In this election, every vote will count
Re: “B.C. party leaders’ debate highlights differing visions,” letter, Oct. 9.
John Rustad’s distorted perception of reality and apparent lack of appreciation for truth, facts and evidence is alarming. What’s next? Environmentalists “seen” eating cats and dogs?
The BC Conservative leader’s promise to “get government out of the way” is equally sad — and horribly frightening. (Has anyone told him a key function of government is to protect the public interest?) That same “capitalism rules” credo (touted by Ronald Reagan and Stephen Harper) allowed the oil and gas industry to continue expanding even after their own science showed their product was causing climate instability.
Had the governments of the day held the industry to account early on. … Well, you know how that sentence ends.
Premier David Eby’s flipflop on the carbon tax and his Tweedledee/Tweedledum platform of “climate change is real” and “we can expand LNG” is also distressing. (Has anyone told him a key function of government is to protect the public interest?)
Green Leader Sonia Furstenau is clearly the only adult in the room. Just ask young people, paralyzed with anxiety by the future they face.
Elections B.C. reports the turnout of young voters (under age 34) in the 2020 election was 42.35% — compared to 66.2% among older adults (age 65 and over). Is it any wonder? (Alas, the 53.9% total voter turnout does not point to a robust democracy.)
A message to the (few) young people who (might) read this: Please vote. Your voice matters more than ever.
Karyn Woodland
Colwood
American tactics in Canadian politics
Canada imports many things from the United States, some good and some bad. Among the most deplorable recent imports is American-style political discourse.
One of the American presidential candidates repeatedly refers to his opponent as a Communist, Marxist, and fascist. His running mate states to the press that it is OK to lie and make up stories in order to direct the press’s attention to issues he wishes to focus upon.
In recent days, we see evidence of this repugnant style in our beloved British Columbia.
A large sign posted on a Vancouver billionaire’s front yard calls the NDP Communist, and the leader of a major B.C. political party agrees with the statement.
During the party leaders’ debate, that same leader made up a story, later debunked by the coroner’s office, about witnessing a fatal overdose on the way to the debate in order to highlight the deplorable condition to which British Columbia has descended.
All this on top of the proliferation in recent years of ad hominem insults, deranged shouting, and spreading ridiculous conspiracy delusions as forms of political debate.
We need to stop this trend and eliminate this American pollution of our Canadian political atmosphere. Politicians who engage in or encourage such behaviour, if not expelled from their party, should be punished at the polls.
Bradley Woodruff
Victoria
Flaws in overhaul of Mann Avenue
Saanich council thanked Saanich staff members for preparing the Mann Avenue presentation presented to council on Oct. 7 after Mann Avenue residents had their opportunity to speak, even though staff admitted they made a mistake only giving residents two days notice all street parking was being removed in order to install protected bike lanes, that the counting machine they used to count the traffic was not accurate for counting cyclists, and that ICBC and Saanich police have reported zero incidents between cars and cyclists using Mann Avenue.
Continuing to forge ahead with this $475,000 project which using the number they “think” will statistically benefit is an increase of four to 10 cyclists over the next year. Residents asked for a compromise to preserve some parking and improvements to the sidewalk but were told no.
Walking is identified in the active transportation plan yet there are no plans to improve the single narrow sidewalk or install a sidewalk on the opposite side of the road. Folks using the sidewalk which connects to several transit stops, also in the active transportation plan, have to step off the sidewalk for others to pass if they are pushing a stroller, walking a dog on leash or using a mobility device. Pedestrian use will only increase on the sidewalk as visitors and help such as home nursing care, lawn care, and residents access vehicles on side streets and use the sidewalk.
Saanich is picking and choosing which parts of the active transportation plan they wish to support using unsupported data. Consider this at election time.
Mary Ehle
Saanich
Pointless project, contempt for voters
As a long-term commuter cyclist who rides on Mann Avenue daily, I would like to lend my support to the residents afflicted by the new bicycle lane.
Mann Avenue is a straight, wide road with excellent sightlines. It is broad enough for cyclists and cars to co-exist, even with parked cars at the side.
There is no reason to put any bike lane on this street at all, especially of the ludicrous fully-separated variety that have been metastasizing all over Greater Victoria. These lanes may be superficially appealing to novice cyclists, but they effectively turn cyclists into second-class road users by forcing us into tiny segregated paths with little room to avoid road hazards or crossing traffic.
Worst of all, they reinforce the notion that bicycles do not belong on the road.
I have enough experience with our local councils to know that they love nothing more than to throw money at pointless feel-good projects (while steadily raising property taxes), and have nothing but contempt for public sentiment.
The only option is to vote them out wholesale.
Murray Love
Saanich
Better planning, consultation needed
Saanich council is proceeding with their bike lanes along Mann Avenue without any acknowledgement or consideration of how people with extra vehicles because of basement suites, homes that have multi-generational residents that drive, residents with business vehicles etc., will find a place to park.
Council supports the extra housing for people and housing choices are already difficult for many but now makes it ridiculously harder for the residents along Mann by removing parking without a solution. And now everyone along Mann will be backing out of their driveways onto bike lanes. Awesome.
Removing parking spaces from apartments and residences just makes housing more restrictive and difficult to find for those that need parking.
Why is that hard to understand? Saanich council needs to do better both in their planning, consultation and communication. Communication includes listening and comprehension which they don’t seem to master.
C.L. Alexander
Saanich
Island as a province is an appealing idea
As a long-time subscriber to the Times Colonist I am constantly impressed by the levels of common sense and knowledge displayed by the letters submitted by contributors to the Comment page; most recently the suggestion to make Vancouver Island Canada’s 11th province, solving many current concerns.
Whilst house hunting here in the 1970s, having immigrated from England with our large young family, we met a charming older real estate agent who had espoused a similar idea, and who’d realized the same future benefits as today’s writer.
At the time, of course, we were enchanted with Vancouver Island, and Victoria, and felt that his predictions were purely whimsical and quite unnecessary for this little corner of paradise.
Sadly, nobody paid attention to his efforts and now here we are today, with wonderful suggestions (and solutions to so many concerns) being presented by a reader.
Maybe a little “tongue in cheek” but oh, so appealing.
Chris Gabriel
Metchosin
Heat pump program would save lives
As we face the growing threats of climate change, one of the most urgent solutions is the transition to heat pumps in every household.
Heat pumps can heat and cool homes using electricity, drastically reducing our reliance on toxic fossil fuels like oil and gas.
This transition is not just about energy — it’s about protecting vulnerable populations. Extreme heat events put vulnerable populations at risk.
In the B.C. heat dome of 2021, 619 people, many of whom were seniors, died in homes without cooling systems. Heat pumps can save lives by providing life-saving air conditioning during heat waves.
A universal heat pump program, available to both homeowners and renters, would ensure that everyone in Canada has access to this life-saving technology.
The benefits are clear: healthier homes, lower utility bills, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The federal government must act now to bring this program to life with a new public entity that builds, installs, and distributes free heat pumps for all.
Jane Devonshire
Victoria
SEND US YOUR LETTERS
• Email: [email protected]
• Mail: Letters to the editor, Times Colonist, 201-655 Tyee Rd.,Victoria, B.C. V9A 6X5
• Submissions should be no more than 250 words; subject to editing for length and clarity. Provide your contact information; it will not be published. Avoid sending your letter as an email attachment.
