Perhaps the most significant comment heard at the recent (Feb 20) public hearing on the Chemainus marina-quay development was from a businessman who said: “These guys are amateurs”.

He wasn’t speaking about developer Terry Petras, who has admirably jumped through every hoop North Cowichan has placed in his path in an effort to bring a marina to the town. Nope, he was talking about the municipality itself.

His words came after a spokesperson from Island Timberlands (also speaking behalf of Western Forest Products) revealed that the municipality had never consulted the two biggest industrial users of Chemainus harbour. Never been approached about a project that will certainly change the face of the town’s waterfront and will probably set the tone for all future developments.

When the much-vaunted Chemainus Concept Plan was unveiled a few years ago, residents listed the waterfront as their number one priority in the years ahead. Last, on a list of six, was the development of Echo Heights forest.

North Cowichan has spent tens of thousands of dollars on concept plans, traffic studies and environmental assessments for a proposed housing development at Echo Heights that almost no one in the community wants. Yet, it has not bothered to come up with any studies, or even an overall concept plan, for what is one of the prime municipal harbours between Victoria and Nanaimo. Go figure!

The ad hoc manner in which North Cowichan faces its planning challenges is evident from The Cliffs project to the silly Cowichan Place complex and the continual strip developments along the Island Highway north of Duncan.

And now it’s coming soon to a waterfront in Chemainus.

The municipality has allowed developers to continually set the agenda, and take any flack, instead of using the comprehensive community planning tools that modern municipalities employ.

Amateurs indeed!

Mark Kiemele
Chemainus