91Ô­´´

Good Samaritans in Victoria

I am a disabled veteran and get about on my mobility scooter. On Friday morning in James Bay, I ventured out on my scooter to go to the grocery store. At one spot, I got stuck on ice and snow on Michigan Street.

Two people came by and pushed me out and back on the clear path. Their actions were highly appreciated. It is all about Victoria folks helping each other in times of need.

Roger Cyr

Victoria

Scotiabank Hockey Day was inspiring

Hats off to the organizers, volunteers and Scotiabank for giving all of us one of the best weekends I have spent in Victoria!

Thanks to the television coverage starting Saturday morning I learned what an important role our city’s citizenry played in the game starting more than 110 years ago, and thereafter a steady diet of hockey legends, local families like the Pettingers, Benns and Courtnalls who have excelled in different facets of the game and, in the background, kids of all ages skating at Ship Point.

My highlights included local chiefs and the welcoming of the canoes, the joy and excitement exhibited by everyone who came in contact with Lord Stanley’s Chalice, the relaxed and insightful comments of all those interviewed — from kids to hockey legends and a day of positivity caused by the love of a game.

And thank you for introducing us all to Helen Edwards (no relation). I have ordered her book on the history of hockey in Victoria and I am researching her other offerings on our fair city!

The day went by seemingly without a hitch, which speaks volumes about the organizers and volunteers. And thank you to the all the sponsors, including Scotiabank, for bringing such joy to all of us.

Rob Edwards

Victoria

More pocket parks will help the climate

Re: “Victoria to look at creating more car-free zones and plazas,” Jan. 19.

Victoria Coun. Krista Loughton is correct that in addition to the social benefits of creating pocket parks and plazas, they can “do a lot for climate action.” But one or two nice plazas won’t do much for meeting Victoria’s climate and traffic safety targets.

Many other cities have scaled up these types of interventions to significantly reduce greenhouse gas pollution from transportation, as well as greatly improving livability, safety, and health.

Decades ago, road space reallocation at Fernwood Square, Gower Park, Haegert Park and Queens Park (George Jay School) created a small, low-traffic neighbourhood in Fernwood.

With low-cost temporary materials, many low-traffic neighbourhoods can be quickly trialed — and they are usually very popular.

Low-traffic neighbourhoods are essential for meeting the City’s “Go Victoria” targets for reducing “average vehicle kilometres travelled per household” and eliminating “traffic fatalities and severe injuries.” B.C.’s CleanBC target of reducing car traffic 25% by 2030 is even more ambitious than the city’s.

Five years ago, the city declared a climate emergency, recognizing that previous climate action efforts were insufficient. We are deeper in that emergency now and need a lot of delightful pocket parks to meet our climate targets.

Eric Doherty and Jane Welton

Climate Justice Team Co-leads

Greater Victoria Acting Together

If parks are important, what about Pollen one?

The idea of more urban park space is admirable, especially in the midst of massive densification of our urban core. The scale seems much too small, but maybe something is better than nothing.

That said, we had a lovely park on the Inner Harbour, full of trees and very beautiful, now called Peter Pollen Park, proudly announced by the former mayor, that has for years remained nothing more than an abandoned field since it was rehabilitated by the federal government and handed over to the city in 2018.

It is the gateway to the city, used by many every day even in its sad state but the city keeps pushing it down the priority list to completing. Why?

Chris Lovelace

Victoria

Convert a parking lot to a playground

A park and playground on a main traffic artery poses many questions!

First, we have been fed that in Victoria, a shortage of housing is a major problem. Second, the two lots on Blanshard Street are small and will create a very small space for playground and park once the protective fences go up to protect kids from running into traffic.

I agree that we need such green spaces, but there are properties in the area where a park may be more suitable. You do not have to spend $11 million to demolish existing buildings that may be better served re-purposed.

For example, the parking lots already owned by the city around the arena would probably be better suited as park and be safer.

Where would the existing parking go? The new purchase could have two- or three-storey parking replacing the lost spaces at the arena lots and generating income plus additional floors of additional housing that we are in such an urgent need for.

As for the park I would think the existing arena lots would be in the same close proximity and provide for a better green space close to the pool and larger athletic park across Quadra Street to the east of the arena.

I believe more thought and input is required.

Jeff Woodburn

Victoria

We need housing, not another park

It is ironic that the City of Victoria is to use the lots of Romeo’s and Urbana Kitchens, and their parking lots, to build a park at a cost of $11 million.

Where are their priorities? We need to deal with our housing crisis and are yet to be reconciled by governments at all levels of the spectrum.

We do not need more parks. Our magnificent views of our oceans everywhere in British Columbia gives more pleasure than we could possibly hope for, but in retrospect, our housing crisis to build on spare land must first be addressed.

Victoria council has it all wrong.

Caroline E. Whitehead

Sidney

Kitchen and washrooms should be retained

Victoria council has spent $11 million and will spend countless more ripping down a relatively new building with infrastructure such as toilets and a kitchen.

There are many green spaces, albeit occupied by street people. Would this space be any different? Thousands more could be spent on remediation.

One solution: daytime could be used to feed, yes, the homeless but also some elderly and working poor who pay taxes and high rents yet can’t put food on their tables.

Nighttime could see those who sleep rough (we need more warming stations). They would be safe, warm with bathroom access.

Outside: three parking spaces for volunteers (they should not have to pay exorbitant parking fees), a six-foot solid fence around tenters so tents can stay assembled with no fear of them being taken away.

They could have a cot so not sleeping on pavement (easier to clean) and they would also have access to bathrooms. (Destruction of building, tents and pavement kept from landfill).

These are your tax dollars yet you’ve not been asked how you want them spent.

Marie Logan

Central Saanich

Sports equipment not a council matter

The writer of the recent letter “North Saanich in a pickle” has not kept up to date on the latest research and approach to sound attenuation in the fine sport of pickleball.

This sport on fire does come with a sound. And, across the continent, efforts are being made.

These are based on research, data, and support for a game that is played in our region predominantly by women over the age of 55 who seek healthy active affordable play.

The data states that using sound attenuation panels and geo technical berms will reduce the sound of pickleball to tennis levels. One does not need to go far in our region to find examples of this.

Unfortunately, North Saanich council appears to have barricaded themselves into the kitchen behind perhaps a cast iron stove and is not making informed decisions but rather on “my friend told me” decision-making. Surely, taxpaying residents want better from their elected officials.

For the record, the Victoria Regional Pickleball Association has contributed dollars towards sound attenuation panels in our region and we offer the same to North Saanich, which has not responded. Instead, they have taken the uninformed decision to force players to use an unregulated ball.

When has it become OK for local governments to involve themselves in what sport equipment to be used?

Finally, the letter encourages North Saanich to play hard ball. Picklers play with a hard ball, and they know how to hit and play hard and so it will be in North Saanich.

Connie McCann

President

Victoria Regional Pickleball Association

What is a bollard? And why would we care?

OMG, with everything going on in our city, province, nation and the world, why are letters about bollards appearing so frequently in the paper?

Who cares? Let’s talk about some real issues please!

Richard Smith

Saanichton

Bollards: How not to make decisions

When it comes to the issue of elected officials making reasoned decisions, the brouhaha about bollards on Saanich bicycle and walking trails is a perfect case study.

On the one hand, Saanich council has unanimously endorsed asking the Capital Regional District to remove the bollards because they “could” pose a risk to cyclists. On the other hand, the council acknowledges there is little data documenting incidents of cyclists or others colliding with bollards.

Said body reportedly plans to ask the CRD to start collecting the data as, in the words of one councillor, “having some data will help justify the removal.”

Surely, systematically assessing the frequency of incidents between cyclists and bollards before making a rush to judgment on the matter is the better way to go.

Hannah Wells

Cordova Bay

Lack of leadership about dogs and leashes

Two dogs killed after attacking sheep on a farm. Two dogs fall through ice at the lake, one drowning.

Dogs harass and attack wildlife on beaches daily. Dogs harass and attack wildlife in parks and neighbourhoods daily.

Dogs lost or at large frequently. Dogs attack or injure people, cats, and other dogs regularly.

The common denominator between almost every one of these events is that the dogs are off-leash. A dog that is off-leash is not under control and is a threat to themselves and everyone else.

While there will be a strong response from the dog community for the two dogs killed, they probably could care less about the sheep that these dogs brutalized.

This double standard for life blinds people to the damage that their off-leash dogs do daily.

Where is the political response? Well, hopefully you don’t live in Saanich where council can’t even pass basic off-leash bylaws without a fervent opposition to responsible pet policy attacking them, like the dogs no less, into making things worse.

Communities across Canada and the United States have strong off-leash bylaws to protect the environment, people, and other dogs from this kind of unnecessary recklessness.

On the Island, though, it seems people are too dog-obsessed to take their responsibilities seriously and politicians are too scared of the dog-obsessed people to take their jobs of protecting the public, wildlife and the environment seriously.

All that leaves us with is a community going to the dogs, chasing its tail with no leadership.

Joanne Wittgen

Saanich

Premiers Clark, Horgan: Thanks for Site C

It has been widely reported that due to climate change, Canada will face serious power shortage for years to come.

Now is the time to congratulate former premier Christy Clark for her foresight and leadership in pushing the Site C Dam project “past the point of no return.”

Also, kudos to former premier John Horgan for not reversing her decision, despite the objections of so many.

Ed Lien

Victoria

Legislation, priorities cause homelessness

After working full-time in education and non-profits for 35 years and volunteering in my community my whole life, disability supports offer me $1,000-$1,500 a month to live on (only the higher sum if one has housing).

A living wage in B.C. is about $25 an hour or $42,000 a year for one person to cover the basic necessities of life.

Interesting predicament, not earning enough from programs I paid into to be approved for a private rental while being told by B.C. Housing and Emergency Shelters, there is no space and an indefinite wait.

Several decades of underfunding/ignoring social housing and allowing social safety nets/services to erode has caused the homeless problem provinces face. There are no options when the federal and provincial governments deem your life worth about 20-35 per cent of a living wage, and inflation has made life too costly for all but the rich. You live in a camper or tent, or on the street.

Meanwhile, with inflation, the number of senior and disabled low-income earners in Canada is growing rapidly, and no matter where they live, housing is unattainable and subsidized shelter is non-existent.

Nobody wants a handout but everyone wants safe shelter and their lives to be valued.

Any social economist will tell you, the savings in social services and health care earned by housing these groups will more than cover the cost of allowing this problem to persist and grow.

Jennifer Heinrichs

Victoria

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