Letters

CRD’s severe weather claim is blown away by history and science.

Metathesiophobia – a phobia that causes people to avoid changing their circumstances due to being extremely afraid of the unknown – seems to rule Sidney’s community planning process. In their most recent meeting, seemingly with an eye on their re-election prospects and certainly not the future, Sidney council gutted two really forward-looking elements of their draft OCP.

The two recent articles, ‘Victoria has lowest fertility rate in Canada’ and ‘CRD chair blames lack of affordable housing for low fertility rate,’ missed a crucial factor in why fertility rates might be low in Victoria.

At one time I thought Premier John Horgan was good for B.C., however, when he stated Highway 14 was a bad road I thought he may have lost it. There really are no bad roads, it is the lawbreakers that are what’s bad on a road.

I would like to point out with regards to changes in downtown Sidney, the previous council approved development permits for the high-rises being built, not the present council. At the next municipal election, remember to not elect pro-development candidates. The charm of a seaside town has about disappeared.

How ironic that B.C.’s premier announces his government will be spending an estimated $789 million of taxpayer dollars to replace a 54-year-old complex which currently houses the Royal BC Museum and the next day he is suggesting to the same people that they try not to use their cars or if possible ask a friend to give them a ride in order to save money on gasoline.

I write in response to a letter written by Ron Baker, “Don’t blame the current council for development disruptions,” published in the May 12 Peninsula News Review insofar as it references densification and construction disruption in Sidney.

We were appalled with hearing how much the government is going to spend on the Royal B.C. Museum. We need doctors, nurses and to have our clinics open again. Doctors are very underpaid and very important to the people of B.C.

Please don’t take the collective anger over the extensive development in downtown Sidney to the ballot box in October. The noise, disruptions and never-ending inconveniences we have had to endure do not belong at the feet of the present council.

The current report from our dutiful MLA Murray Rankin and a ranking cabinet minister confirms why we make no progress on the issues that most plague our community. I quote: my top priority is building a province where our children and grandchildren can thrive and to protect our B.C. forests.