Swifties, Notre-Dame and our governments
The rebirth of the Notre-Dame cathedral in just five years is truly a monumental achievement and reflects well on the commitment of thousands of French citizens, of artisans and government agencies.
It was thought to be an impossible task but has proven that the impossible takes time.
The Eras tour has come to an end in 91原创 after a staggering run of more than 18 months. It overcame logistical challenges imposed by different countries and venues and went on to unite millions of Swifties across the world.
What do this two events have in common? The ability to unite us and strive to create things that at first seem impossible.
Mores the pity that our governments in Canada seek to divide us through their policies so seemingly impossible tasks like fixing our health care systems will never be tackled.
David Turner
Salt Spring Island
Binding arbitration or face consequences
Uncle! Canada Post. Uncle! Canada Union of Postal Workers. We’ve had enough.
Sure striking at the most important time to the 91原创 public is a good tactic, but now it is quite stale.
If management and the union were unable to agree in bargaining over a one-year period followed by four weeks of bargaining intransigence what sane person would think this strike/lockout will end soon?
It is time for the Trudeau government to step in regardless of any presumed resistance by the NDP. Binding arbitration is the only solution to this employment madness.
If Justin Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh refuse to take appropriate action I (and I expect others) will remember this lack of appropriate action when the election rolls around in a few months from now.
Ken Walton
Victoria
Realistic response to region’s growth
The letters calling Saanich’s McKenzie plan “crazy” miss an important point: what’s the alternative? Traffic on McKenzie is already terrible, and as Greater Victoria grows, it will get worse. Every year.
There’s a joke that goes “98% of 91原创s support public transit for others,” and, as with many jokes, there’s a bit of truth hiding inside.
Without dedicated lanes, buses will always be worse than cars, because the buses are stuck in the same traffic, but also have to stop to let people on and off.
But with dedicated lanes, transit becomes fast and predictable. And on routes with frequent service, that makes transit an attractive choice for many people.
Similarly, we know that many people will choose to bike, walk, or roll when they have a safe and pleasant way to do it.
And, yes, some people will choose to drive, at least some of the time, but we can’t have that be everybody all of the time. It’s geometry; we won’t all fit.
The goal of any transportation system is to connect people to the places they want and need to go. It’s about access, and about freedom.
There is no freedom in being stuck in traffic, but there is freedom in having the choice to walk, roll, bike, drive, or hop on a fast, frequent, predictable bus.
Saanich’s proposals for McKenzie are a forward thinking, realistic, response to growth in our region. The alternative is ever worsening congestion.
I know which future I prefer.
James Mayer
Victoria
B.C. Ferries no longer wants community input
There is context for B.C. Ferries’ sudden sacking of the ferry advisory committees.
B.C. Ferries is claiming that a new digital system, yet to be designed, will be more inclusive and that elected officials and a survey supported their action. Neither islanders nor the ferry advisory committee members have seen this alleged survey.
Another point of view to consider is that B.C. Ferries is reacting to the failing grade they received from the 13 ferry advisory committees for not collaborating meaningfully to resolve escalating problems.
As a result, B.C. Ferries commissioner Eva Hage, who was appointed by the lieutenant governor and tasked with holding B.C. Ferries accountable, wrote B.C. Ferries a lengthy directive last May instructing the corporation to significantly improve its community engagement activities that were suspended last spring due to a heckler’s outburst at a ferry advisory committee meeting.
In this unequivocal, three-page directive, Hage also emphasized the fundamental significance of the ferry advisory committees in guiding B.C. Ferries decision-making.
However, instead of following her instructions, B.C. Ferries suspended community engagement to the present and then, without discussion or warning, sacked the ferry advisory committees the same day they announced their decision to the public.
How then can we taxpayers and ferry dependent islanders trust that a digital system will be an improvement over an ideal democratic system of problem-solving?
Meanwhile the problems, such as Denman and Hornby Islands being stuck for 10 years with an unreliable cable ferry experiment remain unresolved.
Sharon Small
Denman Island
A way to reduce proposed tax increase
Scrapping the Centennial Square re-design (unnecessary, unpopular and yet one more piece of Victoria history lost) would save the city $7.6 million of the total cost of $11.2 million — and the giant sequoia would remain as a northern bookend, matching the one on the legislature grounds.
Save money. Save historically significant square. Save a tree. A good start on reducing the proposed 12.17 per cent property tax rise.
Beverley Bowes
Victoria
Mow that lawn, don’t use chemicals
A very pleasant young man knocked at my front door. He was offering to quote a spring-time weed treatment in my yard.
I am well into re-designing my garden, reducing lawn and emphasizing native plants, to support the insects that live here, and in turn the birds that would no longer exist without those insects to eat.
The pleasant and smiling young man knew little about the weed removal product he would use, but he did explain that it would kill the broad-leaf plants, such as dandelions and clover.
While it’s true that I don’t particularly want dandelions and clover, I do want native plants such as wild strawberries in my lawn.
Our native strawberries are excellent — they support many species of insects, which will support birds — and they make a highly attractive ground cover.
He seemed like a very nice young man. But what he’s selling is harmful. The idea that our lawns should be clean, green carpets of grass, and nothing but grass, has had its day.
A few other plants mixed in with the grass makes a healthier lawn ecosystem beneficial to us all.
Regular mowing is what makes a lawn. Not chemicals.
Ann Tiplady
Victoria
All sorts of services, but not for us
It amazes me that the homeless and street drug addicts are put at the top of the list for a piece of the provincial financial pie. The lowest common denominator wins again.
We the lowly people out here are so sick and tired of seeing the vast amount of money being thrown into that bottomless pit.
The NDP government has been in power for seven years and things have simply become worse and worse.
I live in Port Alberni and am a senior, needing primary care now and then. And guess what? It is almost impossible to get.
Certainly there are no doctors taking patients. Our clinic was just half closed for long periods of time. The hospital wants emergencies only.
And a huge part of the population here are non-drivers or on disability. Those of us who do drive are burdened to chauffeur them all around the mid Island looking for health care.
Meanwhile all kinds of services are constantly cropping up for the lowest common denominator. And mental health? Ain’t that a laugh!
Helen Price
Port Alberni
Go slower so we can all live longer
So if the pedestrian/car collision survival rate for car travel speed is 20% for 50 km/h and 90% for 30 km/h why not shoot for 100% and reduce the speed limits to five or 10 km/h?
Rene Nielsen
Saanich
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