Dear editor,
Last Sunday morning while walking to the sea down Butchers Road, I noticed the strong smell of creosote and saw the heavy lazy smoke coming from a chimney in one of the expensive houses there.
As someone who heats my house by burning wood, I could instantly recognize the cause: a large log, likely wet or green, left in a stove or fireplace without adequate oxygen.
This should be illegal and a finable offence. This behaviour poisons the air of the neighbours with highly carcinogenic compounds and is caused by individuals who either don’t know or don’t care about the harm they are inflicting. I tried to alert the owners but couldn’t, due to a locked automatic gate and an unresponsive keypad intercom.
Wealthy occupants such as these have the means to use an efficient modern woodstove, burn dry wood, and tend the fire responsibly. The pristine beauty of this Valley must be protected from careless ignorance that spoils it.
Joe Ackerman,
Winnipeg