Stale saga
The ongoing saga of the Inn at Westview [“Quick Peak: Derelict Demolition,” June 8] is becoming stale and laughable. Previous City of Powell River councils and the current council have continued to allow the issue to drag on.
A few years ago the demolition cost was approximated at $300,000; now it’s $500,000. Did the city expect the costs would go down? Due to its inaction, the city has exposed taxpayers to possible increased costs due to its failure to address this issue in a timely manner.
According to the Peak article, the property and building assessment is $326,000. I would assume Seaboard Hotels has been paying the taxes on this assessment and has been for a number of years, so it would seem that it wants the property or, if it was not paying its taxes, the city would have put the property up for sale to pay off those unpaid taxes.
Seaboard wants the valuable property, but it appears it wants taxpayers of Powell River to pay for the demolition of the derelict building. If it had any intention of demolishing the building, it would have offered the city a plan a long time ago.
I am not an accountant, but if the taxes have been paid on this property by the owner, then these taxes are a cost. Given the fact that there are no revenues from this derelict building, then this tax cost cannot be written off against revenues from the property. But, I assume these costs could be written off against revenues from Seaboard’s other businesses. So, in essence, this amounts to a tax write-off. Again, I am not an accountant, but I do know that these types of transactions occur.
City bylaws require that the owner comes up with a plan and present it to the city, not the city having to come up with a plan to suit the owner.
I hope this is the eventual outcome and that this plan, whatever it may be, will not end up costing taxpayers of Powell River hard-earned money.
Allan Drummond
Skeena Street
Self-loathing assassin
The Floridian genocidal massacre of June 12 [“Hate crime” and “Caused by a kiss,” June 15] was committed by a self-loathing assassin, not a generic hater of persons.
This auto contempt is the visceral crux of homophobia. As a young man, I tasted murderous homophobia while a tourist in our national capital, when I was left bleeding, unconscious and for dead under a full moon one night. But through that torment I came to understand an irrefutable truth: homophobia is not a spectator sport, it is player-driven. It is the act of holding up a mirror and screaming at the reflection.
In the year I’ve resided here, I’ve discovered Powell River to be rich in xenophobic tendencies and not at all reticent about its homophobic go-to defaults. Whereabouts, churchy folk are particularly squeamish (organized religion being homophobia’s ugly stepsister). Except ironically, my pen won’t allow me to use the words “enlightened” and “Powell River” in the same sentence.
At the core of the human condition is ineffable mystery, sexuality its incarnate manifestation. Bestowing labels serves no purpose, for, whatever we may be in our deepest selves cannot be captured in one convenient slogan, catchphrase or political term.
As a species of intellect our collective mandate ought be to investigate why one man’s core can cause him to respond by destroying innocent other human life. Ultimately, our entire society is implicated in this crime.
Isn’t hatred directed at self public health issue number one? I believe it is. A little homophobia goes a long way. I salute the martyrs of Orlando.
Réal Saint Laurent
Powell River
Love is love
As a pastor of a Christian faith community, there is nothing more appalling to me than when a religion that is all about loving one another is interpreted for the purposes of hate.
The gunman in Orlando [“Hate crime” and “Caused by a kiss,” June 15] may have been Islam, which means “peace,” but he grew up in a culture that said it was okay to hate people who were gay, a teaching unfortunately supported by many who call themselves Christian.
I want it known, unequivocally, that I am part of a Christian faith tradition that embraces all people, that does not condemn for any reason, including sexual orientation.
I stand with my sisters and brothers who identify as LGBTQ+ and I call upon all people to do the same. For love is love is love is love is love.
May the victims of Orlando rest in peace. And may we learn to live in peace.
Reverend Brenda Nestegaard Paul
Faith Lutheran Church
