Sequestered in the residential areas of North Nanaimo, close by Hammond Bay, is an untrammeled 1,100-acre tract of urban wilderness. Untrammelled wilderness, now: but not for long!

The provincial government owns part: 260 acres. The reminder is held by private interests who,justifiably, wish to see a return on their investment. However, a reasonable return does not translate into public money used to bail-out land speculators. Neither is it the business of the NANAIMO AREA LAND TRUST to solicit public donations for bail-outs! Although, indeed it has done just that, and sometime in the future a partial park may materialize! Except that in it's ego driven zeal NALT did not count on a road being driven right through the middle.

As zoning stands this tract of wilderness is not included within the urban containment boundary: although that is about to change imminently. Which means it can only be subdivided into five acre parcels allowing two dwelling units per parcel: Hardly enough given the way development has proceeded in that area in the recent past.

At the same time there is no economic or population pressure to justify it being released into the UCB. Regional District Nanaimo has sufficient land within the UCB to fulfill even the most egregious population projections into the next twenty-five years. Currently, 2004, Nanaimo is experiencing one of its occasional housing market bubbles, driven by low interest rates, not by economic activity. Certainly not by population growth: indeed according to current data RDN population is in decline!

Surely in a civilized society, in the tradition of Lord Stanley, would not Nanaimo council be pulling out all the stops to dedicate all of this property as a park in perpetuity?

But oh no! That is not how things work in a polity driven by influence peddling car dealers and land speculators. That would take co-operation at all levels of government and the private owners. Full co-operation from the province to donate its portion.

Nanaimo: 2002 suggested a plan.

Given current allowable densities of two dwelling units per five-acre parcel on 1,100 acres then 440 units are permissible. Furthermore grouping of these units would not contravene current regulations. And a group of 440 units at a reasonable density of ten units per acre would create a village occupying some 44 acres net. Allowing ten percent for access gives a total developed area of 48.4, say a 50-acre village. Hopefully this will meet the requirement of the private owners to realize on their investments.

Therefore Renewal Nanaimo: 2002's plan proposes that a compact residential village be developed on a portion of the site chosen to impact the natural environment minimally. The remaining 1,050 acres be dedicated a park in perpetuity.

The above plan is now redundant, of course. Watt Ventures Ltd. presented a $100 thousand donation to the Nanaimo Area Land Trust which tipped the scales in favour of its compromised dream. Nanaimo will, sometime in the unspecified future, be delivered a 145 acre park surrounded by the usual sprawl and riven by roads.

The donation, obviously, came with strings attached: i.e. city approval of a rezoning application to develop yet another superflous north-end black-top parking lot . . . err . . . urban village! And what is that: bribery? extortion? It certainly perverts the integrity and purpose of civic ordinancies and the people running NALT should be ashamed.

Here is a classic example of a supposedly citizen's pressure group collecting funds that in reality end up paying salaries to self-congratulating management who bang the drum, not in the interest of a park but well . . . be disgusted.

So what is left? A road riven mini-park, maybe. NALT has surely been hoisted by its own petard!