Pay attention in school zones
I’m writing as a parent to remind everyone of the importance of paying attention and having patience when driving around our schools [“Time to slow down,” September 8, 2010].
March 29 was a grey, rainy day and there was a lot of vehicle traffic as well as children and parents scurrying around in a hurry to get back to their vehicles and out of the lousy weather. I was one of those parents at Grief Point Elementary School. As I crossed the crosswalk with the crossing guard standing there with her sign out, I was almost hit.
The driver was waiting for an opening to pull out onto Joyce Avenue and not paying attention to the fact that the crossing guard had come out onto the crosswalk or that someone was also crossing the road. At the last minute, he saw me and slammed on the brakes. The crossing guard commented after that she thought I was a goner.
The scariest part of this story is that if I had been a child, the driver likely wouldn’t have seen me at all and this would have been a very tragic story.
Staff at our schools constantly remind children to be careful on their way to and from school. However, as drivers we have a duty to be vigilant around schools, parks and crosswalks where children are known to gather and play. Children are children, after all, and are very excited to see their friends after school and head home. They aren’t always paying the careful attention we would like them to.
We all have busy lives, places we need to go and appointments we need to make. It all pales in importance to the prospect of injuring or killing someone because of it. Next time you’re speeding through a school zone or feeling snarky with a volunteer crossing guard, think of what you’d be feeling facing the parents of a child whose life you have ended.
Aaron Reid
Tahsis Street
Myth is just a myth
In the next nine months we are going to have two elections for sure and possibly a third [“Voters head to the polls in May,” March 30]. And in those months we are going to hear a lot of rhetoric, among other things, about who is financing whom and just how much. So I did a little searching on the “blogisphere” to see what information I could come up with.
As an avid reader of Norman Farrell’s blog, I would like to repeat what he wrote on March 10, 2011.
“In the year 2008/2009 the BC Liberals received $20 million in donations. Here is the break down of where it came from:
“Individual annual donations under $250 equaled 4.6 per cent; larger annual donations over $250 equaled 95 per cent. Of that 95 per cent, 75 per cent came from large corporations and many of the donations were in five to six figures.
“Conversely the New Democratic Party received, in the same time period, $9.6 million, and is broken down thusly:
Individual annual donations under $250 equaled 31 per cent; larger donations over $250 equaled 70 per cent. Of the 70 per cent, 28 per cent was donated by trade unions.”
So as one can see, very little union money went to political parties of any stripe. So there goes that myth.
If readers would like to see the whole article, they can do so by going to http://northerninsights.blogspot.com.
Another good political blog is by Alex G Tsakumis at http://alexgtsakumis.com.
As you can see by the above figures large corporations are buying one type and style of government.
As a side note, these figures on Norman Farrell’s blog are from Elections BC so they are in fact, just that, factual.
I guess my point is this. By looking at the above figures and seeing the discrepancy in the monies donated to political parties and where the monies come from, and the influence that monies buy, I wonder if we are not heading down the road to a plutocracy rather than a democracy?
Bruce Lyster
Manson Avenue
OCP is a sham
Democracy is under attack in Powell River Regional District Area B south of town [“Residents ask for investigation,” March 30]. I have attended several OCP (official community plan) meetings over the last few months and it seems that the whole adventure with the OCP is nothing more than a process to recognize businesses that establish operations that are inconsistent with OCP designations.
Let me explain.
A heavy industry, let’s say a concrete plant, sawmill or asphalt plant is established on that nice bit of rural-residential property near your home. Keep in mind these operations on “Rural Residential” land are inconsistent with the OCP. These businesses then need to borrow money against or perhaps even sell, however the banks and buyers shun the deal as there is too much risk attached to these inconsistent properties.
Fortunately this business is owned and operated by some of the “old boys” and a call goes into the regional district for a helping hand. No public notifications are published to alert neighbours and yet a deal is done. Your quiet piece of rural residential paradise is now home to a “conforming” Heavy Industrial site. The industrialists can now borrow against and or sell their conforming heavy industrial sites for a huge financial gain, and the rural residential ambience is lost forever. Keep in mind this can happen to anyone, anywhere in the regional district. Now you are living with the noise, smell, dust and water problems that come with these industrial wastelands.
Our representatives, Colin Palmer, director for Area C and Stan Gisborne, director for Area B, like to throw up a smokescreen by waving copies of extreme zoning rules from other parts of BC in our faces. These redesignations have nothing to do with zoning and have everything to do with taking care of the old boys by recognizing these inconsistent uses. We don’t need zoning laws; we do however need some regional directors who have the taxpayer’s best interest in mind.
There are elections coming up in November this year. Surely there is somebody who can better represent the voters. There are many voters in area B who will also be there for that person, come November.
Brock Davidson
Southill Acres
Natural site for library
Concerning the site for the new Powell River Public Library, having read Glenn Nelles’ remarks [“Accessibility key to library location,” April 6], I must say I’m in total agreement with his rejection of the old arena site. We don’t need another building to obstruct our view of our beautiful waterfront. Nelles’ suggestion that we save this area for community multiple activity is right on.
Having said this, I would like to suggest a site that I think would be ideal. However, this property may not be readily available. But, I think it would be worth a try.
The best possible spot for the library, in my opinion, is the upper parking lot of Powell River Town Centre Mall, which is mostly unused. This area, which borders Alberni Street, has good bus service that stops at the north end of the mall. This would enable seniors to do their shopping and tend to their library needs in one swell swoop, saving them bus fare as well, which is important with the rising cost of everything these days. The location next to the RCMP station means library-goers would have to cross Barnet Street if they wanted to do shopping.
If the owners of the mall were approached, maybe they would see the benefits of the library creating more shopping activity for the mall and could consider selling the site at a reasonable price.
In which case, it might lend more credence to the term “town centre.”
Ed Augustine
Georgia Crescent
Looking after one another
I had to share my thoughts regarding the April 6 protest at Tla’Amin (Sliammon) First Nation’s Community Health Services [“Protests prevent accreditation,” April 13]. I am one of many community members who appreciate the many services that Tla’Amin Health offers. Tailoring an array of programs, that balance cultural sensitivity and meet funding requirements, is no small task. We have a volunteer board and over 40 staff and contractors who work for health in administration, counselling, home and community support, nursing, medical, dental, child development and daycare. Out of those 40 people, just over 75 per cent are first nations, which is something to be proud of. Tla’Amin has other members who are currently in post-secondary or successfully employed in the medical field working hard to get valuable certification and experience to help us in the future.
Tla’Amin Health has very specific guidelines to prioritize budgets, ensure policies are followed and reporting requirements met. Unfortunately, staff also has the unpleasant task of denying requests that do not fit specified criteria; just like anywhere else, budgets are targeted to very specific deliverables by funding agencies. Tla’Amin Health is also responsible for delivering services of a very personal nature regarding the emotional, mental, physical and spiritual well-being of its clients.
We must find ways to share ideas in positive ways that don’t create division. Transparency and fairness are crucial and we look forward to the results of the independent assessment and accreditation process being conducted. We hope this delay won’t affect future funding and program expansion people have worked hard to obtain. We can only do the best we can with what we have and learn from mistakes along the way. There are legal confidentiality issues that prevent speaking about specific cases, but this is a modern reality that we all must accept.
We are fortunate to have a qualified and compassionate team of staff and volunteers providing a vast array of services for our benefit. As a community, we must honour our teachings and continue looking after one another and ourselves by creating solutions to problems rather than finding problems with solutions.
Dr. Elsie Paul, Elder
Waterfront Road
Setting an example
With regard to the “Mobile cart businesses” Letter to the Editor [April 13], obviously the writer hasn’t eaten the best fries in town while engaging in fun social networking or she wouldn’t be so harsh on these young men.
Has she heard Romeo’s story of how he came to be in Powell River or why he chose to stay and create a business when the reason for coming here fell flat? He could have gone on welfare or left town in a snit complaining about the way things are done here. But no, he got creative.
Does she know what a great inspiration these two men are to other young people who think there is no work in town? They’ve taken a simple concept, and with hard work and persistence built it into something viable. These men have created a point of interest and encouraged more people to stop on Marine Avenue instead of going straight up to a mall.
I would much rather see their carts surrounded by happy faces than an empty lot. If parking is an issue, park elsewhere but don’t rain on someone’s parade who is indeed part of Powell River’s diverse economy. Instead of throwing rotten raspberries, why not sample the wares of these two brave entrepreneurs. You might just enjoy their food and their positive attitudes.
Barb Rees
Duncan Street
