Community spirit
I would like to extend my gratitude to BC Ferries, Tim Horton’s and Quality Foods.
At 5 am on December 24 I arrived at Westview terminal to line up for the next ferry to Vancouver Island [“Holiday holdups,” December 29, 2010]. BC Ferries kept us informed hourly as to whether there would be a ferry and what the status was concerning the ferry leaving Little River. It was great to know regularly what was happening.
At 1:30 pm Tim Horton’s owner showed up with free hot coffee—two urns on the back of her truck. The lady stood outside and talked to us all wishing everyone a merry Christmas. The coffee was perfect and kept us all warmer.
At 2:30 pm staff from Quality Foods came into the parking lot, going from car to car in the strong winds and rain. They handed out Japanese oranges, bottled water and chocolates. It was difficult moving through the line ups of vehicles with a small cart. They wished us all a merry Christmas.
Both Tim Horton’s and Quality Foods went above the call of duty helping us all with the long wait for the ferry. What a wonderful community spirit they displayed. Both are new to Powell River but they were there for us.
At 9:30 pm we left for the island on board the first ferry in two days, arriving at 11 pm. Being Christmas Eve everything was closed.
I will not forget the kind consideration and community spirit shown by these three companies.
Pat Haun
McLeod Road
Leadership bid
I would like to comment on your story regarding Nicholas Simons’ meeting in Powell River to announce his bid for leader of the BC New Democratic Party [“Simons hits the campaign trail,” January 12]. It is inconceivable for him to now maintain that the label of “dissident” does not fit.
Is he so naive that he believes there is a “misunderstanding out there on what exactly happened?” He again demonstrates his lack of knowledge and understanding of the rules and traditions of caucus. His reconstruction of the timing of the events is very convenient to try and justify his position when he followed his Svengali Jenny Kwan in publicly denouncing the democratically elected leader and disregarding the majority vote of the Provincial Council.
They were not “forced into a position to publicly pick a side.” They had decided prior to Kwan’s statement what side they were on and demonstrated their petulance by stating that if any of them were disciplined then they would set out to tear the party apart.
It is laughable when he refers to his choice between “blind loyalty and my integrity.” He and the rest of the pack left their integrity at the door when they came out in public to demonstrate their acrimonious disagreement with the majority of the caucus.
I suppose when he recalls his version of the sequence of events and public comments, and is oblivious to reality, he can say “I sleep well at night knowing that I didn’t do any wrong.” Can he be so myopic that he can not see the damage he and the rest of the pack
have caused to our party?
He contradicts his own assumptions that they did nothing wrong when he hopes that the party can move past the last couple of months and members can start to focus on rebuilding and coming together. It’s very clear he knows his actions have caused much dissension among members and reduced our credibility in the eyes of many voters. I guess it takes a “big person” to own up to any mistake.
It is comforting to know that he “has no illusions about his bid for leadership” so he will not be disillusioned when his self-seeking attempt fails.
Chris Merrick
Coquitlam, BC
