Homegrown talent ignored in ferry purchase
Re: “Norway leads the way with zero-emission ferries,” letter, Jan. 30.
It would be interesting to hear a much more detailed rationale from B.C. Ferries, and from the B.C. government, about the bypassing of Ballard, a homegrown pioneer in energy-saving motive power, and B.C. Ferries’ purchase of two new hybrid ferries in Romania. Are they better — or just cheaper — than any homegrown alternative?
Far from cheering the new ferries’ arrival on the back of a transporter all the way across the Atlantic, through the Panama Canal and up the Pacific, I found it sad to see yet more foreign-made goods displacing homegrown talent and effort, being piggybacked all the way from Europe.
Was it — as with the Johnson Street Bridge — just money? I haven’t noticed a shortage of that in B.C.
In a demonstrably changing economic world, plus global warming, isn’t the chief priority to actively encourage homegrown Canadian talent? At whatever cost?
It’s here in spades. It’s the ultimate source of pride — and more business. Yet so often, it’s trumped by money, and fear of having less.
Ian Laval
Brentwood Bay
Create homes for all before luxury hotels
How lovely to “usher in” yet another destination and landmark to our beautiful city.
It is puzzling to me that average-income people are living in their vehicles while our Victoria Downtown Residents Association hosts Merchant House Capital’s pitch to build a 20-storey luxury hotel catering to business travellers and the tech industry.
Am I missing something? How does this fulfil the Victoria Downtown Residents Association mission statement to promote a diverse, vibrant and safe downtown?
What I am not missing when I dig a little deeper is that Merchant House is dedicated, and I quote, “to create a positive outcome for investors.”
Who, I wonder, is investing where ... and for whom? What kind of city are we creating here? And for whom?
I would also usher and welcome in this trailblazing high-rise if it was built with a different intention.
Meanwhile, every morning as I drive to work, I see tent cities, steamed-up vehicles and motor homes trying their best not to infringe upon the so-called vibrancy of our once-diverse city.
It is shameful we are not first building housing for low- and medium-income residents.
Tracy Wragg
View Royal
We need more vehicle-charging stations
Re: “We need more green space, less pavement,” comment, Jan. 29.
I agree that proposed developments should not always be required to have so many parking spaces, but I might also add that for those parking spaces that are installed, there needs to be a requirement for developers to install a higher percentage of electric-charging stations.
In the past few years, there has been a surge of electric vehicles, and often the token two or three charging stations at, for example, some malls, are completely inadequate. I have heard the same complaint for condo developments.
I don’t mind paying for the juice with my B.C. Hydro, ChargePoint, or FLO access card — even if this might one day also include a road-replacement tax.
Jeff Stanhope
North Saanich
It’s history, so leave it alone
Sorry, but I am getting really upset with all the so-called do-gooders who want to change our history by changing names of buildings or taking down statues.
All that is our history. Is there one individual checking everyone we learned about in school?
Leave well enough alone. Check out some of our prime ministers past and present, you will be surprised.
Charles Benson
Parksville
Emissions from a fleet of feet
While pondering the discussion around free bus passes for youth and Victoria councillor Jeremy Loveday’s call to shift our transportation investments from higher-emitting types of transportation to lower-emitting ones, I was reminded of my schooldays when most of the student population travelled on a “fleet of feet.”
Although we weren’t all necessarily fleet of foot and sometimes had to deal with the consequences, the emissions were definitely lower and easily negated with soap and water and a change of socks.
Paul Redchurch
Oak Bay
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