ISLAND PARADISE LOST? (with apologies to Milton)

Poem by Marie Jacobs (Courtenay BC)
Oct 8, 2024


The Comox Valley we used to know

Beautiful views, mountains capped with snow

Friendly folks who have time for you

Low-rise downtowns where you still have a view

Sadly, it’s changing – and not for the better

Inspiring citizens to write many a letter

Burnt orange and grey boxes are all that we see

In places where trees used to be

Affordable housing is what they raze

While building so densely we’re left in a daze

Maintaining neighbourhoods is in our dreams

Thanks to governments’ housing schemes

Rural land is annexed

Without thought to what’s next

This pressure on farms

Will lead to much harm

Development to extremes

Is replacing the streams

Brooklyn Creek almost gone

Six stories to be where salmon spawn

Housing’s displacing commercial in the core

But where are we supposed to find a store?

Small manufacturing’s being priced out of town

It’s really starting to get me down

Traffic that’s calm is a thing of the past

Congestion ensures we’re going nowhere fast

They say bikes, not cars, are the way to go

Will bikes get us to docs in Victoria or Nanaimo?

Schools overloaded, hospital undersized

Just see the evidence before your eyes

Water and sewers? They say we’ll be fine

Drought, floods, and shortages just a worry of mine

Many thousands more our Valley will see

Without needed conditions for them, you, or me

Stop building apace

Until services in place

It’s not the right plan for housing that’s fair

We need to become much more aware

Taxes go up with such growth it’s been proven

Before it’s too late, we’ve got to get movin’

Developers’ dollars are holding sway

It really shouldn’t be this way

They’ve too much influence on politicians – not kidding

Our communities shouldn’t be doing their bidding

To Councils and Premier say “Enough is enough”!

It is well past time for us to get tough

Working together, hand in hand

To bring saner development to our island