history of exactly what
has occurred, and how and why it
has occurred, seems to come to an
abrupt halt around 1983. That,
says one committee member, is
where the government paper trail
seems to end.

And if court action is initiated

Terrace Review — March 6, 1992 5