Destruction of Trees for the Connector Trail

A great swath of beautiful forest has been cut down along Hoylake Road by Arbutus Road.  Apparently a paved pathway is being put down.  Yesterday on our walk, so many residents were stopped and shocked at the devastation.  As well, a heron colony, has been exposed; removing the protection of the fir trees that were growing bedside it !  Every year we see and hear the heron feeding their young in that colony.  The trees were protecting them from the eagles and now the eagles, should the herons return, will have full view and access to the young herons.  What shocked allot of us was the fact that a very wide and easily accessible trail already exists on the other side of the road from where they are now making another trail.  This trail could easily have been paved without removing any trees.  It is a very well used trail but mostly by seniors in the walking club, residents walking to town, dog walkers, etc.  We seldom see children using the trail to walk or ride their bikes to school.  Needless to say, the new trail, what with removal of trees, paving, etc. etc. must be costing a vast amount of money.  Paving the existing trail would not have cost one eighth of the amount they are paying for the new trail; plus why do we need two trails????  No one was informed of the trail; I am sure Q.B. did that to avoid negativity.  

Is Qualicum Beach so wealthy that they just take tax payers money and spend it on something completely unnecessary ?  I doubt that.

It is a little too late now to do much about this issue.  But yesterday on our walk we noticed that across the street from the old train station another swath of trees is marked with big blue x’s and the area goes on behind an existing home and onto Harlech Road.  We wonder what the intentions are there !

Gaye and John Mossey, Balsam Street. Q.B.