Don’t knock village square until you try it
I have long thought that the parking lot outside Thrifty Foods in James Bay would make a great pedestrianized village square, reaching to the north side of Simcoe.
Toronto Street could be closed to cars, and traffic on Menzies could slow to 10 km/h while passing the edge of the centre. Fifteen years ago, Redner Jones proposed exactly this in the James Bay Beacon.
To accommodate shoppers, Thrifty Foods could offer a choice of cargo bikes, a pick-up location for cars, a delivery service or pedestrian carts.
Throughout the world, whenever pedestrianized streets have been created, two things generally happen. First, people complain. Then once it has been done, they love it.
If the parking lot is full today, it’s because shoppers have not been offered other options.
On summer nights, there could be live music. On May 1, there could be Morris Dancing. At Christmas, there could be ice-skating. And every day, people could just sit among flowers and trees, and chatter.
Once it’s done, people will love it.
Guy Dauncey
Ladysmith
The war on cars rages in James Bay
As someone who lived in James Bay for almost four decades, I was appalled, but not surprised, to learn that Victoria council is considering closing the five corners intersection to create a “pedestrianized space.”
To my knowledge, no James Bay resident ever asked for this, nor is it needed, given that Irving Park is less than a block away, and Macdonald Park and Beacon Hill Park only slightly farther.
There are lots of great pedestrian experiences and destinations, as well as gathering spots in the neighbourhood. Closure of this intersection will result in confusion for drivers and congestion on adjacent streets.
Someone driving southbound on Menzies will need to divert to Michigan — a narrow street that functions fine, but does not have capacity for increased traffic.
Much of the through traffic will move to Oswego, which goes past an elementary school and has had ongoing problems with speeding vehicles heading to Ogden Point — adding congestion will not help anything.
Once again council has identified a “solution” for a non-existent problem, and continues its blatant war on cars, assuming that if things are made difficult for drivers, we will just stop driving.
Pieta VanDyke
Saanichton
Morgan uses immigrants as scapegoats
I am blessed to have my incredible paper person put a copy of the Times Colonist on my doorstep in the early morning. My coffee in hand, it is a great delight to turn the pages. Like any senior, regular reader I anticipate the Comment page.
Then, like a dark cloud, I see the byline of Gwyn Morgan.
I relish his columns because it is important to know all sides of an issue and Morgan surely represents the opposing side of most issues for me.
In Wednesday’s column, baiting the hook with the serious housing shortage and the collapsing health-care system we Canadians face, Gwyn spells out the culprits.
Immigrants. Gotcha!
OK, not “immigrants” per se, but immigration. To be exact, the immigration policies of the government intend to allow in one million immigrants. Again.
Morgan blowing the dog whistle is all that is. Cite a problem that affects Canadians and then point a finger.
He talks of expanding government reach and the toxic policies of the current federal government that sees Canadians living in tents and dying on waitlists.
Blame it on the Liberals in order to see the Conservatives get into power. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre can’t seem to ever say anything positive, but always manages to blame it on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The troubling part of this, though, is that when all is said and done, Morgan is using immigrants as a scapegoat in order to defeat “a national government that doesn’t seem to care.”
Thanks for the paper delivery, Stephen.
Mark R. Fetterly
Victoria
Attention, councillors: You’ll be called for help
I live on lower Douglas Street and am 75 years old. I can only walk a city block.
If Victoria city council completes the parking restrictions they propose, I will not be able to shop by driving whenever I choose.
Therefore, I will be phoning the council members whenever I need groceries or pharmaceutical items.
They will only get one chance to do my request, otherwise I vote for another candidate at election time.
Colin Cameron
James Bay
Thanks to those who know about tax pain
Three cheers for the three Victoria councillors (Chris Coleman, Stephen Hammond, Marg Gardiner) who recognized that Victoria taxpayers can feel pain when the property taxes zoom up as everything else does, too!
Nancy Kenyon
Victoria
A quick lesson on house values and taxes
Just because our modest 1940 house has “increased significantly” in value as it has been our home for many years, does not mean we have extra dollars in our pockets to “contribute a bit more,” as “entirely reasonable” as it seems to Victoria Coun. Dave Thompson.
Claire Jackson
Victoria
MAID rate should worry seniors advocate
I was extremely pleased by comments made by Dan Levitt, B.C.’s new seniors advocate, on changing the narrative on aging from negative to positive and the fear experienced at present when confronted with aging in our society.
As a physician of 40-plus years I also know that the iceberg in our health-care system is the lack of access to good health care within the community and the narrative must reflect the reality. This is particularly crucial for seniors.
This being said, it concerns me that the seniors advocate has chosen as his first priority to “travel to rural and urban centres to hear concerns and produce reports.”
This certainly needs to be an important and ongoing activity but I had hoped for a more focused priority that may well reflect the broader picture.
Considering that almost 60% of medical assistance in dying applicants are from the community at large and not institutions, and that there was a 31 per cent increase in MAID deaths in Canada in 2022 over 2021, I had hoped the first priority would be to focus on why members of our communities are choosing death over life in ever-increasing numbers.
Information derived could save lives and shine needed light on the health and social needs of the community at large.
Dr. Al Wilke (retired)
Salt Spring Island
We need to stop exploiting fossil fuels
Re: “Without fossil fuels, our lives would end,” letter, Jan. 30.
With all due respect to your correspondent who equated (à la Einstein) “fossil fuels = life,” I question his analysis and conclusion that the three elements of life are air, water and oil.
Perhaps he should consider the effect that his petro-element is having on the other two elements. One only has to look at the effects of the oil sands operation on the life-giving water in the area; or consider the effects of oil-driven global climate change on the vast oceans; or acknowledge the effects wildfire smoke and plastic particulates have on the air we breathe.
What happens to life when all that is left is fossil fuel?
Oil was a bounty that we have exploited and misused. Ignoring the proven science and continuing that misuse and the resulting degradation of the other essential elements will surely be, as he says, “end times for us.”
Warren Wolfe
North Saanich
We can overcome the need for oil
Oil (from fossils) is not a necessity of life. It has become the core of convenience for the past few generations.
It’s old trees, which is old sun.
Solar energy is needed for human life. We just need a clean way to store it.
Fossil fuels are a dirty convenience. Exploiting conveniences are easy, and oil’s ease of enhancing war machines makes it seem like a necessity.
We are unlikely to kick the oil-in-war-machinery habit anytime soon, but the general population’s need for oil can be overcome by the convenience of electricity.
We are there everywhere except transportation, and that’s coming fast for transport on land.
Bill Yearwood
Victoria
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