Juan de Fuca: Are We Done?
Deep and broad unity in opposition to the destruction of the Juan de Fuca Coastal Wilderness - but are we done?
After last weeks marathon of public hearings we all needed a weekend of rest, contemplation and just wondering - what had happened? I have not met anyone who was there last week, no matter what background and predisposition, who had anticipated this, or even had experienced something like this before. The amazing show of unified, public resolve, brought forward hour after hour, eloquently and sometimes artistically, emotionally and always authentic for three days in a row has left everybody involved just touched and amazed. All the arguments that were brought forward, thoughtful and detailed, varied and to the point, focused and all in good faith. I felt inspired to live in a community that has the energy and resource to let such a row of evenings happen.
These very special three days have been a testament to the honest good will of the people of the Capital Region, to find the path forward for our special place. A path that spreads the opportunities into all corners of our community and allows future generation to experience what draw us here.
We were united in our opposition to development that would only benefit a few, but irreversibly destroy what we felt was an asset of our region that belongs to all of us, that we treasure and that we are willing to stand up for to protect: a true coastal wilderness region at our doorstep that is part of what we are, what sets us apart. The last one of its kind in our region. We were united in our opposition to this threat of destruction, at a time when we had already come terrible close to disaster. Maybe it is the imminent threat of unbearable disaster that we need to get our act together.
Maybe that is why we were not as strong in our show of public disapproval when these lands were first removed from the tree-farm license by the BC government, which is - as we were plentifully reminded - when the sequence of events leading to last weeks public hearings started.
The question is, are we done? There is something that we know after these three days last week that I think we did not know before with such certainty, maybe some just suspected it. And that is that we as a community together, not just as individuals, feel much stronger about the western wilderness areas of our Capital Region than we thought. We are not just as individuals very fond of the Trail. But we have gone away from these public meetings with the insight that the desire to permanently protect the JDF trail and neighbouring wild lands is embedded into the fabric of our community.
If others draw the some conclusion, then we are not done, because we can be in a similar situation too soon again. In order to resolve this problem permanently we may have to come up with a plan that goes beyond turning down an individual rezoning application. While we were united in our opposition, we may have to find the vision behind which we can unite just as we did last week. If we could, we may be as successful as last week. It seems that last week we knew exactly what we do not want, but can we formulate what we do want, and what compromises or sacrifice we can sign up to as a community in order to get from were we are to were we want to go? Where is the place and the forum where we bring together all the thoughtfulness and civil courage, the respectful dialogue and the constructive sharing of so many ideas and thoughts? I wonder, can we muster the energy and initiative to work together as citizens of the Capital Region to create a vision for keeping safe what we evidently cherish so much as a community - the Trail and its associated wild lands? After what I experienced last week, I believe we could!
Falk Herwig works and lives with his family in the Capital Region.
