Age of Glenmore pond disputed

Redlich Pond long predates its supposed creation in 1971 by the City of Kelowna, says a former resident of the area.

Ernie Siemens lived in a house on Brent Place, at the edge of the pond, from 1964 to 1988.

“That pond was there from the day we moved in,” Siemens said Thursday.

A current resident of the area, James Anderson, believes biological diversity in the pond has diminished in the past decade.

Anderson suspects pesticides and herbicides that enter the pond through stormwater drains may be affecting the pond’s ability to support a variety of waterfowl.

In response, the city says the pond was constructed in 1971 as part of the stormwater management plan for the then-new Glenmore neighbourhood.

While Siemens says the pond existed before 1971, he does recall giving the city a right-of-way around that time for a storm drain to empty into the pond. Flushing stormwater into the pond might well have lowered the pond’s water quality, Siemens says.

“Practically as soon as water started running into that drain, an oil slick formed on the surface of the water,” he said. “It looked so bad, the police were even called to see what was going on.”

Nevertheless, Siemens doesn’t share Anderson’s belief the pond supports noticeably fewer waterfowl than it used to.

“I really don’t see much change in there in terms of the number of ducks and turtles,” he said.

Anderson hopes the city will begin testing the pond’s water for pesticide and herbicide levels, something that’s not currently done.