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LETTER: MLA Leonard refutes comments, headline of March 13 letter

Dear editor,
11131766_web1_171026-LDN-Letters

Dear editor,

The March 13 letter from John Snyder regarding the water bottling plant (Appalling that our local MLA would support water bottling plant) misrepresented my statements on the topic.

I appreciate him raising this important issue, however I have made no statement that I support the granting of this groundwater licence.

Both the claim and the corresponding headline are incorrect.

Since the groundwater licence in question was issued, I have been contacted by numerous concerned residents as well as the CVRD Area C director.

I take these concerns very seriously, as I know that water shortages have been an annual occurrence in the Merville area, with many wells running dry each summer, and water having to be trucked in from the Comox Lake system.

I have raised all these concerns with the minister responsible. I also attended a meeting on March 12 with the K’ómoks First Nation and two ministers where this water licence was discussed.

Protecting our water resources was the reason I first got into politics, and this remains an important issue to me.

I will continue to bring forward local concerns to the minister, and to advocate as your provincial representative that decisions made be in the best interests of the community.

Ronna-Rae Leonard

MLA for Courtenay-Comox