Victoria's stinky secret

Did you know that the beautiful picture-perfect city of Victoria BC continues to pump its raw sewage out into the ocean?

I remember when I lived in Victoria 35 years ago, that was an issue that rankled a small fringe of proto-environmentalists; small enough to be safely ignored by the political classes. Nothing much has changed.

Victoria’s neighbors down the coast are threatening a tourism boycott. Maybe the sanctimonious Canadians can be shamed into taking action, but don’t get your hopes up. When Canadian politicians talk about infrastructure they mean bitumen pipelines, not sewage treatment plants.

Nor is Victoria the only offender. Montreal and Saint John, among others, continue this criminally negligent crime against the environment. The topic even gets its own entry in the Canadian Encyclopedia.

Here’s a thought; Canada is in the midst of an election campaign. This would be a perfect time to demand of the candidates what commitment they are prepared to make to end this scandalous practice.