Hey, mayor and council: Condemn bridge protests
One of these days, one of these unlawful bridge closing actions is going to result in the death of somebody’s loved one, because first responders could not get through the chaos to do their vital jobs.
This nonsense must end, and Victoria’s mayor and council must condemn it immediately and unequivocally.
Trevor Amon
Victoria
Johnson Street Bridge protest misses its target
It is 5 p.m. on Tuesday, and the Johnson Street Bridge has been closed for a while. It seems to be due to a protest.
From what I can see from my window, the traffic is gridlocked throughout Vic West. I cannot see what the protest is about, but I would like the protesters to know that I am much less likely to support your cause, when I find out what it is.
If it is a cause that I already support, I will be very disappointed. You have just caused a significant increase in exhaust emissions, which is reprehensible, and annoyed a whole range of people just going home from work.
Congratulations! Do you think you increased public support for your cause?
Steve LeBel
Victoria
Mobs at rallies are getting tiring
Who are these people shouting, swearing and acting like children having a tantrum? Are they being paid? Why do they think such acts are OK? Do they have children?
I’m tired of seeing campaign signs torn down. I’m disgusted at seeing their ugly rants on the news. Who are they?
Gerald Marantz
Parksville
Emergency measures needed to fight pandemic
Emergencies demand action. Here is one suggestion.
COVID-19 cases continue to climb and the cases are largely among unvaccinated people older than 12 years.
It is certainly your choice if you refuse vaccination, but, since this exposes other people to COVID, and we have limited data on long-term consequences of infections, there are other rights to consider.
One is the exhaustion of medical staff to deal with hospital cases, and another rarely discussed is the cost to our public health system. I suggest that we require COVID hospitalizations of unvaccinated people to be charged for as though they are, like non-residents, not covered by our taxpayer-funded medical system.
This could result in hospitalization costs of hundreds of dollars a day for those who choose not to become vaccinated and then get COVID, and is all preventable by getting a vaccination, which some people refuse to do.
A pandemic is an emergency and requires emergency measures.
Charles Krebs
North Saanich
Don’t blame Collins for pursuing her career
Re: “Has Laurel Collins apologized to Victoria?” letter, Aug. 27.
I find the criticism of Laurel Collins to be unreasonably harsh. Realistically we all purse our careers with the view of making the best of ourselves and providing for our families.
Inevitably, resignations from a post are likely to result in inconvenience and cost to an employer or employing authority. This is a fact of life.
However, when opportunities for advancement arise, they can only be taken at the time at which they present themselves. To argue otherwise would be hypercritical.
In the present case I feel that Collins has shown compassionate concern in representing all her constituents, and as far as I’m concerned, although I have sone policy differences with her party, deserves to be re-elected.
John Lover
Oak Bay
Ed Asner was committed to his beliefs
Many thanks for the obituary for Ed Asner. He came to Toronto in the early 1980s to meet the widow of Chilean president Salvador Allende, who committed suicide rather than submit to the Pinochet coup in 1973.
He also raised money for the people of El Salvador during the civil war of the 1980s.
Somehow he managed a long and varied Hollywood acting career in spite of Hollywood boycotts because of his beliefs. He was open-handed and open-minded. A real gent who will be remembered long after most Hollywood actors.
Alison Acker
Victoria
Hold Liberal candidates to the same standard
The Liberal Party has given Ontario candidate Raj Saini the green light to seek re-election for his third term as an MP despite a series of allegations of inappropriate behaviour toward young female staff that spanned his six years in office.
How can Prime Minister Justin Trudeau allow this to happen after the way senior military officers have been treated by the federal government?
Politicians should (must) be held to the same high standard of personal conduct as expected from our senior military officers. There should be no free pass.
John Gabel
Saanich
Working for better Saanich infrastructure
Kids are heading back to school next week. That means kids and parents will be walking, riding and scooting to and from school.
Making the trip to school with our kids on foot, bike, board or scooter is a great idea. It creates a lifelong joy of walking and riding, builds skills and confidence as young commuters, and reduces vehicle congestion and carbon pollution.
The good news is that Saanich has some great sidewalks and bike lanes on routes to school. Unfortunately, there’s also some pretty poor walking and riding infrastructure — certainly not safe places for kids to walk or ride.
This year, I started a group called Better Mobility Saanich. BMS is made up of Saanich residents from all over the community who are interested in improving road safety for all road users.
As parents and kids map their routes to school and start their daily trips, we’re asking them to let us know about those precarious places where walking and riding gets tricky or even dangerous.
BMS will work with those folks, the area community association and Saanich to focus on road safety improvements in those places with poor or non-existent walking and riding infrastructure.
Active school travel is a road safety priority. Let’s work together to make every trip to and from school safe for kids and parents.
Get in touch with BMS:
facebook.com/groups/bettermobility
twitter.com/MobilitySaanich
Dean Murdock
Better Mobility Saanich
Protect ocean waters from cruise-ship waste
As the cruise ship industry starts up again, we need to apply “build back better.”
Cruise ships are responsible for ocean pollution, climate pollution and noise pollution. Solutions are available to lower all of this.
New, stronger regulation is sorely needed. For example, pre-pandemic cruise travel put more than 32 billion litres of pollution into B.C. coastal waters, whereas Washington state does not allow any sewage, treated or not, to be dumped into the Salish Sea.
This is a federal election issue. MPs need to insist that Transport Canada review and strengthen its shipping-industry regulations. Otherwise, the Salish Sea will continue to be a toilet bowl.
Jane Welton
Saanich
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