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Misleading provincial government researcher in 2009


The correspondence contains names, so below is a transcript.

 In  2009  a provincial government researcher doing a study on Island View Beach wrote to CRD Park staff saying:
"... I know we have discussed mosquito control- spraying and ditching - in the area.  ....... I have forgotten details of the discussion.  Could you give me a brief run-down again of what has been done in the past and what CRD are doing today?  I am particularly interested in the drainage ditches."
The correct answer would have been 
  • the ditches were constructed by the District of Saanich in 1936 for the express purpose of mosquito control,
  • that the CRD park bylaw states there should be a drainage plan for the park to identify ways of improving the drainage system for purposes of alleviating flooding of private lands and controlling mosquito breeding sites, and
  • that CRD Park staff are supposed to keep all the ditches clear of debris each year.

Instead CRD parks staff replied 
"The ditches were excavated and the berm was constructed many years ago, well before the existence of IVB as a regional park.  Their purpose was to prevent as much as possible, sea ater from flooding the agricultural lands in that area.  ... The ... network of drainage ditches have not been maintained in years."
The provincial government researcher replied:
Thanks very much for that information.  It is helpful because it provides some idea of how loing those structurs have been aound.

... perhaps it was J. i that I talked to about mosquito control.  Mostly I was wondering if the drainage ditches were to be maintained for that purpose.  But it sounds like that is not the case."
CRD park staff replied to the researcher on another point, and did not correct the false impression the researcher had gained from their first reply, that the drainage ditches had nothing to do with mosquito control, when in truth that was the only reason the drainage system was put in.