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Risk overlooked

It appears that Oak Bay is attempting to distance itself from the issue of the safety of construction practices

Re: Blasting forces Oak Bay family from home.

It appears that Oak Bay is attempting to distance itself from the issue of the safety of construction practices and potential threats to life safety of surrounding residents. I find this to be unacceptable behaviour on the part of municipal staff and our elected officials.

Mayor Nils Jensen is quoted as saying “I think early on, my understanding is there was an insufficient link between the blasting and the gas discharge.” However, missing from your article is that the homeowners paid for an inspection of their gas appliances the day after the incident, with no faults found. If it wasn’t the gas appliances, what else could it have been in all likelihood?

Incredibly, blasting was permitted to resume on Monday, and their house filled with carbon monoxide again. That shouldn’t have come as a surprise under the circumstances.

Now, presumably realizing the municipality appears reckless in giving the blasting company the benefit of the doubt (at the potential cost of the safety of the neighbours), Oak Bay “is attempting to mediate a co-operative solution between the neighbours.” The municipal staff and elected officials responsible for this should be ashamed of themselves, both for their original indifference and their current stance that the municipality bears no responsibility for threats posed by construction permits it issues.

Nick Redding

 

Oak Bay