We are concerned citizens who urge Saanich Council to pause implementation of Phase Two of its Shelbourne Valley Action Plan until after October 15, 2022 election. We wish the new Council to review the plan before proceeding.
Click here to sign the petition
The Saanich Council Action Plan for the Shelbourne Valley calls for the cutting of 71 trees along Shelbourne from North Dairy to McKenzie. A further 45 trees are to be cut in the future.
While Saanich Council intends to plant three saplings for every mature tree removed, these trees will not mature in out lifetime, that is, if they survive, given climate change. In the meantime, we stand to lose mature trees that contribute to the health of residents by cleaning the air, retaining water (crucial, if we have another atmospheric river), providing shade (crucial, given the killing heat dome of last year and the rise in temperatures on Vancouver Islands), and being a source of beauty.
Barricaded-bike lanes on a denuded, four-land roadway makes no sense to bicyclists or skateboarders. Sidewalks to pedestrians exposed to direct sunlight makes no sense. We believe Saanich Council is hiding behind a ruse of bike lanes in order to satisfy developments who want access to sites along the corridor for building (see the multiple rental homes along the strip of road) and to reduce seeming labor and mature-tree insurance expenses. Costing out the benefits of mature trees (see the Halifax, NS urban forest 400+ document) makes clear the faulty cost/benefit analysis figures the Saanich Council is relying upon.
What do we lose if the slated cutting of a total of 116 trees proceeds as planned? Breathable air, moderated temperatures, protection from flooding, walkable sidewalks and beauty.
By signing this petition, you are telling Mayor Haynes to pause any further cutting of the trees along Shelbourne Street and for Council to revisit, after the October 15, 2022 election, the Shelbourne Valley action Plan that calls for 116 trees to be removed.
Note: Donations requested by Change.org do not go towards this petition, so the best thing you can do to help is share it widely.
Mayor Haynes and council, please revisit your decision to cut trees down along Shelbourne. They are needed and wanted for the many benefits people derive from their existence. We need the oxygen, the shade, the birds and the beauty of trees.