Continuing to fight for amalgamation
Amalgamation Yes continues to serve the concerns of residents to promote two simple ideas.
First, “13 is too many” and “better is possible.”
Second, we have for more than a decade confirmed that the question of municipal reform is too important to be left up to self-serving elected officials determined to maintain their municipal fiefdoms. Instead, we live together in the capital region (or at least three sub-regional clusters) and have recognized common needs to collectively provide regional scale services, such as water supply, sewage treatment, landfill, and regional parks.
Our elected officials refuse to recognize a similar need for a common approach to policing, emergency dispatch and services, recreation, and transportation planning. We continue to have five police departments, 17 fire departments, and seven recreation commissions — but no regional transportation plan.
In the 2014 municipal elections, residents of seven municipalities supported the need for independent public review of municipal governance, but most councillors ignored the wishes of their residents.
Only Saanich and Victoria presented residents with a referendum in 2018. Voters approved the funding and formation of a citizens’ assembly “to explore the costs, benefits and disadvantages of a possible merger of Victoria and Saanich.” Unfortunately, COVID delayed the selection and deliberations.
Recently, the province agreed to provide its share of funding and to facilitate the process. Shortly after this October’s municipal elections, announcements will be made regarding procedures for selection of volunteers to serve on the assembly, hold public deliberations and make recommendations to both councils.
Amalgamation Yes will monitor this process to ensure expectations of resident voters’ support for an independent and public review of options for municipal reform are respected. Residents will be given the opportunity to participate and need to be vigilant to ensure newly elected mayors and councillors are held accountable.
James Anderson
Chairperson
Amalgamation Yes
www.amalgamationyes.ca
Saskatchewan cash will not cause inflation
Re: “Economists fear ‘Moe Money’ could add to inflation woes,” Aug. 28.
This money is hardly an inflationary threat. There are many families in the small towns of Saskatchewan and also in the larger centres who would probably use the extra money to make a few more trips to the larger centres for groceries etc.
Perhaps they may take their family on a short vacation they could not otherwise afford. Heaven forbid, they may even purchase a birthday present for a family member.
However, I am quite sure that Mark Lander of Concordia does not have those financial concerns nor does Jacqueline Best of the University of Ottawa.
Ian Baird
Victoria
Dallas Road dog fence is an election issue
I have grave misgivings about the process and substance of the recent changes to the dog off-leash rules at Dallas Road and the sudden erection of a fence.
Firstly, there was no adequate notice, clear and transparent information about what was intended, or consultation about this change.
Secondly, no information has been provided about the extent of the problem which these changes are supposed to address. How many complaints have been made in the last three years and what specifically is their nature?
Have these considerations been balanced with the needs of hundreds, if not thousands of dog owners to go for a proper walk with their dogs off leash? Dallas Road, from Clover Point to Douglas Street, is the only place in the city where this can be done.
The little dog parks where owners stand around while their dogs sniff each other doesn’t meet this need. People who do not want to interact with dogs can walk anywhere else in the city, including on the new paved pathway adjacent to the Dallas Road off-leash area.
Every dog walker I have encountered at Dallas Road in the past few days is furious about the high-handed way these changes have been brought about. Council should immediately suspend further work and leave this matter for the next council to resolve. Each candidate in the coming election can articulate their views on this matter and voters will decide.
Liane O’Grady
Victoria
Training could reduce Dallas Road dog issues
I am a very fit senior walker, doing my long walks very early when few are about. I have nevertheless had four encounters with dogs unleashed on the path in the last two years, as the dog population has increased.
Two were with large dogs, one of which barely missed my left leg, and the other actually banged against my right leg. I walk very fast so the closing time is less.
On another occasion I witnessed a large dog bang into the knee brace of another walker, from behind. She gasped in pain, but did not comment.
I told the three adults with the dog that it should be on a leash on the path. They did not respond.
The fourth occasion was when I actually had to hop over a small dog which came barrelling straight into my feet, oblivious. This could have resulted in a bad fall.
The irony of this is that the split rail fence is of no use for blocking small dogs.
The second irony is that none of these encounters were on the Cook Street to Clover Point section, but rather on the Cook Street to Mile Zero section.
In spite of the above I am against the extra split rail fencing for aesthetic reasons and because I think it is a waste of money. I hope people are becoming more aware that all dogs should be trained.
I recently had three occasions where dogs were ordered to drop or sit as I went by, and I would like to commend those people.
Andrea Ashton
Victoria
Let’s try the fence, see how it works
Re: “New fence separates off-leash dogs from Dallas Road pathway users,” Aug. 26.
It should be patently obvious that mixing dogs and recreationally walking humans does not work. Let’s give this new format a chance.
The system works very well in many parks in other cities. Toronto’s famous and beautiful High Park has long had a gated area known informally as Dog Hill.
Contrary to the doom-and-gloom forecast by the naysayers in this story, it is a happy place.
The people who go there either have a dog, like dogs or at least are not afraid of dogs. They bring water and police each other informally to clean up and monitor the occasional dog on dog “aggression.”
Bikes, skateboards, scooters etc. do not work well on public pathways, so have been banned.
Dogs have not worked out well on the path along Dallas Road and seem to have made many people uncomfortable, despite the protestations of dog owners who think their pet is not a cause for concern.
Why not try giving dogs a place to be dogs at play and give those who would prefer to avoid them a place?
You don’t need to take your dog all the way to Dallas Road to walk along a path. Let the people have the path.
Fran Kordoski
dog owner willing to adjust
Victoria
Those dogs just don’t care about the view
Re: “New fence separates off-leash dogs from Dallas Road pathway users,” Aug. 26.
I heartily congratulate Victoria on its ongoing efforts to return parkland along the south side of Dallas Road to a people park (happily supported by my tax dollars, I might add) that allows controlled access by dogs, rather than a dog park that barely acknowledges the rights of dog-indifferent owners like myself, as it has progressively developed over recent years.
The new split-rail fencing that divides the expansive dog-leash-optional area and dog-leash-mandatory paved walkway between Cook Street and Clover Point is especially welcome, now promising enjoyment of the lovely vista of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic Peninsula absent the continual annoyance of dodging exuberant (and frequently out-of-control) dogs, who certainly have no interest in the view.
Bravo!
T.W.D. Edwards
James Bay
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