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You’re welcome in Esquimalt, let’s talk first

Re: “DJ party affected fragile ­Cattle Point ecosystem: UVic instructor,” July 29.

The Township of Esquimalt is fortunate to have several stunning parks, and Saxe Point Park is one of them. It is a popular place to walk the forested trails, admire the views or take a dip in the ocean.

While the park is a blend of accessible areas for visitors including off-leash dog zones, the nearly six-hectare park is also home to Barred owls, Garry Oaks, Arbutus, and a variety of native plants.

Notably, the park is home to four species-at-risk populations in the coastal bluff areas including: poverty clover, Macoun’s meadowfoam, footsteps of spring and Coast Microseris. This blend of sensitive ecosystems and active park areas are precisely why getting a permit is key part of a successful event.

When someone receives a permit, it means that our fire crews and other departments are aware of the event and we can plan ahead to mitigate accidental fires, prevent damage to sensitive ecosystems, and ensure that the right infrastructure is available so that everyone has a safe and memorable time.

Esquimalt is home to many popular shows and concerts. We welcome organizers to the township and simply ask they work with us before any events.

Barbara Desjardins

Mayor, Township of Esquimalt

Proposed deer cull is the wrong approach

Two years ago, 15,000 people signed a petition protesting the draconian mass murder of not just introduced fallow deer but all indigenous blacktail deer, but obviously their voice was not recognized as the kill is still scheduled to go ahead.

Bucks, does and newborn fawns will be shot, not by marksmen, but by “hunters” from helicopters, herding these terrorized deer and blasting them from the air, dragging themselves off to be finished off on the ground.

If the deer must be removed, the preferable way is to introduce a cougar to restore the natural balance, and at a minimal cost of relocating a local problem cougar rather than shooting it.

Why are 15,000 people who protested this American hog hunting by helicopter-style butchery being ignored? Who gives a few “experts” in the parks board the right to indiscriminately blast deer from helicopters when the natural solutions of restoring prey predator are obviously the solution? I sincerely hope a mass public protest raises the awareness of this inhumane and unnatural “solution” planned to go ahead out of the public eye.

Peter M. Clarke

Victoria

Thanks to great design, I’m using more gasoline

The only thing that has change on my daily commute is the “wonderfully designed bike lanes” on Tillicum Road.

I now consume 13 per cent more fuel to go the same distance. I can only assume that the thousands of cars that travel Tillicum Road are experiencing something similar.

I think I’ll let you do the math on how many more litres of fuel that would be. I can’t wait for Esquimalt to finish these bike lanes on the rest of my commute.

Tom Corless

Esquimalt

Without limits on trails, more people will be hurt

Re: “After bike hits pedestrian, a call for slower speeds on trails,” July 29.

I was delighted to read the article about the issue of the “dangers of increasingly crowded multi-use trails, where some people travel at high speeds.” The person being interviewed indicates that she sometimes feels nervous on the trails because of the speeds of some e-bike, electric unicycles and scooters.

So do I!

I love my e-bike. In fact, if I didn’t have one, I might still own a car. You have to pedal my e-bike to make it move. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

There is another e-bike on the road where you don’t have to pedal to make it go. They’re like a motorbike. These motorized bikes should not be allowed on trails. They are very fast and very noisy. They belong on the road with cars.

There is another culprit on the trails and those are the people, often clad in Spandex, moving at the speed of light, as if in a race. These people are also dangerous on the trails.

They whiz by at a high speed, often without warning. The phrase “on your left” shouted out as you pass should be used by all bikers but especially by those who are racing to get nowhere and speeding past a cyclist or pedestrian.

The sad thing about this issue is that more people are going to get hurt — cyclists and pedestrians if we don’t set some limits and rules about what is allowed on the trails.

Patty Johnston

Fairfield

Ending GHG emissions is not quite good enough

We all read about the terrible climate and weather news around the globe: heat; drought; wildfires; floods; melting glaciers; stronger storms; etc.

As we witness the world’s climate change, scientists have urged us to stop emitting greenhouse gases.

But, shouldn’t the goal be twofold? Stop emitting greenhouse gases, and have a massive program to remove greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere?

Even when we stop emitting greenhouse gases, the greenhouse gases that will have already been emitted will stay around for centuries.

This means that stopping those emissions will not return us to the climates that existed decades ago, but will just lock us in to the terrible new climate that we are already seeing around the world.

If our desire is to return Earth to climates that existed decades ago, then we not only have to stop emitting more greenhouse gases, we also have to remove existing greenhouses gases that we’ve already put into the atmosphere.

So let’s be honest and set our sights on this twofold goal, and redouble our efforts so that we can reach it. Our children and grandchildren deserve no less.

Bob Kreiss

Shirley

Common sense ideas from a councillor

Re: “To fix what ails the city, we need to change course,” July 29.

Good heavens!! I was shocked to read the commentary by a Victoria councillor that is reasonable, considered, logical and intelligent.

I had no idea that anyone on the council had such common sense ideas! Maybe there is hope.

Janina Wetselaar

Maple Bay

Prime minister’s prime responsibility: Smile

Nothing is Justin Trudeau’s responsibility.

According to news reports, the prime minister says sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½’s housing crisis is not a federal responsibility; however, isn’t it the Bank of sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ that raised interest rates and created a need for greed?

It appears the only thing that’s a Trudeau federal responsibility is photo-ops to get his picture on the news and in the papers.

James Cooper

Victoria

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