Cap Population Growth

There has been considerable discussion lately regarding the looming water shortage in the Okanagan. Some like Mayor Walter Gray from the “We Must Have Growth At All Costs” camp have suggested that the remedy is to build more highrises. I am appalled at the short-sightedness of this point of view. This is like saying the way to lose weight is to eat more food.

The logical solution to averting a water crisis is to slow population growth and to ultimately cap population size as they have recently done in Brampton, Ontario. By constructing highrises we will only be hastening the exhaustion of our water supply while turning our city into an ugly and congested place. And conservation measures by themselves will not do the job either. This was recognized by Hans Shreier of the Institute for Resources and Environment of UBC at the recent Canadian Water Association Conference who said that “even with the most effective conservation program current growth rates cannot be sustained in the long run.” and that we need to address both behavioural changes and the limitations to growth.

John Zeger
Citizens for Responsible
Community Planning