Dear Editor:
I cannot believe the complacency by which the North Shore residents and city councils appear to be accepting of the fact that the entire West Vancouver shoreline from Ambleside to Whytecliff and beyond is polluted. They appear to be accepting the lame and unsubstantiated explanation provided earlier this month by Dr. Mark Lysyshyn, the Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) public health representative, who was quoted in the North Shore News Aug. 1 saying that the contamination is naturally occurring and is secondary to rain and animal feces being carried into the water.
I would like to point out that these beaches have not ever tested positive in reports available since 2011 despite many hot summers (see VCH beach water quality website). Have we had some massive increase in the local dog population or are people just not picking up Fido's doo-doo? I would say not.
It is important to point out that the this summer's catastrophe began suddenly with the July 17 testing where Ambleside, Dundarave and Sandy Cove beaches had such high levels of E. coli that the number was not reported on the website.
Now this has spread as far as Whytecliff. It should also be very clear to anyone who frequents the West Vancouver Seawalk that there has been a substantial increase in the number of cargo ships using the Vancouver port, particularly Burrard Inlet and the West Vancouver shore regions. Therefore it is much more likely that this disaster has been caused by discharge from a vessel. The response to this calamity should have been an emergency meeting of the Port Authority, Vancouver Coastal Health as well as Vancouver, West Vancouver and North Vancouver city councils, with a transparent report evaluating the possible sources and a plan to ensure that this never happens again.
Of course this has not happened. We all just seem to be accepting the loss of a key feature that makes this area special. I should also note that I am sure that our harbour seals, sea otters, starfish, salmon, sea birds and other beautiful sea life are not particularly happy either.It is so nice that we are thinking of them and ensuring that they are protected. Maybe the population might move a bit when they realize that this disaster is very likely to affect North Shore house prices. Write your MLA, ask for an explanation and demand that this never happens again.
Lorne Clarke
West Vancouver
