Where are the protests about Russia’s invasion?
Re: “A right to protest at the legislature,” letter, Jan. 11.
In the interest of fairness and balance, let’s look at the record of another ongoing conflict. Some two years ago, Russian forces invaded Ukraine and have killed and continue to kill thousands of civilians of all age groups, plus thousands of Ukraine soldiers.
I have seen many Ukrainian flags but am not aware of protests on the legislature grounds that went on for week after week.
Could someone please provide the record of protests against Russia’s actions that were held on the legislature grounds? When they were held, number of attendees, that sort of thing.
After almost two years of non-stop Russian warfare one has to ask why protests are not continuing.
Brian Summers
Victoria
Hospital hallway beds are nothing new
Re: “Stuck in the hallway for three days,” letter, Jan. 11.
In the 1960s, my mother was in a bed in a hallway at the old Jubilee for five days, until she got upgraded to being in the linen closet.
Those were the days of the Social Credit government, so you can’t blame the current government. The problem is that there are too many people coming to the Island lured by the good weather.
A majority of these are older people who bring their health issues with them. We can’t stop them coming, but we can certainly see the results.
Kate Sarginson
Victoria
Plenty of clearance, so keep the bollards
As a regular user of Lochside Trail and lesser user of the Galloping Goose Trail, I was horrified to read that what little protection we cyclists and foot traffic have on the trails in Saanich is to be removed.
I frequently see vehicles drive up to the bollards, despite driving past very visible No Exit signs, become frustrated and reverse very quickly backwards down the trail, directly into cyclists and foot traffic.
I ride a semi-recumbent bike so am wider than many bikes and mobility scooters and I have never had an issue getting between the bollards without having to slow down.
There is plenty of clearance.
Sheree Dooner
Saanich
Softer bollards might be a better answer
Saanich has asked that the Capital Regional District consider removing the bollards at trail entrances such as Lochside and the Galloping Goose, out of concern that they present an injury risk to cyclists.
This is following up a request made some seven years ago, so it’s evidently not a passing concern.
I understand this concern, particularly for wider bikes and trikes, and those towing bike trailers. A former colleague was forced into a bollard in busy bike traffic, and broke his femur.
But I shudder to think about the kind of injuries that might result from a car erroneously or maliciously entering an unguarded trail and colliding with cyclists or pedestrians.
Saanich and advocates for bollard removal do not seem to be seriously considering this possibility, yet there have already been instances of cars entering protected bike lanes in both Victoria and Vancouver.
Are there other options? Might the outside posts at trail entrances be moved so the gap between posts and centre bollard is wider?
Might the bollards be made softer and less damaging to cyclists? What else?
Let’s have a good look before we rush to remove bollards at trail entrances.
Hu Wallis
Saanich
Easy to find the CRD voting form
Re: “CRD’s land assembly flawed in several ways,” letter, Jan. 11.
Don’t let this letter’s instructions put you off voting against this bylaw. Just search Electoral Response Form on the Capital Regional District website, it appears immediately.
Sign it, scan it then email to the address provided on the form.
Patti Parish
Saanich
To cast your vote, go through these hoops
The idea of allowing the Capital Regional District to borrow $85 million on your behalf is wrong on so many levels.
The utterly undemocratic Alternative Approval Process offered to the beleaguered taxpayer, should you have the audacity to question yet more borrowing from yet another level of government, is a cumbersome process at best, at worst it’s downright obstructive.
It reminds me of a story from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Poor Arthur Dent learns too late that the local council is about to demolish his house.
The plans had been on display for months at the town hall, in a cellar where sadly the lights had burnt out and the stairs had gone missing. They were safely stored in a locked filing cabinet in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying “Beware of the Tiger.”
If however you remain undeterred then please go online, print off the form, sign said form, place in envelope, stamp that envelope and then mail to the CRD. You may also require signed permission from any co-owners of your property to act on their behalf.
You have until noon on Feb. 5. Good luck!
Paul Cunnington
Victoria
CRD is a leader in local housing
We need more Capital Regional District housing initiatives, not fewer. Letter writers say the CRD “should not be in the housing business” as housing is “on the agenda of both the federal and provincial governments.”
The CRD has been in the non-profit housing business since 1982 with the mandate to develop and manage affordable housing in the capital region.
CRD Housing is the largest non-profit housing provider on Vancouver Island with, according to its 2022 annual report, 1,877 homes in 51 buildings across seven municipalities.
Surely the tragic lesson about the supply of affordable housing over the past 35 years is that the private sector will not build them; and the federal and provincial governments are often unreliable long-term partners regarding funding for much-needed affordable housing.”
While the Eby government deserves credit for its various new housing policies, does anyone really believe that either Pierre Poilievre or Kevin Falcon would support long-term funding for social housing?
If we are going to solve the housing crisis, it has to start with decent affordable rental and social housing such as that provided by CRD Housing over the past 40 years.
In addition to the work CRD Housing is doing, hopefully there are many more local public affordable housing initiatives such as this proposed CRD land assembly.
Guy McDannold
Shirley
No short-term rentals? They will stay away
It appears the hotels have won as people are selling any property that was short-term rental.
We won’t be coming to Victoria, Vancouver or a lot of other places in sa国际传媒 anymore. Can’t afford for five people to spend a week in a hotel and eating all meals in restaurants.
Before you could get a place for a week that had cooking facilities, laundry etc. for a lot less then a hotel.
There will be a lot fewer people coming and staying as hotels are too expensive. You win, sa国际传媒 government, we will stay away.
D’Arcy Widrick
Stony Plain, Alta.
Encourage people to stop using drugs
Open drug use benefits no one. And the overwhelming majority of the public are opposed to it. But here we are.
In their mission statement, the Harm Reduction Nurses Association (HRNA) advocates “for the rights and dignity of people who use drugs…”.
There is no doubt that their expertise, care and consideration is intended for the safety of “people who use drugs.” However, they’ve got the wrong end of the stick. The primary focus needs to be to help people to stop using drugs altogether – so they can become “people who do not use drugs.” Promoting open, ongoing drug use is not a solution.
The HRNA also argues that Bill 34 violates the core rights and freedoms of people who use drugs. However, their position supersedes the core rights and freedoms of the majority of people who do not use drugs.
Many people no longer feel safe to go downtown. Theft, property crime and violent acts are all downstream effects of drug addiction.
Mandatory treatment supporting people to stop using drugs is a far better solution than allowing people to continue using drugs.
And criminalizing illicit drug use must be considered as part of the solution to help in getting the necessary treatment. The current approach is clearly not working.
Stan Davis
Saanich
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