Recycling questions
So the new recycle program is in effect [“Learning curve steep with recycling changes,” May 28]. I can see a lot of problems down the road on this one, recycle items going to the garbage, some recycle items being hidden inside another just so it will be picked up, or if it is not picked up and the wind blows it down the street, I don’t think those residents are going to go chasing it.
What is the reason for some items being picked up and not others? This probably has something to do with how the entire program was set up. I would like to know how people with no transportation, the elderly, people with disabilities, et cetera, are going to dispose of their recycling?
I would hope that when enough residents complain loudly enough, or the amount of garbage increases by very large amounts (and then the garbage may be dumped wherever instead of buying garbage labels), the program might change.
I am in favour of the manufacturers picking up the cost, but they could change the packaging and a lot of this would resolve itself. There are far too many items where the packaging is 10 times larger than the item.
I would hope City of Powell River mayor and council will see the problems and try to resolve them. We should go back to the old way—at least it made sense.
Larry Law
Huntingdon Street
Awards taken away
This letter is about how I feel being caught in the crossfire of the BC government’s non-negotiation with teachers [“Full strike ahead,” June 13]. As I understand it, it has been going on for 10 years or more now.
I am a grade nine student who was looking forward to year-end outings and celebrations with my classmates and teachers. We had planned a trip to Quebec and now even though the trip is paid for we can’t go because of the restrictions the government has placed on teachers it has locked out. Why didn’t the government think about youth who have worked hard all year to have good grades and good attitudes and then find out that well deserved awards are taken away?
I have medical conditions which cost a lot of money for my parents so we don’t have money for family vacations. The money is spent to travel to BC Children’s Hospital and dental appointments in Vancouver. Powell River is an isolated community which costs a lot to leave by two ferries. School trips are the only way I can experience other communities and meet other children. I am sad for myself and I am sad for all the other children who have been affected by this travesty.
Parents are sad for their children. Teachers in this battle feel obligated to fight even though they wish they didn’t have to in order to help kids. I think that this has been going on for too long. I think the government should stop this and give in to the teachers’ demands. Stop hurting the children in public schools. Not all children have the opportunity to go to private schools.
Teachers work very hard for their students. I would like to see the government give them what they need to do their job. To Premier Christy Clark, stop hurting the teachers, the students, the parents and show us how adults should act.
Melissa Rogers
Gordon Avenue
Plan beneath recycling changes
How lovely that we no longer have to separate our recycling, but for those who see recycling as a good thing, was that ever a problem [“Residents adapt to recycling changes,” June 11]?
What I now see becoming a huge problem is the recycling at the curb. Although not having to be sorted, labels, tape, drawstrings and paper receipts have to be removed, just to mention a few. Who sees this as easier than sorting?
Once we have done all this, we are still left with the many non-curbside items and plastic, which is the biggest part of recycling, hence the huge problem. Therefore my question to this would be “When are stores not going to be allowed to pack sold items in plastic and when are distributors not going to be allowed to wrap their consumer items in plastic?”
Surely if we are going to such lengths, then big businesses should follow suit and not add to the problem or make it just our problem.
If we do want to abide by these new rules and we live in a condominium, or don’t drive, how do these new non-curbside items get to Augusta Recyclers? Even the most conscientious of recyclers are going to be putting some things in the garbage because they are not able to make that drive and this will result in having to buy more garbage tags. Either way, this results in more expense to the residents.
If we are not part of the solution, we are part of the problem—old saying. So I remind people of the following old suggestions: do not buy items with any plastic wrapping or remove the wrapping at the store and refuse plastic bags. I could add taking the non-curbside stuff to the steps of city hall for a week. Not a nice suggestion but it would certainly get more attention than a letter.
I see this recycling change doing nothing but adding to our landfill.
Was that the plan?
Sheri Moloughney
Michigan Avenue
Library tourism
Our daughter Wendy has lived in Powell River 25 years and has been complaining for years about Powell River’s bad library situation [“Library information gathering draws large crowd,” June 11]. Her brother Lance has a master’s degree in computer library science, and is about to retire. Of course, he was quite excited about your library situation and hasn’t made up his mind where he’ll retire from Vancouver. He attended Max Cameron for grade 11.
We have lived in Nanaimo many years and will soon have three public libraries. The main one is downtown close to the Harbour Centre. The smaller auxiliary one on Barons Road behind the Country Club Shopping Centre is the most frequented. Not a great amount of parking but frequented by people from Lantzeville to central Nanaimo and we manage.
The Powell River proposed library setting at Willingdon South has its drawbacks, as accessibility for everyone including seniors and people visiting the hospital who have to come down the hill for just the library is a discouragement.
I would wish Powell River to have several satellite libraries in upper Westview, Townsite, Cranberry, Wildwood and south toward Saltery Bay. I believe you are a member of Vancouver Island Regional Libraries. So books transferred from one library to another would be no problem.
I don’t like digital readers as I like a book in hand. I buy them secondhand and have too many. And I use our library and buy their outdated books.
I noticed empty shops everywhere that could accommodate libraries. I’m looking forward to your decision and I hope it will be a fit for your spread-out population.
Mary Lou Nordstrom
Nanaimo, BC
Is anybody listening?
Obviously, public opinion does not matter. We have stated quite clearly we do not want the new Powell River Public Library at the Willingdon South site [“Library information gathering draws large crowd,” June 11].
It was given as a park. Visualize a park, shade trees, picnic tables, maybe several totem poles, possibly in the south east comes a space for young people to dance, an area for art shows, Sea Fair or Blackberry festival.
My husband and I travelled a good deal. What inspired us was the natural beauty, for example Stanley Park, Beacon Hill, et cetera.
I’m sure there will be few tourists come to see our grand library, more likely they’ll wonder how we could afford it.
My husband and I both enjoyed reading. I spent 15 years as a volunteer. I would like to see a new library, similar to the police station, next to it would be ideal for young and old, quiet grounds and maybe even memorial benches. A firehall on that site seems odd with so many tight exits and a sharp corner onto Joyce Avenue.
The Willingdon site is out of the way. Not everyone has a car or bus fare. The dampness and maintenance of insurance would be extremely high.
Powell River Recreation Complex has similar problems, not easily accessible, dampness from the pool, earthquake security, only one road, et cetera.
Our tax notice stated there was an effort to hold down taxes.
Our roads, water works, complex, sewage, all have problems to be addressed. It would seem ludicrous to talk of building an extravagant library and not all the public use it. The maintenance and insurance et cetera will be another burden for taxpayers for years to come.
Please, everyone, remember on voting day: get out and vote, remember who pushed for this.
Rosemary B. Hawkins
Manitoba Avenue
Fitting location
Powell River just got a brand new elementary school, a new eldercare facility, a new ferry terminal, a new state-of-the-art Timberlane track and field, a new high school and theatre, and a beautiful new harbour. Regardless, some people want to stick the new Powell River Public Library in some old renovated space instead of the perfect spot overlooking the ocean on a piece of civic property that was specially created for the original arena but has been sitting idle for years except for people walking along in front to get to the real Willingdon Beach [“Library information gathering draws large crowd,” June 11].
The anti-library petition was misleadingly worded as there is no such thing as “Willingdon South” as it is a boulder beach at the bottom of a manmade cliff.
Powell River is blessed with one of the most beautiful westerly waterfront vistas in the world. We should use this natural gift to highlight a facility that needs a new home.
Don Bowes
Banks Road
Mould a new reality
Powell River aspires to become a green city. Signing onto the Tides Canada Clean Energy Initiative and the pondering of electric vehicle charging stations tells us so [“City embraces eco-initiatives,” May 7].
Our neighbour to the south in the thriving metropolis of the Greater Vancouver area has the most noblest goal imaginable: to become the greenest city in the world by 2020.
In light of this fact, don’t you think that Kinder Morgan could be kinder to the city? After all, it is involved in an everflowing oil business that has been running through the Burrard Inlet since 1953. The current Trans Mountain Pipeline proposal of “triplining” (tripling capacity while doubling pipe) completely flies in the face of the region reaching its objective. Time for Kinder Morgan to become a progressive corporation with a liberal mindset by diversifying and partnering up with Vancouver to play a role in realizing this vision.
A visionary captain of industry recognizes that you need to be positioned at the apex of the curve long before it registers in the periphery of the other players. Canadian universities are divesting away from fossil fuels. The next generation knows where it is at. So does the current president of the United States who vows to no longer fight climate change. The focus will shift to growing the green energy jobs economy.
To quote Neil Peart, who probably borrowed it from Ayn Rand: “And the men who hold high places must be the ones who start to mould a new reality closer to the heart.”
Steve Perkins
Blair Road, Texada Island
