Legalizing the illegal

Surely it’s very poor thinking if our elected trustees plan to make the illegal suites on the island legal.

All you’d need to do after that is create an illegal suite and demand the same treatment.

Where is the guarantee that the present illegal suites can provide adequate water and sewage needs? There might be plenty of water this year but that does not place any guarantees that it will last … to say nothing of the additional pressure on the land and its use. That, along with population increase that was not intended is not fair or good planning.

I have real problems with the amount of planning and recommendations that the current Islands Trust planners are bringing forward. They were NOT elected to speak for the island.

As for advocating for more suites, we should think about the effects on the population of the island. This is a small, rural community and we should strive to keep it as such.

Meetings

At the last meeting to discuss the planning for the island, it was suggested that the next meeting should be closed (private). Closed, secret meetings are not appropriate. Anything that we have to suggest on behalf of the public and the community should always be in open.

Communication

Anyone can write their views and comments to the papers. No one person has any advantage, so if you have thoughts on planning or anything else - now’s the time … send in your views.

Relief

The amount of money raised all over Canada for Haitian relief has been magnificent. As was pointed out on a CBC programme, there are very many needy families and children in this country - what exactly is to be done about it? (Obviously not as awful as in Haiti, but there are real needs.)

It’s always more exciting to send money somewhere else.

Large building

It was observed in the last Shingle that there’s a very large building going in near the T & T. Was there a survey done before the construction and planning for this place and if so what did it say?

Good winter

We have enjoyed fantastic weather for months and flowering trees and flowers are blooming. Vancouver and Victoria have been talking about this for some time and very pretty too!

Caution

There are ongoing warnings in various papers regarding toys being bought in China and imported to this country. The US has withdrawn most of them – Canada has not.

Moreover, almost all the goods being prepared for the Olympics are also being brought in from China. Even the mascots are made there. What a shame that the money is not being spent on local firms.

The cost of visiting the Olympics is horrendous.

Soon starting

Early kindergarten will soon start in the district and about fifty per cent of the eligible youngsters are enrolling. The Government wants this to happen but is not providing adequate funding so there will probably be a loss of some programmes.

Patches

As you will notice, our highways here on the island are something of a gathering of patches with bits of new road on top of old where there was damage. Not the best to travel on.