Wonderful dog had Salish markings
I was interested to read the front page story telling of the demise of the Salish woolly dog, a breed that is widely considered to be extinct.
The original breed may, in fact, be extinct, but traces of the Salish woolly have, in our family’s experience, survived.
After our first dog passed at the age of 16, we went searching for another dog to love and care for. Fortunately for us, we found a group of folks who regularly drove up-Island to a small community that had many puppies ready for adoption.
One of the puppies brought down Island had a number of the typical markings of the earlier Salish woolly dogs. A woman pointed to a small, white, furry ball of fluff and said, “Now that one — she’s special.”
We adopted her on the spot.
My anthropologist daughter found, as the article states, the woolly dogs were kept on an island in order to maintain the genetic line of the breed.
Our Maggie had many of the markings of the original Salish dogs, though ours had clearly been a mix of Salish and other breeds.
We called her our angel — smart and gentle, one could conceivably make a blanket out of all the fur we brushed from her. We often wondered if the “rescuer” who scooped her up might accidentally have brought one of the resident’s own dogs to us.
We had her for 11 beautiful years, and we miss her still. A photo of Maggie hangs on our wall.
Pamela Porter
North Saanich
Christmas thanks to the handyDART drivers
I had the pleasure of riding on handyDART’s Santa-themed bus while being driven home from the renal unit at Royal Jubilee Hospital.
Since it was dark outside, the lights and decorations inside the bus were particularly impressive, and the driver mentioned that the bus was the same one that I had seen in the truck parade the previous week, except that the outside lights were not lit up on this evening.
And, as always, the driver and her spirited conversation made the evening drive home a pleasant and enjoyable journey.
Thank you, handyDART, for keeping the lights twinkling throughout the season. Thanks to the employees who outfitted the Christmas bus, and my ongoing appreciation to all staff and drivers who ensure that my trips to the renal unit are safe and comfortable.
Larry Westbrook
James Bay
Santa’s message to Victoria drivers
1. Only Rudolph’s nose should be lit while driving.
2. Reckless drivers are worse than fruit cake.
3. Put down the phone — Santa is watching.
4 Texting and driving put you on the naughty list.
5. Don’t be a Grinch, let them merge.
6. Ho ho ho, please drive slow.
Happy Holidays everyone!
S.D. Siemens
Victoria
A small sign of support has a huge impact
Perhaps for someone it is just a two colour fabric — uniform rectangles, blue at the top and yellow at the bottom. For many it is a symbol of freedom and dignity — the national flag of Ukraine.
From the beginning of the full-scale invasion, about 1,500 Ukrainians came to Victoria, fleeing the terrible Russian war in Ukraine. Many have lost their home and possessions, some have lost someone beloved, and most of us could not even imagine that one day we would arrive on Vancouver Island.
One of the first things that surprised me in Victoria was the quantity of Ukrainian flags: a huge one in front of the Saanich municipality office; two big flags, Canadian and Ukrainian, on a house; a small sticker on a car; tiny blue and yellow ribbons tied on a backpack.
Do you know how crucial that small sign of support is? Maybe not every Ukrainian will dare to approach to you on the street to express our enormous gratitude.
However, we, indeed, feel safer when we see our national flag because it is a testament of unity of different people on the side of good; moreover, it is an assurance of the victory of democracy, the Ukrainian victory; finally, it is a reminder about home to which many of us strive to return.
On behalf of Ukrainians I would like to say thank you to Canadians for both visible, in particular the blue and yellow, and invisible signs of support.
Olha Chaplia
Victoria
Things were better with Liberals in power
Re: “Health care is in trouble, but Falcon has no answers,” editorial, Dec. 15.
When the NDP assumed power in 2017 they accessed a budget surplus of $6 billion. The province was booming.
During the B.C. Liberals’ reign, there were no residents committing suicide as a result of inadequate cancer care. Cancer care was the best in the country.
The NDP decriminalized dangerous drugs, and overdose deaths skyrocketed to seven a day. Deaths among a record number of homeless are at record numbers as well. Under the Liberals these unfortunate issues were absolutely under control, and very seldom a matter of discussion. How about the revolving door criminal justice system we are now exposed to ?
If the Liberals were still in power there would be a 10-lane bridge leading from the Tsawwassen terminal to the rest of the Lower Mainland.
The NDP approved the Community Benefits Agreement, a union dominated organization, which doubles the cost of building, including hospitals and schools. This was never a priority for the Liberals, who espoused a private/public partnership approach to building.
An Indigenous child is horrendously murdered by his parents, without, unbelievably, any investigation by the NDP nor a single comment from Premier David Eby.
The Liberals and Falcon were not perfect but please read the brilliant letter “Time is up the NDP, let others try,” in the Dec.16 edition.
H.J. Rice
Saanich
Microchips to make finding seniors easier
I do not understand why missing seniors are such a problem. The solution is so simple and we don’t need an “Amber Alert” system to fix it.
Why don’t people have their wandering relatives/friends “chipped”? You can use anklets or wristlets like the ones that are used on criminals to track them. Or even better and less obtrusive, microchips. I have used them on my cat and was able to track him down very easily on my phone.
I can hear people screaming that humans are not animals. No, they are not but they are in danger and we need a simple inexpensive way to monitor them in case we do lose them.
Frankly, I would rather “chip” a friend or relative so I could locate them rather than wait for the police to find their bodies.
Kate Sarginson
Victoria
Expand roadside checks to vehicle condition
Since it is the season of CounterAttack roadside checks, why don’t we double down and get some of the non-roadworthy vehicles off the road?
Some days, I swear nearly half of the vehicles I see have: only one headlight, only one brake light, a hole in the muffler and a single use temporary spare tire that has been on clearly for weeks.
Grant Maxwell
Nanaimo
Pleasant memories of Centennial Fountain
So Victoria council is planning to remove the fountain from Centennial Square rather than refurbish it — which, incidentally, should have been done on a regular basis anyway.
Over the span of two generations since it was built in the 1960s, that square and that fountain have played host to several million people as a perfect respite to a jumbled and pushy downtown — for me, a spot to grab a sandwich from the Dutch Bakery and sit in the sun for a bit.
I know that as a senior now I should perhaps be more sensitive, but I can’t help but think that council members must be ridiculous, self-absorbed people to contemplate such a move.
Mark Smith
Nanaimo
Decisions needed to improve housing
Around a festive Christmas table each of us was asked to speak to what we were grateful for. When it was my turn I said how grateful I was to step outside in just a light jacket and make my way to my destination without needing to fight snow, ice and treacherous driving conditions.
I relocated to Victoria seven years ago and I still feel grateful every day for Victoria’s beautiful climate, setting and beauty.
I lived in Winnipeg, a place that most people are loathe to move to. I am so grateful to now live in a place that is the polar opposite (pun intended).
As others around the table also said, I am grateful to be a citizen of a peaceful and democratic country. I am grateful that I was free to relocate to Victoria despite there being so many of us wanting to do this.
But, because of this freedom, governments need to make decisions about how to accommodate those who are here, and those who continue to come.
My gratitude also includes every decision made by governments to have the housing that people need and can afford available.
Joanne Thibault
Victoria
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