High-speed craft – Dave Loveluck, Serendipity Road
May I suggest that the brothers developing this craft make themselves aware of the design of the first operational hovercraft, the SR.N-1 (Saunders-Roe Nautical) [“High-speed water craft shows real potential,” August 7]. This craft was developed by Saunders-Roe and Christopher Cockerell (the man generally credited with inventing the hovercraft).
For its first year, it operated on a single lift/propulsion engine. It was only when SR wanted to increase its forward speed that an additional engine was mounted. If you want to check, I am sure you can find information confirming my statements on the Internet. So the idea of using combined lift/propulsion goes back to 1959, some 54 years ago.
With regard to the design of the craft, it is similar to what is called a side-wall hovercraft, sometimes called a Surface Effect Ship (SES). The major differences being the drive and that it is a trimaran and not a catamaran. Once again, apart from the drive, not a new concept. I would be interested to learn of the craft’s performance using the proposed drive mechanism, the United States Navy’s SES craft use water-jet power to achieve their speed.
I used to work for the company that owned Saunders Roe. I was an original member of the Hover Club of Great Britain.
Staff increases – Jack M. Russell, Highway 101
I was both amazed and appalled to read the article in last Wednesday’s Powell River Peak entitled “Regional district pay jumps” [August 7].
I’m aware that Frances Ladret was a very competent person, but surely not to the degree that she needed to be replaced by four people?
The number of employees who received over $75,000 per annum jumped from three to six in one year. The wage bill increased by 22 per cent in one year from $846,000 to $1,032,000.
Have the directors lost touch with reality in these times of frugality? This in a regional district with no by-laws to enforce?
Wage increases – Stephanie Cadieux, Minister of Children and Family Development
In the recent provincial election, British Columbians gave the BC government a mandate to control spending and balance the budget. Like other sectors, wage increases in the social sector are being managed within the cooperative gains framework which provides public sector employers the ability to negotiate modest wage increases within existing budgets [“Province shorts agencies on wage increase,” August 7].
The ministry of children and family development has committed to working with agencies on achieving wage increases without any reduction in services. I commend the Community Social Services Employers’ Association and Community Social Services Bargaining Association on coming to an agreement within the cooperative gains framework.
The ministry recognizes and values the tremendous work being done every day through agencies across the social services sector. This is a large sector that provides a range of vital services to thousands of British Columbians. Employees in the sector deserve the wage increases the new collective agreement provides.
Any agencies having difficulty funding negotiated wage increases are encouraged to contact their ministry of children and family development community service manager.
My ministry is committed to supporting vulnerable children and families in BC and delivering the critical, frontline services they need. A balanced budget contributes to a strong economy which helps ensure services remain sustainable and available to the children and families who need them.
Texada marketing – Bob Timms, President, Tourism Powell River, Texada Island
We welcome the opportunity to speak to the issue raised by Linda Holmes’ letter [“Missing out Texada,” July 31]. In the past the perception by many Texadans about being left out may have had some merit but the situation has changed dramatically over the past decade or so.
Texada Island has been represented at the board levels of both Tourism Powell River (TPR) and Sunshine Coast Tourism (SCT) for many years.
TPR staff and board of directors are responsible for ensuring Texada is on the new recreation regional map and is mentioned in most regional publications, as is Savary Island and Lund.
Since I am a Texadan, I have had the privilege to represent the island at most meetings and functions and have felt nothing but respect and welcome from my peers.
Texada businesses that are members of TPR are automatically members of SCT and have listings on their websites and access to many marketing opportunities.
For several years, we have participated in familiarization tours of Texada for summer staff, who have been toured around in the Texada Inn van on many occasions.
There is a Travel Ambassador Program on BC Ferries where summer staff distribute all the brochures and maps including Texada.
All Texada member businesses have their brochures on display at the Visitors’ Centre.
We hand out a Texada Island brochure.
We guide visitors with transportation information for the ferry and the public transit to Texada.
We promote Texada to many publications (i.e. Pacific Yachting, British Columbia Magazine) and also through our very active social media channels (Facebook, Twitter), and this spring at the Vancouver Outdoor Show.
We sent photos to Global TV for their Texada Island feature.
Texada Island is being included in the marketing strategies of both TPR and SCT, however, marketing does not come free and funding is always an issue. Anyone who needs information about the marketing of their area is welcome to contact TPR at 604.485.4000 or myself at 604.486.0274 and we would be happy to relay all that is going on to market this beautiful region, including Texada Island.
Responsive service – Bob Burnside, Columbia Street
This past week my wife and I had the pleasure of taking nine 14-year-old kids to Shelter Point on Texada Island. We spent six days camping at Powell River Regional District campground at Shelter Point, probably the prettiest location on BC’s south coast.
On day two of our trip, one of the kids reacted adversely to ingesting a food product containing pecans. The person in question has a severe allergy to nuts and seeds.
My wife got the girl into the car and was assisted by another of the attending group and headed for Gillies Bay. The medical clinic was closed for the evening. My wife spotted a RCMP officer, quickly described the situation, the officer contacted 911, an ambulance was dispatched. The officer contacted BC Ferries. The crew was shutting down for the night, having made their last run. The young girl was transported to Blubber Bay, followed by my wife in her vehicle and the RCMP officer. BC Ferries made a special run to Westview with only the ambulance and my wife’s vehicle on board [“Ferry service remains at current level,” April 17].
Upon arrival in Westview, the ambulance took the girl and my wife to Powell River General Hospital where a physician and nursing staff were on standby, having been alerted of the emergency.
My wife and I would like to express our appreciation to the RCMP, BC Ambulance Service, BC Ferries and Powell River General Hospital. The girl is now in good health. My wife said that all the people who assisted were courteous, caring and professional in their contribution of help. On behalf of the girl involved, my wife and her friends who were attending the camp, I would like to say how grateful we all are for the outstanding work.
Remembering Dieppe – Charlie Tatham, Fairmont Street
Dieppe, August 19, 1942 [“We all pay for freedom,” November 9, 2011].
A year later, on August 19, 1943, the New York Times said in an editorial: “Men afoot and men in tanks were exposed to a fire that no valour could withstand. Hundreds of them went as far as they could and died, but these deaths achieved nothing except to prove what was already known—the high quality of the Canadian troops and of the small units of [other nations] who accompanied them. Someday there will be two spots on the French coast sacred to the British and their allies. One will be Dunkirk, where Britain was saved because a beaten army would not surrender. The other will be Dieppe, where brave men died without hope for the sake of proving that there is a wrong way to invade. They will have their share of the glory when the right way is tried.”
As one commentator said, “The Second Division pays a terrible price to show how not to launch an invasion.”
Long after the war, Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery said in a CBC interview, “I’ve never been happy about this very difficult operation being done by such inexperienced commanders and troops. Bravery is no substitute for battle experience.”
Dieppe. It was the story of the bloodiest nine hours in Canadian military history, a battle whose purpose and worth are still questioned.
Remember our comrades.
