Rock City Wetland Development Sparks Youth Concern
Written by Reghan Anderson
The Rock City Wetland is facing a pressing issue: a six-story residential development that would severely damage its vulnerable ecosystem. Of the many consequences of this development, the most severe would be the blasting of a rocky hill above the swamp, which could permanently alter water flow. To make matters worse, residents of the building would heavily rely on cars for transportation because of their distance from city hubs. This increased reliance on cars goes directly against the City’s goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and is inconsistent with the objectives outlined in the ReImagine City Plan.
Left image: area in the wetland identified as “environmentally protected” by the city
Right image: swamp that is home to lots of wildlife, including Chubbs the beaver.
As the community rallies to protect the wetland, there is often one group whose opinions go unrepresented: youth. As the president of the NDSS (Nanaimo District Secondary School) Eco Club, I have a front-row seat to the opinions and concerns of environmentalist youth in my community. This has allowed me to see a full range of emotions concerning the proposal. At our weekly meetings, members expressed frustration, concern, disappointment, and feelings of powerlessness in the face of the project.
As a group, we conducted our own research, reading news articles and watching videos to try to stay informed. The more we learned, the more frustrated we became. Through our reading, we came across a CBC news article explaining that the developers’ environmental assessors did not come during the right season for the Northern red-legged frog, and that therefore it was not included in the discussion of the permitting process. To this, Grade 11 student Sofia Holmes spoke up, saying, “I’m disappointed in the developers, for not taking the proper time to go and see the wetland when there is wildlife active.” Sofia also went on to state that, “As a youth, I don’t have much power against something like this.”
Northern Red-Legged frog
Sofia’s comments reflect a general feeling among club members: disappointment. As youth, club members feel as if these issues are out of their control, and that their power does not extend beyond small actions. Another Grade 11 student, Katie Troost, expressed herself, saying “There is not much I can do. I am not in a position of power… I can sign petitions, but not much else.” As a collective, students are often not heard, or rather, not encouraged to speak up. This leads to a drastic underrepresentation of youth voices.
Some members of the NDSS Eco Club.
From left to right: Katie Troost, Kaylee Shaw, Reghan Anderson, Sofia Holmes, Sydney Klaver.
This is a major issue in our society because today’s youth will have to live with the long-term consequences of environmental decisions being made now. Despite this, their perspectives are often being overlooked in discussions that will directly affect their future. Advocacy across all generations will be key to stopping developments like this one from going through. For the Rock City Wetland, residents are currently pushing for an increase in the development setback from the wetland, and for the City of Nanaimo's bylaws to be updated to reflect this. Activists are urging council to replace the current 7.5 meters with the 30-meter setback that is required for amphibian breeding ponds. However, as the project has already been approved, bylaw changes will not affect the development
Looking forward, youth have not completely given up hope for the wetland. They are hopeful that with enough public activism, the province would consider stepping in and modifying the development plan. However, several members worry that if community members don’t step up and protest this project, then it will inevitably go forward. So, for youth advocates, the future of the Rock City Wetland now depends on whether the broader community is willing to push for its protection.
If you want to support this valuable ecosystem, you can sign the petition (visit Rock City Wetland Petition), join the Facebook page (Facebook Page), write to the City Council to express your concerns, and share or donate to the GoFundMe page (GoFundMe) dedicated to raising funds for legal fees and independent environmental assessments.