Mother of cougar victim blames urban sprawl

I agree I live on Vancouver Island and the amount of forest I see cut down each year for new homes is destrubing expesicaly since i know the yard will never be used. Such a waste of space

It was no coincidence that when the big Bear Mountain development went in, deer moved into Esquimalt. We now have herds on the base and in the residences near the Gorge Gold Course. Rabbit population is up as well.

Not that I mind getting up in the morning with a cup of coffee and watch the deer making their way down the street, but still...

Deer make big splat on Truck windshield causing insurance to skyrocket and bank account to frown.

really what do you expect people to do when the population is growing annually?

And realistically, even with the bear mountain development, out of the total land area on the island, only about 5% is dedicated to urban wasteland. the rest is still all natural.

Canadian_Mind said:



You obviously haven't seen the development. 3000 - 4000 sq ft houses aren't the product of expanding population. Nor was the golf course.



True, but not the point. It's one thing to build tower condos which allow for population density with minimal footprint, it's another to strip the side of a mountain to build some hump his must-have 3000 sq ft home.

I have seen it, i'm originally from the Comox Valley and travelled to Victoria monthly. I watched them clear cut the forest for the development.

Where that mountainside was, there are hundreds of others left. It may have temporarily displaced the animal population, but there is still a whole wilderness left for them.

That's this month, what about next month, next year, pretty soon you'll be able to drive from one end of the island to the other without seeing any of the magnificent forests Vancouver Island WAS known for.

Exactly. The Jordan RIver developments have a lot of potential to ruin that area. Already sites are being carved out of the forests near China Beach. Needless. I'd rather see a tower of condos go up if they must live there so that hectares of old growth and old second growth aren't removed.

Euhmm... I am very sorry for this child, really, but... mom... YOU live there too, don't you. You can blame it on development, but you live somewhere too, that once was cougar/bear country...

Maybe you should not blame, and see it as an accident that happens when you live in a country like Canada with lots of wildlife...

I think the point was that rapid development is creating new problems with respect to loss of habitat. Yeah, she lives in Squamish, like I live in Victoria.

I've lived here for 20 years now, and I can see what development in Langford is doing over the last several years when I can see deer in my yard when before the development, deer never came here. Same with cougars. Over the past 20 years sightings have increased with cougars appearing even downtown - one was trapped in the underground garage of the Empress once several years back.

As I've said earlier, development is going to happen. One thing that has pleased me is the introduction of more towers and condos on existing lands. This is better land management and has less impact on the sprawl. I will continue to wonder and take umbrage at the massive trophy houses being built on clearcut mountains in our community.

That's this month, what about next month, next year, pretty soon you'll be able to drive from one end of the island to the other without seeing any of the magnificent forests Vancouver Island WAS known for.

For that to happen, the pop. of Vancouver Island would have to reach 32 million people at 1000 people per square kilometer. That simply isn't happening.

That's this month, what about next month, next year, pretty soon you'll be able to drive from one end of the island to the other without seeing any of the magnificent forests Vancouver Island WAS known for.

For that to happen, the pop. of Vancouver Island would have to reach 32 million people at 1000 people per square kilometer. That simply isn't happening.

Not true. Bear Mountain and proposed developments in Jordan River and China Beach are great examples of urban sprawl that is more designed to deliver luxury mega homes with supporting luxury infrastructure (golf courses) with minimal population increase.

You've said you've seen Bear Mountain... then I'm sure you've seen the clear cuts where they've planted the big trophy homes. Again, population growth ain't the point here.

That's this month, what about next month, next year, pretty soon you'll be able to drive from one end of the island to the other without seeing any of the magnificent forests Vancouver Island WAS known for.

For that to happen, the pop. of Vancouver Island would have to reach 32 million people at 1000 people per square kilometer. That simply isn't happening. Well Taiwan is only slightly larger, with a population of 23 000 000 and there is plenty of forest to see. Because it is so mountainous only 1/7 of the island is populated, mostly on the Western coastal plain, and even then there are large gaps of open space for farming and smaller forested hills.

Well Taiwan is only slightly larger, with a population of 23 000 000 and there is plenty of forest to see. Because it is so mountainous only 1/7 of the island is populated, mostly on the Western coastal plain, and even then there are large gaps of open space for farming and smaller forested hills.

But the western style of living is MUCH different than Taiwan. In the west everyone wants a big house and a big yard with a fence around the whole thing, in Taiwan there is no appeal to having any of that. I watch forest get clear cut so that a few people can each have 5-20 acres of property that they don't even use.