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Residents in Sooke are concerned about the imminent tax hikes to pay for the new sewer system. |
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Outfall Jamboree could put Sooke into the spotlight Letter by Wendy Morton to the Sooke News Mirror July 18, 2001 I read with interest in the July 4 edition of the Sooke News Mirror that the Sooke Harbour Chamber of Commerce wants to have an annual Sooke celebration. I’m all for that. A number of years ago I suggested that we could put Sooke on the map by holding an annual Slug Fest with a slug parade and slug cooking contests, etc. However, there were members of the Chamber who got their knickers in a twist over this suggestion, in spite of the fact that it quite rapidly became national news. I have another idea that might prove timely to get Sooke into the spotlight. Why not have an Outfall Jamboree? There could be prizes for the best decorated outfall: for instance, Victoria’s outfall could be decorated with the words "Fish like sewage." Other municipalities could let their imaginations swim. There could also be an effluent tasting contest, judged by Sooke’s mayor and council, who would do a blind taste test of the outfall effluent of various municipalities. I’d also like to suggest a contest for the municipality that can squeeze the most out of their taxpayers for sewer costs. (I have to say here that Langford would be hard to top. They are taxing their ratepayers on the basis of the potential for development. In other words, if you own one house, on a large lot, you might end up with a sewer bill, as did Thelma Helliwell of Langford, of $5,400 a year.) My bet is that Sooke will be able to top that in no time. I agree with Shirley Cockerton, the Chamber of Commerce manager that "we like to think that the business folk in our area have an extra abundance of creativity...". I hope that the business folk in Sooke will get behind my idea with their creativity and support the Outfall Jamboree. They could provide prizes, in keeping with the celebration, which could be small bottles of effluent, with the words "A memento of Sooke" written on them or perhaps framed photographs of beaches in other communities covered in raw sewage when their treatment facilities fail, or a winter storm wipes out their outfall. I’m counting on this idea to make Sooke the Outfall Capital of Canada. |
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