FaithBlacquiere

ONCE UPON A TIME

There was a grey haired granny (GHG)
Enjoying her life and family 

BUT THEN

One day her neighbourhood flooded
The City said “We won’t look at what changed – we’ll only look at sewers” 
So she said
“I can’t help them clean out their basements but I can do research to find out
What caused the flood so they don’t have to clean them out again
What changed since the last flood to make so many more homes flood”
So the GHG researched and researched and researched
She read and read and read
Night and day
Engineering reports and thousands of articles and books
Mostly on very technical engineering matters and sewers
When she didn’t understand something
She read and read some more
She visited sewers, photographed sewers and stormwater ponds
Talked non-stop about sewers and stormwater ponds
until her family’s eyes glazed over every time she opened her mouth 

AND WHEN SHE READ THOSE ENGINEERING REPORTS

She found conflicts
Errors
Omissions 

SO THEN

She wrote reports on her findings and expressed her opinions about what caused the flooding
And she sent them to the Conservation Authority and the City 

AND THE CITY SAID

We don’t want your opinions – you’re not an engineer
We won’t read your reports unless you have them reviewed by an engineer
Our staff are too busy trying to get your flood solutions in place
We won’t send you any other reports unless you have an engineer to help you understand them 

AND THE CONSERVATION AUTHORITY SAID

You’re not an engineer
We won’t read your reports unless you have them reviewed by an engineer 

AND SO

The GHG was very discouraged
After all that good work no one would read it
After all the recommendations that would prevent future flooding
Even though they needed some of the information to plan the solutions
Even though the GHG told them that as engineers they have
a responsibility to protect the public
Even though there are no rules that say the public can’t submit a report
without having it reviewed by an engineer
They still refused to read her reports 

AND SO

The GHG’s opinion of engineers dropped down low
She thought they were supposed to protect the public
But found they wouldn’t
She found that they only believe engineers, not the public
She found that engineers don’t like to have their reports and solutions criticized
Especially by an old lady
She found that engineers make many mistakes
But that they don’t want anyone to know 

AND SO

The GHG wondered what to do
Should she write any more reports that no engineer from an approval authority would read?
What should she do with the reports she had done?

AND SO

The GHG thought back to the Genealogy projects she used to work on
Before she started reading all those documents about flooding
And she thought of her ggg grandfather
who was a pioneer in Walkerton in 1849
And she thought of all those people in Walkerton who were impacted
when their water was contaminated
And she wondered what her ggg grandfather would say about what was done to his descendants
And she wondered what he would say about what GHG was being told
And what his advice would be about what to do 

AND HIS MESSAGE CAME DOWN

“KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK”

AND SO

The GHG decided what to do
She would keep up the good work and she would save those reports and give them to engineers
The ones hired by the insurance companies and residents for litigation after the next flood
Maybe then the Conservation Authority and City would read her reports

THE END