The Editor,
On Saturday, Sept. 19, I attended the Riverview Horticultural Centre Society’s 2015 Treefest celebration, not having visited Riverview since the drought/windstorm of the summer.
I felt angry at seeing the widespread loss of many beautiful trees throughout the Riverview site. I am appalled that our provincial government would neglect its responsibility to ensure trees on the Riverview site received enough water throughout the severe summer drought to afford them the flexibility they would have had to fight against wind breakage.
The neglect by the province put all of the mature trees at risk in the recent wind storm and, consequently, many more succumbed than should have. This is inexcusable!
There is not another site in North America like what we have here. This is a museum of life unlike anything anywhere.
For our government to treat it with such blatant disdain is a slap in the face to everyone who is sensitive to the true value of what blankets this 244 acres of land.
This is not just a blank slate of land waiting to be scraped clear to accommodate a desire for development.
This is our heritage. This is our legacy. The diversity of plant accumulation on this 244 acres is our treasure.
Government is elected by us to represent our best interests. This government needs to hire an arborist and start representing those interests, which, up until now, in the matter of this beautiful site, it has been ignoring.
We will not tolerate another devastating loss to our legacy because of provincial government neglect.
Kenneth E. Baker, Surrey
