91Ô­´´

Missing the thrill of watching construction

First off, I think this is a serious letter, but not one that is going to solve any of our horrible local problems like bike lanes or no bike lanes. But a serious letter nonetheless.

Now, I don’t want this to look like a complaint, but more just a curiosity question.

Why do they have to put a barrier up so we, the curious, can’t see into a construction site? What is it that they are hiding? What secrets do they not want us to see?

Or maybe the workers don’t like to be watched. Maybe they think that us old guys on our electric scooters are spies from some big competing company.

I have been retired for a very long time now, and have been able to watch the Royal Bay development from the very start.

From all the trucks and scrappers levelling the whole area off, to now with hundreds of houses and a big school and a developing shopping centre. And never a barrier.

Now, I’m not really sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing, but it’s been wonderful to watch it develop. The digging for foundations, the foundations, the amazing location of all the infrastructure that was put in months, or years, ago.

And now, the building of the big new Eliza condominiums on Ryder Hesjedal Way has got panels on the fence so we can no longer see the wonderful things going on in that huge pit.

The fence was good. We don’t want one of us silly old buggers rolling our scooter into that pit, but to stop us from seeing what’s going on, that’s terrible.

A large amount of our old age entertainment has been lost.

Sounds silly, doesn’t it. Just wait till you get old.

Lyall Eriksen

Colwood

We get the system we are willing to pay for

Re: “Victoria could learn from European cities,” letter, Aug. 15.

I was amused by the letter comparing the squalor of parts of downtown Victoria with the neatness of many northern ­European cities. In Canada we pay basic taxes for health, defence, law and transportation infrastructure, most local stuff is regarded as less important.

This system has politicians often competing to lower taxes with the result, usually not mentioned at election time, that services are reduced. This then leaves us free to spend our hard-earned dollars on whatever we wish, and guess what, we spend it on: ourselves.

So pity the poor Scandinavians with their clean streets, adventuresome ­architecture, low-cost or free museums, art galleries, theatres and arenas, and their excellent health care systems, including the mentally ill and drug addicted.

This is only achieved by what to us is eye-watering levels of taxation. The so-called evils of socialism.

On the other hand, we can feel proud of our superior system which (in theory) gives freedom to the individual to earn whatever they want and spend it however they wish.

Next time you vote, vote for a politician who promises to keep taxes down. That way you can walk down Pandora Avenue and feel proud that you are seeing our system working precisely as it is designed to.

Joe Harvey

Victoria

Missing critical factors in bike-lane planning

The three Es of traffic safety are Engineering, Education and Enforcement.

In the 1970s, I was one of two members of the London, Ont., police department assigned to attend meetings of council’s streets, traffic and transportation sub-committee. If any changes were authorized by council, our input was requested from a safety and enforcement aspect. We also assisted in conducting surveys.

When information was provided by a former Victoria council that bike lanes were to be installed, I attended at City Hall and requested copies of the numerous surveys conducted by the engineering department in order to meet the “warrants” to install bicycle lanes.

I was advised that no surveys were conducted as the instruction came from a former council.

Considering that no surveys were conducted I imagine that no input was considered from educators and police.

According to my experience and training, if any of the three Es are omitted, there is no traffic safety.

Anthony Powell

Oak Bay

There’s a dashboard, please learn to read it

Re: “Man against everything all at once,” column, Aug. 14.

David Sovka’s humorous take on global heating underscores the fact that climate change is caused by humans and our continued reliance on fossil fuels.

Yet, as he notes, the governments of Canada, and B.C., plan to increase oil and gas production, against the ­recommendation of the United Nations and the International Energy Agency. Talk about ignoring dashboard warning lights.

Meanwhile, in the first constitutional climate trial in the U.S., Montana youth won a legal suit against their state’s continued development of fossil fuels which they successfully argued violates ­citizens’ rights to a healthy environment.

We do indeed need to “rekindle the war effort,” as an Aug. 12 letter said, if we are to accelerate climate solutions in the brief time we have left to limit rising global temperatures.

And for that we need courageous, visionary leaders, who know how to read the dashboard and change course before driving the bus over the cliff.

Karyn Woodland

Colwood

Give us some hard facts on foreign-trained MDs

Re: “Working to ensure we get the best care,” letter, Aug. 15.

Given a forum, the B.C. College of Physicians had the opportunity to truly make their case. They could have provided hard facts such as number of foreign-trained applicants per year and percentage approved along with context for rejections.

Instead, the only fact provided was that 30 per cent of physicians are foreign educated but no context regarding the hoops they had to go through to be able to practice here.

So with dispensing facts, the letter was steeped in generalities and exhausting whining about being criticized. Truly a response worthy of a politician and not a physician. Perhaps there lies the rub.

Scott Clark

View Royal

Ferry experience is great for pets

Re: “Pet areas on ferries is human torture,” letter, Aug. 15.

It just goes to show you can’t please everyone. B.C. Ferries have come a long way providing proper kennels on the car deck where you can bond with other pet owners.

Or even treat the dog area as a kennel and lock your dog up safely. Bring your own lock.

Cool, water and comfort provided so you can travel with Fido. My dog is quite happy being a dog with the windows down a little, a bowl of water and waiting for her favourite people.

Now B.C. Ferries are letting you bring your dog up to the open deck so people and your dog can be oooed at. Oh, that’s amazing!

Anne Marie Wade

Victoria

Retrofit workplaces to provide housing

I have been intrigued by the land debate going on in Ontario between Premier Doug Ford and the auditor general and housing experts about whether the process for land selection was biased toward certain developers. The bigger question should be about the value of the precious Greenbelt which has some of the most fertile soil suitable for agriculture.

It surprises me that the significance of the Greenbelt has not been compared to the significance of our rainforests.

Since COVID, many workplaces have been abandoned and while retrofitting them may be expensive and time-consuming it still seems a shame that there isn’t a more creative way to solve the shortage of housing without selling off fertile agricultural land.

With climate change causing drought or flooding conditions for farmers and fruit growers, the next big issue to face could be a food shortage.

Carol Thibault

Victoria

SEND US YOUR LETTERS

• Email: [email protected]

• Mail: Letters to the editor, Times 91Ô­´´, 201-655 Tyee Rd., Victoria, B.C. V9A 6X5

• Aim for no more than 250 words; subject to editing for length and clarity.