Letters

Why wait to relocate Sir John A. Macdonald?

Mayor Lisa Helps and her council must get out of the homeless crisis. They are destroying our beautiful city. In one month they spent 30 million tax dollars buying and renting hotels.

I am writing to express concern about the possibility of the Oak Bay Lodge being turned into a homeless shelter, temporarily or otherwise.

We are a family of four who live in very close proximity to Oak Bay Lodge. It goes without saying, we have grave concerns about the proposed homeless shelter. Naysayers who say that Oak Bay just doesn’t want it in our own backyard, are looking through rose-coloured classes and ignoring facts.

There have been a number of letters bemoaning the closing of Ocean Boulevard to through traffic. Most of these cite the “online survey” as some form of proof of democratic consensus on the closure. Each of these also mention vehicle traffic as some definitive metric to justify the reopening.

I’d like to address Premier Horgan’s comments regarding those in B.C. whose licence plates show that perhaps they are from elsewhere, and if B.C. citizens are unfairly bothering these people they people should simply take transit to stop from being harassed.

I read with interest your recent story on 95-year-old North Saanich resident Gerry Furstenau who has donated a plot of land near Deep Cove School to the District of North Saanich, and to have it named “Wolfgang Orchard” in honour of his brother. Part of the agreement with the District of North Saanich is the lot is to be preserved in its original state.

Neighbours are very upset with the subdivision application for the Rogers’ farm house on Woodhall Drive as the home and land is on Saanich’s heritage register, built in 1925 but not protected. The application involves cutting Garry oaks and Douglas fir to make room for two additional building lots which will radically change the character of the property and the feeling of the street. The lot is 0.46 acre which will be divided into two strata; the other fee simple.

It seems such a shame that yet another annual event has fallen victim to the COVID-19 pandemic with the cancellation of Ribfest.

Hats off to Langford council for hiring additional bylaw officers to ensure Langford residents and visitors are practicing social distancing and staying in small groups.