Dear Editor,
With all the respect I have for Neil Boyd, I find disappointing his manipulative decision regarding the Pollinator Initiative in Crippen Park, to refer copies of the proposal to faculty colleagues at Simon Fraser University, Dr Winston, an expert in pollination and Dr Gail Anderson, a forensic entomologist.
In doing so Boyd may want to prove that the academic expertise of his colleagues is of greater importance than the overwhelming rejection of the project in that area by a majority of Bowen Islanders. The named academics responded according to the knowledge of the science, but they do not know the area and they have not mastered the many reasons why such a project is inappropriate in “the meadows” of Crippen Park. Those many reasons were provided to Metro Vancouver and were well received.
To try and forcefully impose the BAA expectations of such a project to the community by the means of the professional comments of reputed academics and by degrading as “self-described local experts” the local people involved who have a down to earth understanding of that area, a rather biased use of fair play and of the democratic process.
Some years ago, it is such understanding and informed data recording of the natural habitat by local islanders that helped Dr Anderson in her research of a forensic case on Bowen Island.
To Heather Prittie’s statement that the same people that oppose the Pollination Garden in the Meadows had opposed the school soccer field: this is not true as we were strong proponents of that project and are pleased to see it completed.
Finally to Michelle Pentz Glave’s submission: we are very much in favour of developing a Pollinator Initiative in an alternative area - perhaps the Bowfest field near the Davies Orchard area, which would make that project acceptable to all and very successful.
Sincerely yours
André & Anne Chollat
