Residents of Central Saanich, Lochside Trail users and drivers on the Pat Bay Highway from Sayward Road to Island View Road are being offended by the obnoxious smell of rotting food waste.
This odour is coming from a former dairy farm that is now running an industrial scale composting facility on its agricultural land. This in itself opens many questions as to whether industrial operations are an acceptable use of agricultural land.
Is processing food waste from cruise ships, Wal-Mart, grocery stores, restaurants and other related businesses farming? Is composting when it is not solely for on farm use considered a proper farming activity?
Not according to Central Saanich land use bylaws, yet it has not been stopped.
Last week the Capital Regional District finally took steps in an attempt to have the facility, Foundation Organics, contain the odour within its property boundaries, as is required by CRD bylaw.
If you are still being affected by this foul odour please continue to send in reports to the CRD via their online form at hotline@crd.bc.ca or contact Alastair Bryson, Chair CRD and Mayor, Central Saanich at 250 544-0668 or alastair.bryson@csaanich.ca.
They continue to need our feedback.
Michele Bond, President
Martindale/Hunt Valley Protection Association