A Kaslo resident is delighted with village council’s responsiveness to concerns she raised about light pollution.
Following a presentation Holley Rubinsky and others made recently, council passed five resolutions to address streetlights that not only light roadways but homes and bedrooms.
“I don’t think we could have had a better outcome,” Rubinsky told 103.5 Juice FM. “How lovely it is to come to our beautiful village in the mountains, and how terrible it is never to see the night sky. People in Kaslo don’t report it when a streetlight has gone out because they’re so relieved.”
The village has adopted a policy of replacing failing or broken streetlights with modern LED fixtures that project exclusively onto the street below, while any revisions to the subdivision servicing bylaw will also include LED streetlights.
FortisBC will also further be invited to help design streetlight upgrade strategies, the village will consult with the Chamber of Commerce about replacing light fixtures on Front Street with ones similar to those on Water Street.
Rubinsky added: “Most exciting for people who have been dealing with this issue for years is that they will document complaints about streetlight problems and public works crew will help assist with modifications.”
She first raised the issue in 2007, but “it was a little early.” She presented council with information on what other communities, including Castlegar, have since done to upgrade their street lighting.
She also came armed with “a bunch of emails from people who said they have tried blinds, hanging blankets. It’s terrible to be tormented by a light that’s supposed to just illuminate the street.”
Rubinsky said many people simply accept existing streetlights, without realizing there are alternatives.