Tenyo Maru’s oil: -
Stop the flow af ifs source

The Tenyo Maru has been at the bottom of the sea for over
three weeks now. And it’s still leaking fuel oil into the Strait
of Juan de Fuca.

The Canadian Coast Guard vessel Martha L. Black was on .
the scene from the outset, reporting on the estimated amount _

of oil that is polluting the environment as we speak.

National media has carried reports of the crash between the
Japanese factory fish-processing ship and a Chinese grain
freighter at high seas since the day it happened.

It is astounding to us that the powers that be seem content
to allow others to face the massive clean-up effort that has
already begun on the beaches of Vancouver Island and
Washington State, rather than concentrate on stopping the
continuous flow of oil.

As was learned when the Exxon Valdez spilled its crude oil

cargo on Alaskan beaches, the clean-up process is very _

expensive. The cost to birds and wildlife is immeasurable.
Already, hundreds of birds and a few seals have become the
victims of the Tenyo Maru.

Then there is the cost in terms of money. How expensive is
it for equipment and manpower to dive over 300 feet below
the water surface to stop the flow of oil? And where is the
owner of the Tenyo Maru in all of this?

From our distant and uninformed perspective, more
attention should be placed on stemming the flow of oil.
Waiting for the gooey substance to wash up on the beach will
cause damage that will take years and a considerable effort to
remedy.

Airshow volunteers:

A great job with the crowds

When over 30,000 people arrive on the Peninsula for an
eyent, one can usually count on some chaos.

Monday at the Victoria Airshow, chaos was the farthest
thing from most visitor’s minds. Access to the airport from
McTavish Road, Stirling Way (via Beacon Avenue) and West
Saanich Road was not jammed tight with vehicles.

Rather, traffic flowed smoothly, tempers remained hidden,
people found good places to park and few people had to walk
great distances.

It didn’t just happen that way. Through the coordinated
efforts of the Victoria Airshow Society’s volunteers, a plan
was in place to deal with all eventualities.

RCMP members from the Sidney and airport detachments,
with their respective auxiliary members, did a marvelous job
at their posts, even when faced with heavy ferry traffic just
minutes after the Snowbirds closed the show.

Thanks to the efforts by the large core of dedicated
volunteers, the air show was presented with nary a hitch.

_ After the criticism laid on organizers in past years, this year
an effort should be made to say ‘“‘Good job, well done!”

= REVIEW REPORTER FLIES WITH "S

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——— ay

MOST OF OUR
“GUESTS’ AREN'T
AS TALL AG

YoU. SO WE'LL

Letters to the editor on issues of concern to our
readers are welcomed by The Review. All letters must
be addressed to the editor and bear an original
signature of the letter writer. Letters must contain the
letter writer's street address and telephone number for
verification purposes and not for publication. Letters
should not exceed 300 words in length and may be
edited for clarity, legality, brevity and taste.

TheReview

Serving The Saanich Peninsula
Since 1912
9726 First Street
Sidney, B.C. V8L 3C9
or PO. Box 2070
Sidney, B.C. V8L 3S5 -
Second Class Mail Registration #0128

656-1151

Publisher: Ken Chyz Editor: Glenn Werkman
AN ISLAND PUBLISHERS NEWSPAPER

= VERIFIED =
CIRCULAT-ON

National firm is
very predictable

Editor: :

B.C’s Council of Forest Indus
tries (COFI), the political and
lobbying arm ‘of the giant forest
companies, has hired the: New

- York advertising firm of Burson-

Marstellar (B-M), specialists in
environmental crisis management.

BM has left civilized New York
City to help educate the poor
ignorant masses here in the wilds
of B.C. as they did for Union-
Carbide in Bhopal, India.

One can only speculate at the
creative euphemisms that BM will
soon be flogging as they try to
soft-pedal the results of decades of
indiscriminate clear-cutting
in B.C.

Then again, the end results of
most of BM’s campaigns are quite
predictable.

Jim Pine
Victoria

Local residents
most important

Editor:

I was incensed by the letter,
written by A. Lewis of Saanichton
is which she criticizes the North
Saanich council, in particular Ald.
Dee Bailin (Highway sense short-
sighted, The Review, July 17).

Unlike Lewis I am a resident of
North Saanich and had the privi-
lege to vote for Bailin in the last
election. I was delighted that she
won with such a large margin and
am even more enthusiastic as time
goes on. She is an extremely
honest and able alderman. __

The present plan for the ferry
terminal is very disheartening for
the residents of Curteis Point.
Would Lewis care to live in the
Neptune Road area and listen to
loadings and unloading of ferry
traffic from 5:30 a.m. to 11:30
p.m. every day without even the
protection of the screen of trees
which was formerly there?

-Impact of any change in the
present highway on local residents
should be of prime consideration.

Nothing should be done until it is
all planned and accepted. We need
a moratorium! _

The fact that a great deal of
money has been spent is not a
good reason to continue. Years ago
when the Pat Bay Highway was
being built many of us knew that it

was not large enough and would

eventually have to be changed.

Money has been needlessly
spent because the powers that be
would not listen at that time.

Why not have some ferries,
particularly those that carry the
big trucks, sail directly to Victoria?
That could mean savings on high-
way maintenance, less gas, there-
fore less pollution and less head-
aches for all drivers.

Would the people within the
Ministry of Transportation and
Highways please listen. Massive
interchanges are an anachronism
on our small and lovely Peninsula.

E. Blakeney
North Saanich

Make comment
at next hearing

Editor:

Several statements must be chal-
lenged in a letter addressed to the
‘residents of Sidney and North
Saanich dated May 31 and signed
by the vice-president of sales
Granville West Capital Corpora-
tion.

First, under the heading, “Who
Owns Port Sidney Marina?” they
say Granville West does and as a
result of their investment numer-
ous jobs have been created and the
“spin-off benefits” are already
being provided to the community.

In fact, plans are also underway
for a five-storey hotel to be built
behind the whale museum. That is,
if council grants the extension to
the present marina. - :

Second: The same letter states
that from the outset, the concept of
the marina was that it was to be a
“people-place,” a “focal point for
Sidney, and the boating communi-
ties.”

How. can this possibly be so
when Kim Pullen, corporation
president, says “the marina is not
intended to appeal to Peninsula

boaters ... it was designed to cater
to the vacationer with dollars to
burn?” (fhe Review, Editorial
Comment, July 17).

Mr, Pullen’s vision seems to be
a marina full of boating tourists,
and that our breakwater was
designed specifically to protect
their crafts. Suse Gaey §

Maybe he should be reminded
that there are some $3,000,000 of
taxpayers’ money invested there,
plus the costs incurred by our own
municipality to provide services to,
the area.

Granville West says “Many
times the only people who attend

public hearings are a vocal minor-

ity who will oppose whatever
proposition is being put forth.”
Perhaps, we, the taxpayers, will

‘be able to change his low opinion

of us at the public hearing this
October.

Until that time we can only hope
that there will be tremendous pres-
sure put on Sidney’s mayor and
council to turn down Granville
West’s application for rezoning
and subsequent extension of the
marina.

These two requirements evi-

dently must be met before the

proposed new hotel on the water-
front would be considered viable.

Mr. Pullen was dissatisfied with
the last public hearing although he
was permitted to explain why he
felt he should be allowed to
expand the present marina, and
even to mention briefly his plans
for a new hotel. Several other
non-residents of Sidney spoke in
favor of passing a bylaw permitting
such an expansion.

The passage of such a bylaw can
only result in further expense to
those of us who pay taxes in
Sidney.

October’s public hearing will
allow us to speak for, or against,
council’s passing such a bylaw. I
am convinced council’ will listen
to our pleas.

Please mark October 7 on your
calendar so you don’t forget this
very important meeting!

Jim Lang

Member

Sidney Ratepayers Association

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