Reviving Gorge Park’s Japanese tea house
Since its inception, I have been involved with the initiative to re-establish a Japanese tea house in Kinsmen Gorge Park with financial support from the McLoughlin Amenity Fund.
Though I am not of Japanese descent, I am an Esquimalt resident and long-time frequenter of the park and its Japanese Garden.
The destruction and loss of the original Japanese tea house, Canada’s first, is a tragic and painful reminder of the not-so-distant past. However, the story need not end there. It has been my hope that through this initiative we might galvanize support for a facility that not only commemorates, but celebrates the vibrancy and cross-cultural appeal of the original.
The Township of Esquimalt is considering proposals for a multi-purpose facility near the site of the original tea house. Whether such a facility will commemorate the tea house or reflect Japanese architectural design is something that you, the reader of this letter, could decide. You can do so by going to the Township of Esquimalt website (esquimalt.ca) and indicating your preference.
Greater Victoria, as a community, has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to right an injustice and embrace an aspect of its history which is truly an asset. I hope that you will join me in supporting the Japanese tea house initiative so that together we can transform a source of shame into a source of pride and enjoyment for future generations.
Dan Armstrong
Victoria
Include electric trams in our transport system
Re: “A diverse transport system benefits everyone,” comment, Sept. 10.
A diverse transport system that truly benefits everyone would include trams and trolley buses that are environmentally friendlier than buses.
Victoria got rid of electric streetcars in 1947. Now the city does seem to have the resources and interest to rebuild the tram system. Bike lanes are not evil (nor are they being implemented well), but neither are they a true solution to the environment and the transportation problems in Victoria.
Anna Cal
Victoria
A motoring family that also cycles, rides the bus
Re: “A diverse transport system benefits everyone,” comment, Sept. 10.
Although we are a two-vehicle family who regularly use the roads, we also walk, run, cycle and use public transport.
It was fascinating to read the data/facts the writer assembled around the issue. Well done. And seems a bit of a wake-up call for car drivers (us included), who should possibly be paying a special-purpose road tax, as they do in some countries, simply to level the playing field.
Let there be peace indeed.
Dan Massey
Victoria
Bike lanes from an Edmonton perspective
As an Edmontonian displaced to your city, it was with great amusement that I read the letters criticizing Victoria’s new bicycle lanes. Edmonton has undergone a bike lane renaissance in the previous two years similar to your own, and bike lanes are no less of a contentious issue than here.
Speaking as a bike user for 46 years, and as an outside observer, I would like to offer the following.
Bike lanes are malleable. It is easy to change the infrastructure in response to emerging issues such as traffic conflict. Edmonton has already changed its bike network several times. I encourage you to reach out to city officials and let them know what you think doesn’t work. Edmonton did this as well. Patience.
Motorists complaining about no helmets and riding on the sidewalk need to get their baby blankets and have a nap. Bicycling responsibly is an exercise in risk mitigation. I do not wear a helmet and I have no intention of ever doing so; this is because my riding style is slow and measured. My personal risk analysis tells me that a helmet would be superfluous for me. Riders who choose to ride at car speed in traffic should probably wear a helmet. In between, there is a giant grey area where the only one getting hurt is the cyclist.
For every motorist anecdote about a cyclist running a red, disrupting traffic, or any one of the raft of their complaints, I have an anecdote of a motorist disrupting a cyclist. These anecdotes are pointless, and represent only a tiny blip in the tens of thousands of successful cyclist-motorist interactions that occur every day.
Cyclists are not going away. We have to learn to live together. It’s better to light a candle than curse the darkness.
Colin Anderson
Edmonton
Restaurant shouldn’t have been closed
Re: “Forced to shut, Nanoose Bay’s Rusted Rake says farewell,” Sept. 10.
As long-time Nanoose Bay residents, my wife and I read your article regarding the Rusted Rake closing with interest — and no small measure of anger.
During our two decades in this great community, we had noticed one deficiency, which was the lack of a moderately priced, high-quality restaurant. The opening of the Rusted Rake was, therefore, a welcome development for Nanoose Bay residents as confirmed by the high level of patronage the restaurant enjoyed. Now, astonishingly enough, it appears the government is forcing them out of business, despite the fact that they offer a needed service, have kept to the highest standards of conduct and hurt no one except, it seems, a gaggle of intrusive bureaucrats.
I read your entire well-written article and conclude the bureaucracy has created so many entangling, obscure and worthless regulations that it is inflicting much more harm than good on our community.
Can they not simplify our lives by reducing these complexities instead of continually adding expensive and aggravating bodies of new laws and regulations?
Leonard Melman
Nanoose Bay
Mourning the loss of the Rusted Rake
Re: “Forced to shut, Nanoose Bay’s Rusted Rake says farewell,” Sept. 10.
It feels like our community is in mourning. In our rapidly growing area, this farm and restaurant has become a daily meeting place providing good food, gardening advice, and products, while adding visual beauty to the area.
This forced closure is an injustice. It boggles my mind why government officials did not step in with valid suggestions and an open mind.
Gail Brighton
Nanoose Bay
Paying fair share for Victoria policing
Re: “Region shouldn’t pay for Victoria’s policing costs,” letter, Sept. 10.
The letter-writer contends that the people who come to work in Victoria from other municipalities shouldn’t pay for Victoria’s policing costs because it’s not them who are causing the problems police respond to. This is a very narrow view of the realities.
Thousands of people come in to Victoria every day from other municipalities not only to work, but also to enjoy the services, entertainment, arts and yes, bars. As a result of its vibrant life, which attracts these people, Victoria incurs not only the policing needs around bars, but especially the needs associated with the homeless and addicted.
Don’t the people of the other municipalities need the jobs and cultural things that bring them to Victoria? If all those jobs, bars, restaurants and theatres were in Metchosin, doesn’t the writer realize that Metchosin would be drastically changed and have all the crime, addiction and homelessness to take care of? Or if those jobs disappeared, how would the writer pay for his life in Metchosin? The writer and others like him are members of a larger community who benefit greatly in all spheres of their lives from what Victoria has to offer. Shouldn’t paying for that be part of their responsibility?
Richard Volet
Victoria
The rest of the country ignored our storm
B.C. is the forgotten province. I have been following the coverage of the hurricane that hit the Maritimes as I have three very dear friends living in Nova Scotia.
But flash back to Dec. 20, 2018. We had one hell of a storm on the Island. Many people were without power for over a week or more. Yet no military showed up, no prime minister parachuted in for a selfie (thank goodness) and we were basically left on our own. B.C. Hydro did an amazing job with the help of out-of-town crews. And neighbour helped neighbour.
But at the end of the day, the rest of the country didn’t give a damn.
Karen Mullen
Ladysmith
Congratulations for two exciting triumphs
Re: “Celebrating two triumphs,” Sept. 8.
Wow! What a wonderful front page in the Sunday Times Colonist. Exciting triumphs for Jeanne Socrates and Bianca Andreescu. The world is watching as these two women, one a teen and the other a little older, are making all Canadians very proud. Congratulations to both.
W.E. Morrison
Victoria
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