BC fare-ease
Oh, the irony. Service cuts to commence April 1, 2014 [“BC slashes ferry sailings,” November 13]. Just in time for, wait for it, another hike in fares. This is no April Fool’s Day joke. However, those of us who are held hostage by the privately operated Crown corporation (oxymoron?) are being played like fools.
Here are my suggestions:
Management positions go from 300 to 150. If the survivors who retain their positions cannot handle the workload, then they will be replaced by someone who can.
BC Ferries’ vacations campaign comes to an end. Pricey real estate and television commercials are not cheap.
Finally, a freeze in fare hikes. Too many people are bleeding out and there are no more drops left to extract.
Factor in the economic losses to the province over 6,900 fewer sailings and those numbers will extrapolate to a sum far greater than $19 million.
Steve Perkins
Blair Road, Texada Island
Memories of Squatter’s Creek
I lived on Redonda Avenue in 1972, and always walked through to Duncan Street to Speed and Stan Toyota. Squatter’s Creek was brought forward when Sis Wilcox was on City of Powell River council [“Council seeks more information on lot,” November 20].
I remember the smell of rotten garbage behind Adams Concrete and across Duncan where the old city bus garage was built.
When Speed and Stan Toyota shop was there, there were holes drilled in the back through the concrete to let the methane gas escape. I was there getting my car fixed when that was happening.
I know Max Cameron Secondary School was built on a floating slab because of the landfill. The soccer field was always leaching methane and was wet and sloshy. It was never a good field.
The entire stretch between Animal World and the corner of Duncan and Joyce Avenue should be checked before any development takes place.
As a long-time resident of Powell River, I remember a lot about that area and played soccer on the Max Cameron field.
Clifford Lang
Squamish, BC
Soiling the nest
Alberta oil should be refined in the oil sands area. Keep all the mess in one spot. If that’s not practical then build the new pipelines down the existing utility corridor that goes from the WAC Bennett Dam to the Lower Mainland. This would despoil less of our northern wilderness, and more of the population could share in all the great spinoffs [“Pipeline concerns,” April 11, 2012].
If there’s a big oil spill around Point Grey or West Vancouver, those areas are already environmentally degraded and besides, there will be more people to help with the cleanup.
Ted Crossley
Hammond Street
Ferry consultation
While BC Ferries is getting lots of well-deserved flack over proposed service cutbacks, the company deserves some kudos for the thorough and thoughtful way problems from the upcoming ferry terminal closures have been mitigated for Texada Islanders [“Public welcomes alternative service,” December 4]. Ferries staff have worked hard to ensure the closures are as painless as possible and this is appreciated.
Sandy McCormick
Texada Island
Seawalk trees
I appreciate the crews who maintain the seawalk. My dog and I love this walk, a special treat in any kind of weather.
But, and this is a big one, it hurts that every time we walk this walk, we see more stumps and piles of sawdust where majestic trees once stood [“Leave nature alone,” November 27]. There are fewer wee birds to entertain us with their twittering and flitting about.
I disagree with Pauline Robinson’s tongue-in-cheek comment about hoping that the people who initiated this carnage will “feel proud of themselves.” My hope is that they will seriously regret their decision and not cut down any more trees. I’m unhappy to see that there are still a few ribbons indicating the locations of more planned cuts.
Vi Isaac
Borden Place
If it were only $19
I write in response to Powell River Public Library trustee Rob Arnstein’s letter [“Taxes in Perspective,” November 20]. The board of trustees, while monitoring the current services and developing plans for a new library, have neglected their responsibility for library fiscal accountability.
The board has not included in our projected tax bill the increased annual operating cost which in itself will exceed $19. Nor has the board justified the 11.7 per cent overall increases in operating costs in this year’s budget (2012 actual versus 2013 budget) nor the fact that the new unique library design will cost $600 per square foot as compared to $300 per square foot for the new Westview Elementary School.
The library’s 2013 annual operating budget is now over $1 million, which includes a 13 per cent total labour increase over actual 2012 labour costs.
The total library operating budget has increased by over 20 per cent since 2010.
With the new library’s planned 63 per cent increase in collection size and a 270 per cent increase in building size, do people really believe that it will be only a $19 increase in our property tax bill?
Paul McMahon
Invermere Court
