Orchard House is聽not聽a condominium
Your photo on Wednesday of the under-construction tallest-in-Victoria Hudson Place聽One rental building said in error that the once-tallest Orchard House tower in James Bay is a condominium building.
In fact, our building is a long-term rental or 鈥渓easehold鈥� building. We tenants hold the remaining years of 99-year leases, which sounds great, except that we are not covered by B.C. landlord-tenant law, thanks to previous Liberal governments that favoured developers and investment-property owners.
There are five 鈥渓easehold鈥� buildings in Victoria-Beacon Hill, which is the riding of NDP MLA and Deputy Premier Carole James, plus several dozen more in the Lower Mainland. If our buildings were covered by B.C. condominium or landlord-tenant law, we long-term renters would have some rights and protections such as those enjoyed by Hudson Place renters and all B.C. condo owners. We hope to hear soon聽that the provincial government will be legislating on our behalf.
Gerald Rotering
Victoria
Dropping time changes is聽foolish
Re: 鈥�B.C. government embraces year-round daylight time, plans legislation,鈥� Sept. 11.
I cannot believe that our government would be so foolish as to eliminate the twice-yearly time changes for British Columbia. The closer you are to the equator, the less is the need to change your clocks twice a year.
However, on the west coast of B.C., it is required to balance out the daylight hours year-round. Wait until the complaints from parents begin in late November to January that the kids will be leaving for school in the dark.
Permanent standard time is also not beneficial, as in June and July it will be light out by 4 a.m. The complaint about the loss of one hour of sleep is a joke. Why can鈥檛 these politicians leave a good thing alone and concentrate on more important issues?
Ron Fritz
Qualicum Beach
Solo sailing and unlikely聽collisions
Re: 鈥�Keeping watch 24/7 at sea,鈥� letter, Sept. 11.
Of course 鈥� it would be dreadful if a boat on the open ocean bumped into another boat while the solo skipper was grabbing a few minutes鈥� shuteye. Real life 鈥� and technology via radar, AIS (Automatic Identification System) and all the rest, plus the relative emptiness of the ocean 鈥� make the chances of that happening well-nigh impossible.
The letter-writer might reflect on round-the-world sailor Jeanne Socrates鈥� enormous courage and the infinite planning needed to successfully sail these long solo voyages, and perhaps ask whether 91原创s (who once were similar pioneers ashore) still don鈥檛 need the same spirit of exploration 鈥� never without risk 鈥� in these increasingly worrisome times.
Ian Laval
(A fellow ocean soloist)
Brentwood Bay
Getting politicians to聽listen more
Re: 鈥�Less talk, more listening for federal election candidates,鈥� column, Sept. 10.
It is deeply concerning how Canada鈥檚 political parties seem mainly to focus on 鈥渢alk,鈥� rather than on being responsive to needs and concerns of constituents and communities. So it鈥檚 exciting to learn that the City of Victoria, the Chamber of Commerce and this paper want to strengthen democracy by making listening a priority.
As a supporter of local Green candidates, I鈥檓 happy to share our enthusiasm for what we call a 鈥渓istening campaign.鈥� We鈥檝e seen how a willingness to listen can help us all learn from each other and work together for the common good.
We鈥檝e also seen how strong party discipline, in the form of 鈥渨hipping鈥� votes, where elected representatives are told how to vote by party officials, undermines democracy. Green MPs are asked to represent and work for, not just those who voted for them, but all their constituents, hopefully even those who don鈥檛 have a vote 鈥� future generations and non-human life.
Jan Slakov
Salt Spring Island
Real change starts with聽real conversation
Re: 鈥�Less talk, more listening for federal election candidates,鈥� column, Sept. 10.
I empathize with Jack Knox鈥檚 abhorrence of campaign literature and the talking points that political parties bombard us with. However, there is an exception.
In Elizabeth May鈥檚 Saanich-Gulf Islands electoral district, this doesn鈥檛 happen. When May and her volunteers canvass they employ a 鈥渓istening campaign.鈥� After introducing themselves, the volunteer canvassers ask the householder if they have any issues or problems they would like their MP to know about.
Volunteers do not ask, or record who the voter is supporting as they consider this to be a private matter between the voter and the ballot box. Instead of the usual literature that ends up in a recycling box, canvassers offer a usable book mark and directions to a website for further information.
As the MP for Saanich-Gulf Islands, May holds town-hall meetings twice a year in nine locations. In addition, as leader of the Green Party she has travelled to all provinces and territories on a Community Matters Tour where she asks 91原创s to share their priorities, concerns, and visions for Canada鈥檚 future.
As May says, 鈥淩eal change starts with real conversation.鈥�
Shelagh Levey
Cordova Bay
In search of less-violent聽phrases
During the run-up to this election, can we please stop 鈥渉olding politician鈥檚 feet to the fire鈥� and 鈥渒illing two birds with one stone鈥�?
It might be helpful if we were to speak in a less violent way. Any clever ideas?
Thelma Fayle
Victoria
Turn on school bus flashing lights
Re: 鈥�Cameras on school buses aim to catch drivers passing illegally,鈥� Sept. 11.
As a former school bus driver in Ontario, I聽can fully understand the angst of the drivers seeing vehicles ignore their flashing lights.
However, part of the problem is that many school bus drivers try to keep traffic flowing by pulling over with only their turn signal on.
Having lived in Campbell River for over 15 years and travelled up and down the Island, I have yet to see a school bus use their red lights and stop arm. The unintended consequence is we have trained traffic to assume it is all right to pass.
It only takes a few seconds to load or discharge the kids. Their safety in paramount. Get those lights on!
Brian Caldwell
Campbell River
Policing costs need聽to聽be聽shared
Re: 鈥�Region shouldn鈥檛 pay for Victoria鈥檚 policing costs,鈥� letter, Sept. 10.
The taxpayers of Victoria and Esquimalt (as well as Saanich, Oak Bay, Central Saanich) pay 100 per cent of their policing costs.
The province provides police services to small municipalities (those with populations under 5,000, like Metchosin) and only collects a small police tax, which does not reflect the true costs of policing those municipalities.
The difference between what small municiplities pay (the police tax) and the real cost of policing those same municipalities is, in fact, a provincial subsidy.
In 2017, Metchosin paid $191,088 to the province for RCMP services received by their 4,708 residents. In fact, taxpayers in Victoria (and other municipalities with their own independent police departments) subsidize the cost of policing these small municipalities through various provincial taxes.
In 2017, Metchosin paid only $40.59 per聽capita for RCMP services. By way of example, View Royal, which is also policed by the RCMP, paid $165, while Victoria and Esquimalt paid $510 per capita (representing over 23 per cent of their combined operational expenditures).
All residents of Greater Victoria benefit from effective policing of the region鈥檚 central business district.
A regional police force would provide consistent services and apportion costs across the region.
Colin Nielsen
Oak Bay
Send us your letters
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鈥� Mail: Letters to the editor, Times 91原创, 2621聽Douglas St., Victoria, B.C. V8T 4M2.
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