Editor:
The Sunshine Coast is my home, it’s the community that nurtured me, and it’s the place that is imprinted on my very soul.
As a millennial, my generation has been scattered around the world like seeds on the wind. We’ve filled our lives with exploring new horizons, experiencing different traditions and cultures, and learning new skills. But it’s time to come home to the Sunshine Coast. My heart beats with excitement and anticipation, just the same as when my parents picked me up from summer camp so many years ago.
I am now eager to return from the snowy plains of Ontario, so that I can give back to the community which raised me, supported me, and has loved me and my family. But not all is well in wonderland. Sadly, I’ve tried and failed. There are an increasing number of obstacles that stand between my dream and reality: the biggest one being the question of “where would I live?” This is a question that all my peers face. I am too old and too independent to live with my parents or build on their property, and don’t have enough funds for a down payment on an apartment, townhouse or home.
The reality is that there is no affordable housing on the Sunshine Coast, and even overpriced rental stock is snapped up as soon as it is advertised. Yet I know the work is there, and that my skills are needed to make our community better and thrive as we enter 2020 and beyond. How can we address this ongoing problem? If we are going to survive as a community, revive it with fresh blood and ideas, our community needs to accept and support development projects like The George, Touchstone at Gospel Rock, Evolve on Field Road, to name a few. Without these developments and their requirement to provide affordable housing, my dream of returning seems so far away. Recent letters to the Reporter that rail against development certainly don’t help. This is my home! Let me back in!
Please, come to terms with the fact that our cozy, quaint, and quiet community is changing whether you like it or not. We all need to adapt to this new reality, and this reality must accommodate us as well. And yes, hear me when I say that I support development as long as it is environmentally sensitive, accessible, low-impact, mixed-use, sustainable, affordable, and inclusive.
One day I would like to become an independent and successful member of our community, but I won’t be able to achieve this goal unless we allow growth and development to occur. For with it come lots of opportunities for young adults like me, who want to move out of the crowded and overpriced Metro Vancouver area and into a community where we can contribute our passion towards making it better for current and future generations. If you continue to stall growth, you are denying us all this chance.
Katherine Alexandra, Kingston, Ont.
