TREES DOWN, TREES DOWN, TREES DOWN!

Dear friends and neighbours,

I urge every one of you to go see the latest clearcut in Central Saanich. Just west of the corner of Keating and Kirkpatrick, Randy Sewell of Raven Metals has cut a grove of large and lovely cedar trees down. Look down beside the first white house and you will see the damage that has been done to our environment.

There is a bright STOP WORK order posted on the fence, far too little, far too late. The order wouldn’t be there if this was an allowable action by Mr. Sewell. Randy Sewell lost his attempt to change the Official Community Plan (OCP). It seems he has now decided to take matters into his own hands, but he is not above the law.

We must insist that the District amend the tree bylaw so that pre-emptive cuts are punished severely. The scofflaw should not be allowed to profit from the sale of the wood (nor should the District, lest they become complacent). The wood should be confiscated, sold by auction and the proceeds should be used to educate this community on the importance of the trees to our lives.

Last summer Randy Sewell held a public meeting to discuss his wish to expand the industrial zone and at that time he was cautioned by Terry Stewart of the Chamber of Commerce who told him that he was going about things the wrong way and needed to be more respectful of the rest of the community. Clearly Randy did not hear Terry’s strictures.

Please email Mayor and Council at municipalhall@csaanich.ca or phone the hall at 652-4444. Let them know that you’re tired of the trees coming down. Remind them its science not opinion.

P.S. The district has also taken a couple of very large Douglas firs from the top of the hill on Keating just before you go down the slope to the highway. These were 100 year old trees.