Skip to content

Dykes without dredging a recipe for continued disasters

As a Canadian for past decade, with great concern, anger and sadness I have observed continuous destruction of our lands by flood.

An open letter to the Prime Minister’s Office and the governments of BC, Manitoba and Saskatchewan

Dear sirs,

As a Canadian for past decade, with great concern, anger and sadness I have observed continuous destruction of our lands by flood.

The economic, ecological and material damage is by now astronomical, yet our political, scientific, environmental and lay media continue to live in “la la” land  on how to protect the people, the land and the fish and to address collective economic/health/financial consequences.

Rather, they continue  their silly experiments of flood controls, creating more damage.Why, why, why is this necessary?

One does not need to be an expert to realise that not only natural but also human activity has contributed the sedimentation in our rivers.

One century is a long time, thus the river beds have risen, water has less room in them, and so it spills. Correct me if I am totally wrong.

So in the next hundred years, if you continue to build the dykes and not dredging, you and many others in this country will probably live 5 or 10 ft. under the water! Is this necessary?

I do  believe that to date the cost to humans, their properties, to farm lands crucially important to our economy and to fish would pay for the  dredging and total restoration of the same habitat.

Thank you for reading this,

Leon Dumstrey-Soos,

Kitimat.