No conclusion
I attended the meeting referred to in your recent affordable housing article [“Housing group eyes joint effort,” July 5]. The meeting ended with a strong general agreement that, for Powell River, a single agency is best suited to take on the multiple housing challenges facing all who live on limited incomes.
There was also general agreement that the existing non-profits, agencies and other interested parties should come up with a joint solution that allows pooling of resources and assets. However, the meeting most certainly did not come to any conclusion about creating another society.
[City of Powell River councillor] Maggie Hathaway and others have been organizing these meetings since last fall and they have been consistently well attended (15 to 20 people every meeting) with representatives from local housing societies, Tla’amin Housing, health and mental health agencies, city councillors, city staff, local business people (including real estate and building development) and interested individuals.
The June 24 meeting was particularly good because of our familiarity with one another and the issues, our readiness to move on and the assistance of [social plan developer] Christien Kaaij, who facilitated the meeting.
We meet again in September and will explore our options then. Perhaps some existing society or other structure can fill that need? Things are still open.
Pat Christie
Life Cycle Housing Society
Thousands suffer
Regarding your article on colonization [“Editorial: Colonization 150,” June 28], you are completely off.
Not all first nations are suffering, certainly not in Powell River. Have you visited the new community centre in Tla’amin Nation and discussed the excellent programs attached to it?
Thousands of people across this country are suffering but I don’t read anything in your column on those issues. Why do we have food banks, drug-addict clinics, alcoholics, needle-injection sites, beggars on streets, social assistance and homelessness?
You also forget that first nations people participate in and enjoy sports, whether it be ice hockey, soccer or track clubs, et cetera.
Acts of reconciliation have occurred, but you are obviously not aware of this. At least on July 1 everyone came together at Willingdon Beach, joined in the revelry and had fun. Is that a crime?
Nan Cornwall
Toba Street
Appalling result
I enjoyed attending Powell River Logger Sports [B Section, July 12]. Kudos to everyone for all the obvious hard work that went in to pulling it off.
However, I was appalled that onsite recycling had been completely overlooked. Powell River Regional District’s Let’s Talk Trash team is an obvious part of almost all Powell River functions these days and its presence was sadly missed when trash cans were filled to overflowing with recyclable items at the event.
I want to call on City of Powell River council to make it a bylaw that Powell River events must recycle their waste.
Dorell Meikle
Springbrook Road
