We have just endured the first days of the 2012-2013 burning season. I feel that I must comment. It was probably the worst two days I’ve ever seen since objecting to this insanity five or six years ago. Our whole neighbourhood from Lakewood elementary to the Loghouse Pub and beyond was engulfed in smoke. Where are the clean fires? Where is the bylaw officer?
I emailed Langford council to see if there is going to be a reduction to elimination on this subject and policing of the fires. I had two responses stating they would be reducing to elimination of such practices. It obviously never happened and the only reason we never started in October was due to our drought conditions.
Council is supporting maybe three or four per cent of our
population that still love to burn. You can see by the same areas that are heavily enveloped that it is the same people. You can be guaranteed that if you cannot see the smoke you can still smell it in Langford on the given days. We as citizens demand clean air for everybody and it is mind boggling that, in this day and age, a progressive city such as Langford would allow people to burn garden waste. The rules are not adhered to as witnessed by the giant smoke pyres from damp waste.
The other problem I have with council is they offer no alternatives. A statement from council to the effect that ‘you know the smoke is bad for your health, so try and start a compost or transport it to a composting facility’ would create something positive.
John V. McGuire
Langford