Leaving a legacy
Don James is the composer of some of the best childhood memories I, another charter member of the Powell River Boys' Choir, have [“Music director bows out,” October 17]. He believed in me, he challenged me, he pushed me, he caught me and he taught me that not only could I succeed, I could be good. His lessons, his loyalty and his methods have been carried with me throughout my years and formed much of the basis of how I now pass information on to those I'm charged with coaching, regardless of the arena.
The service he has provided to the youth of Powell River, the heights he has brought the programs to, the quality and calibre of "product" he's managed to turn out is astounding. And, to have done it from a one-horse town where the horse is sick and the population is small, is an incredible feat.
Retirement is earned or deserved. In James's case, it's both. Though we all know he won't be too far away from his passion, my sincere hope is that James and Terry Sabine can and will take advantage of all the good karma they've built up and spend a bit of it on themselves.
So to the both of you, a raised glass, a tip of the hat, and know there's deep appreciation for your dedication, your patience, your knowledge and your service. You truly have made a difference.
Rob Stokes
North Vancouver
Nudging Nestlé’s nervous system
I read with interest John Challinor’s letter disputing facts about bottled water [“Water bottle industry,” October 17]. Methinks thou dost protest too much. Could it be that Nestlé Waters Canada is feeling the rattling of its corporate profit chains?
Challinor and I could dispute the distance bottled water travels. Water Wars Worldwide states that five trillion gallons of bottled water is shipped internationally each year. Nestlé-owned Perrier is included in that. We could dispute the percentage of bottles recycled, but even at 80 per cent in BC that is a tremendous amount of plastic that ends up in dumpsites and in the ocean contributing to the plastic soup. And only BC is reasonably responsible for recycling. In many jurisdictions, there is no recycling at all. We could dispute the health and environmental effects of plastic bottles as there are many more views than Nestlé’s on this issue. As to the “financial impact” on our city should the bottles be removed, it is insignificant. The effect of plastic bottles on our environment is not insignificant.
But the issue is bigger than plastic. Citizens in cities all over the world are now realizing--and protesting--the lucrative water market increasingly controlled by Nestlé, Pepsi and Coke. Water is blue gold. Nestlé draws huge quantities of water from the Sardis-Vedder aquifer in Chilliwack for which it pays nothing. Clean, fresh water is not endless. Who is in control here? Nestlé effectively stopped the viewing of the documentary, Tapped, in Guelph, Ontario, where it draws and bottles water. When the City of Guelph Water Services announced it was co-sponsoring the screening of the film, Challinor sent a letter to the mayor in which he questioned Guelph’s “suitability as a place to invest.” The screening was cancelled. Who is in control here?
Nestlé faces lawsuits (Forbes.com, October 19, 2012), angry citizens and concerns about the depletion of fresh water right across the planet.
Who will be in control here? Who will make the decisions around access to fresh water in the future?
Trish Cocksedge
Huntingdon Street
Missing the point
Having read the letter to the editor Warm welcome [October 3], I believe Deb Paterson has missed the point completely.
A family unit is a very different entity. This is not a family. It is a commercial business thrust upon the residents of a very small, quiet neighbourhood on a dead-end street that is designated “single-family dwellings.”
While I realize facilities such as this are necessary, I don’t believe they should be in a residential area. How would you like the stench of raw sewage being pumped every eight days right next door to you?
Lillian McKinnon
Traffe Road
