I am trying to wrap my head around the decision of our city council to bring forward a city water usage bylaw. With the cost of water at this time on our usage bills from the city, we are being charged a handsome amount for its use.
Now it is being suggested that we use other measures to lessen use. In an age where most appliances are becoming more and more efficient, we are being told we need to do better. Why does the City of St. Albert seem to think that our city needs to be the leader in absolutely everything?
The city is proposing that we use less water than we do now. I believe the price of it at this time is doing a very good job of restricting its use. The city itself is using less. Rather than take care of our precious park reserves, we are now deciding to let them become weed-laden pastures. But when looking closely, we saw they were non- “noxious” weeds. Of course when they spread to all of our lawns, we took great effort in getting rid of them, as our city does not care. In order to get rid of them and provide an environment where they won’t flourish, we need to use good old elbow grease, some chemicals and water so that we don’t kill the grass we work hard to keep and look good in our leading city.
Why do we have council members who approved a new private community north of Villeneuve Road voting to reduce water use? It has a marshland that is going to be filled in, which will destroy an aquifer, so that people can have a private neighbourhood. Then they are going to build a man-made lake that is going to have millions of gallons of water put into it. It is going to take more than nature to fill it, so obviously some will come from water reserves.
So we have council members who are approving a massive use of water to go to a few private residents in St. Albert, and the rest of us are going to have to conserve water. If the city is growing too big and we don’t have enough water for everyone, do we keep building or restrict growth? It is not too tough of a decision for people with common sense.
Councillor Heron and Mayor Crouse, you proposed this bylaw. Leave us alone and let us use the water we pay a premium for. If you truly want this city to be the botanical city that you have spent millions on to promote and advertise, we need water to keep it that way. I can see it now. People come to visit our fair city and see dead trees, dead flowers and grass with our new city flower becoming the non-noxious dandelion because we can’t use water. But then, we will have that new private lake for a few select people that we can all see from a distance!
Ted Durham, St. Albert
