A scary introduction for聽space aliens
Wow! Reading the Comment pages the past few days, I had the thought that if aliens landed here, and all they read were the Letters to the Editor, they would 颅conclude that we are governed by a bunch of jackasses.
Norm Morrison
Saanichton
What about your home聽insurance?
Oh please! Would the wonderful residents of Victoria and subscribers of this newspaper occupy themselves with some subject other than Clover Point? Many of us in the rest of this island would be hard-pressed to point out this place on a map let alone find it on the ground.
How about home insurance, for instance? We live in a single-family home in Nanaimo. Our house insurance quote has arrived, the quoted amount has increased 10 per cent since last year and is up 49.6 per cent from the past four years.
We insure with a reputable company and have for many years and receive many discounts. Are others having the same experience?
Richard C. Parsley
Nanaimo
Parking restrictions and聽a village idiot
As most people know, parking is impossible in Victoria now, so why the council is reducing spaces is anyone鈥檚 guess. As the population of Greater Victoria grows we need more parking, not less.
I live in Colwood and enjoy using all the parks, but restricting my access with聽a car is elitist. Do I have to live in聽the neighbourhood to enjoy Clover Point?
Maybe here on the West Shore only residents should use our parks since you are blocking us from using yours.
Don鈥檛 come out to Witty鈥檚. We will tow all non-residents cars.
Of course, that can鈥檛 be done, but that is essentially what you are doing to us. Maybe if we amalgamated, we would not suffer from this village idiot mentality.
Share the parks, selfish people!
Kurt Sproat
Colwood
With the bike lanes, where will they park?
It is challenging to drive a vehicle on Government Street in James Bay because the allowance of street parking, much of which is resident only, narrows the roadway so much that southbound drivers and northbound drivers hold their breath as they barely manage to safely pass each other.
To introduce north/south bike lanes on Government Street north of Dallas Road, be they protected lanes or otherwise, will require the elimination of dozens of resident-only street parking spots.
What does Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps and city council mean when they claim they are seeking public consultation on the matter?
In the end, it will be this: thanks for your input, but like it or lump it, just as with Clover Point, Beacon Hill Park, the never built replacement Crystal Pool, etc.
Trevor Amon
Victoria
Remember our own Alex聽Leatham
The loss of Canada鈥檚 hockey father, 颅Walter Gretzky, reminded me once again of the dedication, passion and enthusiasm volunteer coaches and supportive parents provide for youth in sports.
Gretzky was a well-known hockey ambassador across our nation. Our city has been served by countless women and men supporting athletes in a variety of sports.
One such local name, Alec Leatham, was that figure in arenas; not only in Victoria Minor Hockey, but around 颅91原创 Island. He truly had a love for the game and for the athletes who laced up their skates.
Alec had the ability to make those young athletes feel significant and 颅valued. Alec passed away in November 2002. As with Gretzky, his impact had profound influences on youth, as do so many coaches in our community.
I was most fortunate in my playing days, to be associated with many coaches like Alec.
So in memory of Walter Gretzky, a word of gratitude and appreciation to all coaches and parents for supporting children as they pursue their passion for sports.
Joe Cardle
Oak Bay
Royal Bay school could be a solar panel model
Thanks to Geoff Johnson for illuminating what is possible in 鈥淒esigning schools as living textbooks is not a futuristic dream,鈥� Feb. 28.
School District 62 is in the midst of a building boom, struggling to keep apace population growth on the West Shore.
I hope trustees (and other decision-makers) will not miss the opportunity to make these schools living textbooks for the next generation (such as by implementing renewable energy systems; providing innovative waste and wastewater treatment solutions; planting trees, gardens and designing rainwater catchment systems).
Royal Bay Secondary School (in the centre of what was once a forest, then a gravel pit, and now one of the largest development areas on Southern 91原创 Island) is an ideal location for a model solar panel installation.
All teachers know, actions speak louder than words. Be innovative. Lead by example. And involve students to realize the dream of building, and living, within our planet鈥檚 limits, so that they can have a future.
Karyn Woodland
Colwood
No limit needed when spending our money
Reading about the new $157-million lakeside 鈥渃ampus style鈥� correctional centre planned in Nanaimo, I was shocked to see that there will be 165 staff for 202 inmates.
Is this a prison or a spa!?
Perhaps a better use for this money would be to sell the land and build a larger higher-capacity facility out of town. But then these days it seems no one in government really cares about how much taxpayers鈥� money they are 颅spending.
Leslie Barclay
Nanaimo
Society pays for crime in聽many ways
Re: 鈥淐ampus-style design planned for correctional centre in Nanaimo,鈥� Mar. 5.
The report says that a new correctional centre for 202 inmates at Brannen Lake in Nanaimo will cost $157 million.
It is excessive to spend $777,000 per inmate.
It was stated there would be 颅鈥渙pportunities for inmates to feel as though they are connected to the outdoors and to enjoy water views.鈥�
The cost of crime is high and the 颅taxpayer always pays.
Wayne Cox
Saanichton
Yes, there is a sign on聽the聽Pat Bay Highway
That鈥檚 an interesting conspiracy theory, that there are no 鈥淲elcome to Victoria鈥� signs because cars are unwelcome here.
Either the letter writer hasn鈥檛 actually driven south on Highway 17, or he kept his eyes closed. That鈥檚 a pretty big sign.
Stephen Pierrot
Saanich
Let鈥檚 all be kind to聽the聽health officials
It is a disgrace, and very sad, to hear that Dr. Bonnie Henry and her staff continue to be threatened and harassed by people who don鈥檛 like the COVID-19 restrictions that have to be imposed in order to safeguard the health and life of B.C. residents.
It is hard to imagine the struggle that she and Health Minster Adrian Dix, and their respective staffs, and the medical profession at all levels, face on a daily basis.
I鈥檓 reminded of the old saying: 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 like riding on the railroad, just be glad you鈥檙e not running it.鈥�
I鈥檓 trying to be kinder/more patient than before COVID-19!
Patrick Wesley
Victoria
91原创 seniors unfairly punished
Our government has decided, even though international flights are only responsible for only one per cent of all new cases of COVID-19, to abandon and abolish taxpaying 91原创 citizens from returning to our own country.
If somehow we can return before April 30, even with a negative COVID-19 test result, we will be charged $2,000 per person and forced to isolate for three days before we can go home to isolate for another two weeks.
I wonder what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is doing to the other 99 per cent who are causing the spread by not wearing a mask, not social distancing, going to large gatherings, etc. Odd that we don鈥檛 hear any government strategy to combat the real reason the virus is still spreading.
Spread the news! This is how our Liberal government treats seniors who have worked their whole lives in Canada and have paid taxes their whole life to support 91原创 programs that a majority of 91原创s are benefiting from.
Should we be punished because we are now retired and have saved enough each year for a little holiday 鈥� isn鈥檛 that what we work our whole lives for? A little relaxation time?
Mark Carlow
Victoria
鈥楤uttergate鈥� and the聽dairy market
Re: 鈥淒airy farmers urged to ditch palm as group investigates 鈥榖uttergate,鈥� 鈥� Feb.聽26.
The answer to 鈥渂uttergate鈥� is quite simple: end the 91原创 dairy cartel.
Called 鈥渟upply management,鈥� this was put in place decades ago to protect smaller dairy farmers from wide price swings.
Now, however, dairy farming is a large farm industry that sets its own industry-wide pricing 鈥� hardly fair to consumers 鈥� resulting in retail prices often close to twice that paid in the U.S.
A move to an open market would not only help consumers generally, but producers of butter without palm oil might find a ready market. Ah, the wonders of the free-market system. It鈥檚 past time to try it out.
George Manning
Victoria
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