Aresst Board

Chair – John Bergbusch

• Councillor, City of Colwood 1985-1993; Mayor 1993-1999
• Regional Director, CRD 1993-1999
• Chair, Regional Water Supply Commission 1998-1999
• Juan de Fuca Recreation Commissioner 1986-1988; 1993-1999
• Victoria Regional Tranit Commission, 1994-1999
• British Columbia Transit Commission, 1998-1999
• Board of Governors, Royal Roads University, 1995-2002
• Board of Directors, Pacific Centre Family Services Association, 1980-1994; Chairman, 1981-1986
• Manager, Bee Creek Restoration Project, 2004-2006
• British Columbia Community Achievement Award, 2008
  

Statement: When I first entered municipal politics, I believed that secondary sewage treatment was a “good thing” for the Capital Region.. But after reading “Victoria’s Sewage Circus” in 1991 and subsequently, as a CRD director, hearing presentations from a host of independent scientific experts as well as CRD’s own staff, I was persuaded that the existing system [preliminary treatment plus deep ocean discharge through diffusers] is the environmentally most-desirable option for Greater Victoria. I am appalled that the current provincial environment minister has chosen to ignore the scientific evidence and has ordered land-based secondary treatment and that the CRD board has failed to contest that order. Why would we want to spend unnecessary billions to alter one of the world’s finest natural treatment systems?

Vice-Chair – Alex Murdoch

• Native Victorian, attended Oak Bay High and UVic
• Applied Science [Engineering] Technologist – retired
• 1967-85 BC Forest Service, field and management positions, Vancouver to Prince Rupert
• 1985-86 sailing offshore with family, returned to settle in Oak Bay
• 1988-89 S.A.L.T.S. Society Administrator [acting Executive Director]
• 1989-2009 marine consultant [dealing with, among other things, ship-source pollution]

Relevant volunteer service:

North Coast Steering Committee – Chair, Canadian Sail Training Association – Director, Victoria Harbour Study Steering Committee, Victoria-Esquimalt Harbour Advisory Council, Local Marine Advisory Council, Canadian Maritime Law Association

Statement: I’m a lifetime sailor with a very personal interest in the health of the marine environment and the damage caused by human activity. I am concerned that the rush to install an unnecessary treatment system is diverting energy and resources from the real problems faced by our oceans. I watched the Fast-Cat Ferry disaster unfold and I believe the same mistakes are being made in the CRD’s politically-mandated move toward land-based secondary sewage treatment.

Secretary – Bill Wolferstan

B.Sc. 1964 Geology and Geophysics, UBC

M.A. 1971 Geography and Natural Resource Management, SFU

Worked for 25 years with BC Parks, BC Environment and Land Use Committee Secretariat, and BC Ministry of Environment on coastal development issues, including oil spill prevention strategies in the Juan de Fuca/Puget/Georgia basin. Served on: US/BC Oil Spill Task Force – Chair, Spill-Prevention Sub-Committee BC/Washington Marine Science Panel – presented Provincial position paper on the need to focus on real, rather than perceived, threats to the shared marine waters of Juan de Fuca, Puget Sound, and the Georgia Basin Statement: I am a keen sailor, a lover of the B.C. coast, and the author of three coastal cruising guides, bringing an enhanced appreciation of our unique oceanography and its ability to provide a highly effective form of natural treatment. I have walked our dogs along the Dallas Road waterfront for over thirty years and have still not found one “floatie” or any evidence of pollution from our deep sea outfalls. I discovered that one of the most pristine dive sites in the world is the underwater nature reserve at Race Rocks, 15 km downstream of the Victoria outfalls but totally unaffected by them.

Treasurer – Robert A. (Bob) Furber

B.Eng. 1965, Chemical Engineering, McGill University

M.Sc. 1968, Genie Chimique, Université Laval

Worked on the development of low pollution hydrometallurgical alternatives to smelting. Then worked in numerous water and wastewater treatment projects as Project Engineer. Currently CEO/Manager of Intec Automation Inc., designing and producing single board computers

Statement: I am searching for political dimensions beyond the Left-Right continuum. I view myself as a champion for appropriate technology (vs. latest, fanciest and costliest). I also consider myself a dedicated environmental steward: fastidious about turning off lights, using the one family car sparingly, composting kitchen and garden waste, using both sides of every sheet of paper before recycling, and I could go on and on… I see it as my mission to fight waste; waste of talent, waste of resources, waste of money. And, until I see evidence of damage to our marine environment,  I see the replacement of Victoria’s excellent deep-ocean sewage discharges by land-based sewage treatment not only as a colossal waste of money, but pointless, to boot.

Director – Dr. Shaun Peck

• Pre-1989, held Regional Health Officer positions in British Columbia
• Medical Officer of Health for the Capital Regional District, 1989-1995
• Deputy Provincial Health Officer (B.C.), 1995-2004
• Public Health Consultant, 2004 to present

Statement: I have been following Victoria’s sewage treatment issues since I was appointed Medical Officer of Health for the Capital Regional District in 1989. In 1992 I wrote an article – published in the Victoria Times Colonist – reviewing the evidence for and against the need for increased treatment at Victoria’s two deep sea outfalls. Later that year, following the provision of a great deal of public information by the CRD, there was a referendum in which Greater Victorians voted against increased land based sewage treatment. In 2006 I became involved in Responsible Sewage Treatment Victoria www.rstv.ca I have made regular presentations to the CRD’s Core Area Liquid Waste Management Committee reminding them of the lack of evidence for the need for increased treatment for the CRD’s Core area. There are currently no measurable public health risks from the two deep sea outfalls. There will however be worker health related issues as well as an adverse effect on the total environment from building land based sewage treatment plants.

Director – John Motherwell

• University of B. C. Bachelor of Applied Science in Civil Engineering 1950
• British Columbia Land Surveyor 1952
• Canada Land Surveyor 1953
• Cassiar Asbestos Corp. Ltd. Cassiar, B.C., Surface engineer & surveyor 1951 – 1985 (sporadic)
• A.B. Sanderson & Co. Ltd. Victoria BC, Design engineer 1956- 1959

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Self-employed since 1959 as consulting engineer and land surveyor. Specializing in water treatment and distribution, and sewage collection, treatment and disposal. Provided engineering services for four major sewage treatment plants and four major marine outfalls

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Director – Elizabeth Woodworth

• BC Department of Recreation and Conservation, Librarian, 1971-1978
• BC Ministry of Health, Head Librarian, 1978-2002
• Freelance writer on environmental and social justice issues
• Organizer of public lectures for social justice issues, 2006 to present

Statement: The crux of the issue is that though 69% of Victorians do not believe in the need for land-based sewage treatment, at any price, many are resigned to what “they”, the BC and CRD governments, are going to do — which is to go ahead with it for vague reasons of optics, none of which are supported by sound scientific studies. This is therefore a democratic issue, and it is important that the citizens of the region join ARESST in its mission to bring perspective and sanity to the decision-making process before it is too late, and we are saddled with an enormously expensive system with much higher environmental impacts than the natural ocean composting system now in use.

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Director – Don Monsour

Statement: I believe in the truth. Regardless of the issues, when one knows the truth making a decision on what to do becomes easy. The optics around sewage treatment for the Capital Region points to changing the current system. However when you really dig in and look at the facts you can only come to one conclusion and that conclusion is to leave well enough alone. What we are doing is perhaps one of the best systems for dealing with sewage waste water in North America so why on earth would we spend a billion or so dollars just to appease those people who don’t know the truth?

• Chair of the BC Culinary Tourism Society and Chair of the International Culinary Tourism Association.
• Past Chair of the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) Product Development Committee and the Cuisine Tourism Subcommittee as well as the Destination Consortium.
• Founding member of the Council of Tourism Associations of British Columbia (president in 2001).
• Chair of the British Columbia Restaurant and Foodservices Association (currently Vice Chair provincial and Chair of the Victoria Branch).
• More than 50 years of experience in hospitality industry management.
• Executive positions in numerous organizations such as Tourism British Columbia, the Canadian Food Services Executives Association, the Victoria Chef’s Association, Hospitality Associates, Bon Appetit Foods, C-Fax Santa’s Anonymous, the Crystal Meth Society of B.C., Routes to Learning Canada, Help Fill A Dream Society, B.C. Culinary Tourism Society, the B.C. Food and Beverage Alliance, City of Victoria Late Night Grat Night Advisory Committee, the Victoria Read Society, B.C. Culinary Arts Foundation of B.C. and the B.C. Argri Tourism Alliance.

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