WATCH: A video has surfaced showing a huge amount of dust in the air after construction blasting in Sooke. Residents have been struggling to alert authorities to the problem, saying their calls have been unanswered until now. Luisa Alvarez explains.
A video captured after a blast on Wednesday afternoon in Brailsford Place in Sooke demonstrates what residents have been experiencing as blasting occurs nearby their homes.
“My stuff is getting ruined and you know my health is an issue as well with my family and my friends and everybody, my neighbours on the street. It’s not fair to anybody that dust is going 200-300 meters across the road. You cant see across the road. I had a neighbour across the road that couldn’t see their grandkids on their deck. Like how is that good for their health?” said Marc Forget, who lives in the area.
Forget is just one of many frustrated residents who say blasting has been going on for the past two years and gets especially bad when the weather is hot and dry.
He says not doing anything to suppress the dust and added it is against a Sooke bylaw. Residents tried numerous times to alert authorities but they’ve had no luck until now that the video surfaced and has thousands of hits on social media.
“Everybody I talked to Workers Compensation Board or provincial government and even the District of Sooke, they all said its out of their hands and now that things have changed with the video, everyone wants to try and help now,” said Forget.
Sooke sent assistant fire chief Matt Barney who went to the site along with a bylaw officer to make sure steps are being taken moving forward for each blast.
“Now they are watering the roads three times a day and now they are going to water the rock before the blast, and water the mats, so that will help suppress the dust for sure.,” said Forget.
Forget says neighbours are relieved but in the same token they do feel like they lost a lot and deserve compensation.
A town hall meeting is taking place July 24. Forget says everybody affected is encouraged to come out as they hope to meet collectively as a neighbourhood to see what steps they are going to take moving forward.
Forget also said a civil lawsuit is not out of the question.
Luisa Alvarez
