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The torch has passed, but who is the foe?

Re: “Squandered inheritance from Flanders Fields,” letter, Oct. 31.

What a moving and thought provoking letter from Dan Fitzgerald.

I agree that we are told that we have no identity as Canadians and the lies and deceptions that create fear to deceive, manipulate and control us have permeated every level of society.

The torch has been passed. The only question now is who is the foe?

There was another letter by Roger Cyr, stating that members of the Canadian Armed Forces were told they should not call upon God during public prayers.

I think it may be a very short Remembrance Day ceremony this year with no O sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½, no God Save the King, no prayers and no hymns.

That is unless the citizens take up the prayers and the hymns.

Lest we forget.

Joe Hronek

Colwood

Learn about the ferries before you criticize

I agree with the Oct. 28 letter against ferry bashing, and I am still horrified by Premier David Eby’s comment last week that “ferries only have to go from A to B, how hard can that be,” showing a lack of awareness that a hundred things have to be in place and in order for a ferry to leave the dock, 180,000 times a year.

Perhaps a detailed tour of the sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Ferries head office, the Deas Dock ship repair facility, terminal maintenance and construction and a dozen other integral departments, and a comprehension of the legal and safety aspects of moving many millions of people each year would help him understand.

It can only help.

Cindy Richardson

Victoria

Thanks, Bruce Williams, for all that you do

It was such a pleasure to open the paper and see a picture of Bruce Williams, named as sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½’s top Chamber of Commerce executive, such a well-deserved honour of a community-builder extraordinaire.

I was unaware of his extraordinary accomplishments with the local chamber. However, I am aware of his leadership in making our Island such an outstanding place to live in terms of a caring community.

He was the community relations leader for CTV for many years and in that time chaired many community fundraisers. Royal Oak Rotary Club asked him to MC our fundraiser for an irrigation system for Woodwyn Farms in 2010 (at the time a therapeutic community for those battling addiction).

With Bruce’s help we raised $20,000 in one evening. Shortly after, he helped to initiate an Island-wide campaign to create Jeneece Place, a home away from home for families with sick children receiving medical treatment in Victoria.

It is a beautiful building adjacent to Victoria General Hospital. He tirelessly visited Rotary and other service clubs up and down the Island to convince them to donate to this worthy cause.

With all of the tragedies occurring around the world, the inspiration of people such as Bruce Williams inspire us all to reach out and care about the plight of others.

Donna Miller

North Saanich

In support of posting salary ranges

Re: “sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ job postings must include pay amounts starting this week,” Oct. 31.

This is one government action that I fully support as a long-time human-resources executive and consultant.

All employers have a salary range even if not formally defined. Historically, this has been the greatest cat-and-mouse game ever.

Jobs are posted with no salaries. If you make it to an interview, employers ask what salary the candidate expects. The candidate may ask what the position pays which is rarely or never answered.

This does not treat people like the adults. It wastes the employer’s time and more importantly, it wastes the candidate’s time.

People take time to create a resume, write a cover letter, get ready for an interview which can all be for nothing if the salary is a mystery.

The government’s aim is equity. Maybe this will facilitate change.

In the meantime, I’m happy that employers are now forced to post the salary.

I do recruiting for certain clients from time to time on the one condition that we post the salary range. Score one for the sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ government.

Barbara E. Quinn

22c Partners Inc.

Victoria

Restoring people’s lives should be the first step

Re: “Coalition urges government to deal with chronic street disorder,” Oct. 31.

Once again folk are focusing on piece-meal solutions to the downtown (Victoria, Nanaimo, and other cities) vandalism.

The problems are a result of not providing long-term housing, addiction and mental health treatment centres when they are required. If you leave a building to deteriorate by not doing needed repairs right away, the cost of rehabilitating that building will become astronomical. So it is with people’s lives.

By ignoring the problem or expecting the police and court systems to handle it you ignore the small problems that could have been resolved with the appropriate services.

There is no quick fix for helping folk get their damaged, rundown lives back on track, and yes it will cost millions of dollars more now than it would have cost 10 to 20 years ago.

The security, police and court systems are not going to return your downtown cores into the safe, vibrant business areas that coalitions wish them to be.

Start pushing all levels of government to take action, put money where it is vitally needed and restore people’s lives appropriately. Look outside your boxes.

There are large estates on the market, they could be used to provide small residential treatment centres where people could also learn skills such as growing their own food, cooking that food and ground maintenance skills.

Ann Maffey

Saanich

Transit commission should take transit

Do we laugh or cry? sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Transit plans to increase fares by up to 20 per cent.

This plan will mostly impact young people going to school or work . It will hinder the elderly and the poorest citizens who depend on the bus instead of cars.

In addition, the NDP government will apparently reduce transit funding over the next two years … after paying more than a hundred million dollars to construct two interchanges on the Pat Bay Highway for the convenience of private automotive users.

Has a toll ever been proposed to cover some of these costs?

This is the result of a transit commission that is out of touch with their responsibilities and who do not depend on transit themselves, other than to talk about it at meetings.

We need people on this commission who can plan and administer public transit with some awareness of what is required.

Jon Blair

Sidney

Saanich council myopic regarding our pets

Saanich has more than 160 parks for its residents and visitors to enjoy. I want to tell the visitors and tourists coming our way for a holiday, that when they bring their dog with them, they will be severely restricted on where they can take their pet off leash in Saanich.

All parks are leash only, except for a few off leash optional ones between 6 and 9 a.m.

That means, if they can find the right park, they have to be out of it by 9 a.m. if they want exercise for themselves and their dog.

Not only that, leave your extend-a-leashes at home, because they are not allowed in Saanich, period. All of Saanich. Saanich council doesn’t understand that extend-a-leashes are retractable with a lock mechanism, and can be very short, or long.

I strongly recommend that they find another place to visit, if they are travelling with their pet. They would need a map and complicated instructions on where exactly they could have their dog, on or off leash in Saanich.

We live in Saanich and cannot believe how myopic this council is concerning residents or visitors enjoying our beautiful parks with our pets.

Jan Cook

Saanich

Making war is for rich, terrorism is for poor

As I follow news of the fighting between the Israel Defence Forces and Hamas, I’m reminded of the phrase “War is a rich man’s terrorism; terrorism is a poor man’s war.”

I got a first-hand look at war’s destruction as a UN peacekeeper in Egypt and Syria following the 1973 Yom Kippur war.

Sadly, my tiny contribution toward peace in that region was to no avail.

Eric Ballinger

Victoria

‘A fine for polluting’ is a better term

We should stop using the term “carbon tax” and instead call it what is really is — a fine for polluting.

It’s no different than a speeding ticket. Unfortunately, we would rather not be reminded that there are consequences to burning fossil fuels.

Matt McGeachie

Victoria

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