Honour the vision
Growing up, the old arena on the corner of Abbotsford Street and Marine Avenue was a memory maker for me. I loved it. I was indignant when people said that it was becoming unfit for anything other than the local rodent population. Didn’t they remember that it was a legacy that had been built by donated materials and volunteer labour, “by the community for the community?”
I, and much of the town, felt outrage when talk of building an expensive recreation complex began to circulate. How dare they cast aside a perfectly good building? How could we possibly afford such a costly venture? Money didn’t grow on trees—these were tough economic times.
Hindsight. If we had it, we’d all be millionaires. Tough times come and go. They’ve been here before and they’ll be here again. What withstands any splash in our economic puddle is true leadership and inspired vision. Powell River Recreation Complex was one such vision that none of us now could imagine living without.
I have argued against many other things going on the old arena site. Condos? Is it any wonder my hair started going gray? Until the proposal of the new Powell River Public Library I never felt that anything captured the “built by the community for the community” legacy. A library will be a gift to the entire community, a thing of beauty, doubly blessed by a stunning view everyone can enjoy [“Architects unveil library design,” March 28].
I believe that the long-ago vote to place this land under the protection of parkland status was the closest anyone back then could come to honouring the original intention of why and how the old arena was built.
It’s time to reclaim this land for something more than a dumping ground for doggies and recreational vehicles. Honour the vision and let land that is reserved for something great, grow into something great—a “built by the community for the community” new library that all can enjoy. Who knows, perhaps in five to 10 years it will grow into something spectacular that none of us can imagine living without, just like our recreation complex.
Ernalee Shannon
Ontario Avenue
Refocus energy
I am dismayed to see all the energy and attention being directed to opposing the new library site [“Community divides over issue,” April 25].
We have many serious issues facing us at this time, such as cutbacks to our health and education systems, affordable housing and child care, the ferry situation and job creation.
I believe it would be more beneficial to have some of that energy redirected to dealing with these issues, which impact or will impact us all at some point, instead of trying to stop the building of an essential part of any vibrant and enlightened community.
Carmen Kuczma
Saskatchewan Avenue
Deciphering disagreement
It comes as no surprise that a letter such as Cleve Hamilton’s [“Outsider viewpoint,” May 9] would appear in response to the viewpoint written by Michael Matthews [“Democracy takes turn in debate,” May 2].
To correct the first point, Matthews is not an outsider: he lives at Okeover and has since January, so our affairs have become his affairs as well. As a matter of interest, I was also beseeched to sign the petition to “Save Willingdon Beach,” and my comment about saving a gravel pile was not that well received.
Not in any way trying to speak for Matthews about a worthwhile opinion, I took the comment to mean that he had neither a preconceived opinion nor any leanings one way or the other at the outset of his investigation into the final solution to the Powell River Public Library problem.
With regard to “a full account to select the location” in Hamilton’s letter: he omitted three rather important words. The actual wording was “a full account of the process to select the site.” To me, this meant that he felt that the process used was accountable, and if the rest of his letter is read carefully, it puts forward the opinion that once due diligence was carried out, City of Powell River council was fully authorized to make the decision it did, what with this being a representative democracy and all.
From Matthews’ viewpoint, and the countless letters that have appeared in the pages of the Peak about this matter, I believe that “the largest petition in the history of Powell River” is simply too late and should have been circulated when the information meetings were going on that led to the decision made March 3, 2011, over a year ago.
The final paragraph of Hamilton’s letter is impossible to comment upon.
Glenn Nelles
Spring Brook Road
