Volume 77 Issue No.2 TheReview Wednesday, January 9,1991 — A6 Public hearing: Say where you sfand Central Saanich Mayor Ted Jones will be “happier than punch if 1,000 people show up” at a public hearing into bylaws to rescind a previous council’s approval of the Brentwood Lakes golf course for the Maber Flats property. We hope 1,000 people show up as well, providing that a large percentage of those in attendance at Mt. Newton Middle School make the effort to indicate where they stand on the issue, tomorrow night. Frequently, at public hearings, the most vocal residents get the most microphone time while others feel shy and intimidated by the thought of getting up to speak, choosing to remain in their chairs. There is middle ground. The proponent of the golf course, John Berglund, circulat- ed a one-page mailer to Central Saanich residents last week explaining his side. According to him only two options exist — an 18-hole championship golf course to be built and operated at no cost to the municipality or its taxpayer, or 20 more hobby fanns. Several area residents don’t like Berglund’s approach. One said: “Essentially he promises that if we don’t let him do what he wants, he’ll do something nasty to us.” Others refer to the official community plan, flaunting the property’s designation as an inland wetland area that is protected. Other concerns aldermen have are related to consideration of a golf course proposal for the Island View area, and the price of a municipal nght-of-way to be sold to Berglund. There has been a wealth of information made available about Berglund’s plan for the Maber Flats, both before its previous approval and since. Residents and business people have said where they stand. The Central Saanich Business Association have both come out in support of his proposal, as the majority of speakers did at the last public hearing. The Chamber of Commerce also supports the proposal and its president Rick Roberts asks that council “consider the wishes of all its citizens in its future decisions and directions, and by so doing, make the community a better and more together place to live and do business.” If you understand the impact a golf course in that location will have on Central Saanich and have formed an opinion on it, take the time to let the council know. It’s as simple as standing up for a brief moment and saying “yes” or “no”’. Council’s obligation is to make decisions that represent what the majority wishes. Extension courses: Fresh fruit for The mind There’s good news on the mountain for the many retired “people who chose the Saanich Peninsula as the place to relax from years of the rat race in other parts of Canada. As callers to The Review have suggested in the past, the mind doesn’t stop working after retirement. Many intellec- tuals who spent a lifetime dealing with high-pressure, yet enjoyable, challenging positions in the private sector, now find television mundane and new books boring. The University of Victoria has just the answer to the how-to-keep-my-mind-active question. Extension courses offered at Dunsmuir Lodge are just what the doctor ordered, according to some students. Reaping the fruit of knowledge is something that should be encouraged. We hope more people take advantage of them. IT'S NOT TOO SOON To E721 PLANNING FoR SIONEY'S CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS‘ TheReview Serving The Saanich Peninsula Since 1912 9726 lst Street Sidney, B.C V8L 3C9 or PO. Box 2070 Sidney, B.C V8L 3S5 Second Class Mail Registration #0128 Published every Wednesday 656-1151 Publisher: Vic Swan Editor: Glenn Werkman AN ISLAND PUBLISHERS NEWSPAPER <5) PRIZE ane ae es Bp noia® COMES 2 ch pl 4, = (Ges x fe 7 s Fe u 2 a 27 5 VERIFIED ‘ciRcuLAT:DN ~ CONTROLLED Headlines, questions and some solutions Editor: On the front page of The Review, Dec. 5, there were four depressing headlines. First headline — Injunction threat ignites school site conflict. Question — how much longer must students stay in an old unsafe school? What do the native Indi- ans want? Money? Land? Blood? How much more will this delay cost? Solution — All students stay at home and receive teaching from their parents. It’s cheaper and possibly just as good. Second headline. New council axes interchange. Question — How much longer must we wait for a suitable interchange at Bea- con and Pat Bay Hwy? How many more are to be killed or injured at this dangerous intersection? How many are to suffer through nervous breakdowns due to frustrating delays? Solution — Build more hospi- tals for the injured bodies and new psychiatric wards for the injured minds, more graveyards for the dead. Have the Sidney engineer design a continuation of lower Beacon Avenue by attaching float- ing barges to the Sidney wharf. There would be unlimited space to hold cars while they are waiting to get to the highway. Third headline. Teachers set strike vote. Question — How much more can the long-suffering taxpayer survive? Solution — Ask Mr. Mulroney to please help us by returning some of the excess funds we send to Ottawa. Reduce the class sizes to one teacher per pupil. This should please the teachers and just possibly the student would receive a proper education. Fourth headline. Bylaws coming to stop Central Saanich golf course. Question — Why do the council and other negative thinkers want to preserve marginal farm land and deny golfers the right to non- subsidized recreation. Solution — That council pur- chase plows and horses so bored would-be golfers could work the farmland. Just think of all the benefits. The golfers could get their exercise, the money from the expensive vegetables they produce could be used to buy new golf clubs and balls for the day some- time in the future when a golf course might be available. And last but not least, the manure from the horses could be spread around by the politicians, as is their usual practice. Happy New Year to all! Question — Will 1991 be a better year? Answer — I doubt it. George Simmons North Saanich Dear Hugh Editor: : Helen Lang’s column (Cooking Christmas pudding becomes a wild adventure, The Review, Dec. 19) gave us a big laugh, something the paper needs, and so do we all! Oh, how we miss Hugh Nash’s column...now there’s a man with great humor and imagination! B. Graham Sidney OCP guidelines against Berglund Editor: Developer John Berglund would appear to have overlooked a very important factor in his quest for approval of his golf course on the Maber Flats, namely, the Central Saanich Official Community Plan (OCP). Apparently, the purchase price of this property reflected the fact that it was identified in our ongi- nal OCP as an inland wetland area within the ALR. Not only is it protected for agricultural use but also as an environmentally sensitive area. Mr. Berglund states that there are only two options — his golf course or 20 hobby farms. Clearly, our past and present OCP guidelines indicate that nei- ther one of these proposals are suitable and point the way to one land use — agriculture. There is little point in citizens giving input into long term land use policies which are reflected in the OCP, unless we are prepared to follow. these guidelines. Brenda May Saanichton My vote wasn’t for land use issue Editor: As a long-time business person in Central Saanich and someone who feels very much a part of the community, I am feeling very dis- turbed by council’s new style of “open government”. Eighteen months ago council received a golf course proposal from a local businesman. Mr. Berglund spent around $100,000 on various studies and with over- whelming support of public hear- ing our past council approved this application. Now the new council is trying to rescind the bylaw that gave Mr. Berglund permission to proceed. The facts here are clear. A golf course is deemed by the Agricul- tural Land Comnmission to be a viable way of preserving large tracts of agricultural land. I have read our community plan and it also states golf courses may be placed on agricultural land. When I voted in the municipal election I was voting for individu- als. I wasn’t aware my vote was being counted as a “yes” or “no” on land use issues. Mr. Berglund went through a fair, legal and democratic process (like anyone else must). And now our new council, through misinterpretation, are try- ing to take his rights away. In makes we wonder who or what is next on their agenda. Cory Porter Brentwood Bay Maber Flats is already in 20 lots Editor: I am writing to clarify an article appearing on page Al6 of your edition dated Dec. 24, written by Marc Davis and misquoting me with respect to statements con- cerning the Maber Flats farmland (Neighbor warns of 20 hobby farms). Mr, Davis quotes me as having stated that the Maber Flats would likely be subdivided. This is in error as, in fact, the property was subdivided in 1910. Therefore, if the golf course is not approved the developer need only Continued on Page A8 a ! ee