Thanks for a stranger’s random act of kindness
Once in a while the kindness of a stranger touches your life. I was driving with a friend to Langford last week and had stopped at a red light on the Pat Bay Highway at Sayward.
I noticed the driver of a large construction truck behind me put on his flashers and jump out of his truck. He ran towards me, so I opened my window, and he pointed to my rear tire, and said “You have a flat!”
I pulled into the service station on my right, and my tire was almost completely flat. The wonderful mechanics found a nail in my tire and I had the tire replaced.
I wanted to pass on my thanks to the trucker for his quick action that potentially saved us from a bad accident. Thank you!
Mary-Ethel Audley
North Saanich
Sensitivity training needed with letters
Re: “If ‘monarch’ a problem, try another term,” letter, May 20.
Expressing opinions in intelligent and sensitive ways should be the hallmark of the Comment page. When I write, I like to throw in a little “cheek” too, while trying to maintain sensitive intelligence.
The letter writer who suggested thinking of the new king as “hereditary chief” missed the sensitivity training.
The Times Colonist should do better than that.
Mark R. Fetterly
Victoria
Canada as a republic? No benefit to that
To those who question whether our constitutional monarchy is still relevant, consider what the alternative might be.
We would become a republic, which can take various forms. I think the United States has shown by example that their version, which has the head of state and the head of government in one person, does not work very well.
Republics in Europe keep their head of state and head of government in separate entities.
To translate that model to Canada, it would mean that all of our House of Commons, all of our Senate, and representatives of all provinces would have to vote to elect a head of state.
If such unanimity were to occur, we would presumably end up with a distinguished Canadian as president (head of state), and prime minister elected as usual.
But do we not have a form of that already? We have a governor general, who is the king’s representative in Canada, and lieutenant governors in each province.
Canada was founded as a constitutional monarchy based on the British model, and this has formed the basis of our Canadian culture.
New immigrants may not totally understand the connection to the monarchy, but they want to be part of the Canadian culture.
We worry about losing our Canadian identity to our neighbour to the south; our constitutional monarchy keeps us distinct. Think of it as our “wall.”
What benefit would result from becoming a republic? Canada is respected as a stable nation with a way of life which is the envy of the world. Be careful what you wish for.
Christine Diemer
Victoria
General manager is not a job for a whiner
As someone who has been involved with hockey in many forms for 70 years, I had to smile when Leafs GM Kyle Dubas spoke to the media following Toronto’s elimination in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
He was more concerned about the stress his job had placed on his family and wasn’t certain that he wanted to stay as GM. Shortly after that, his agent told the Leafs that Dumas might return, but wanted more money.
When a person tells the world that his family problems seem to take precedence over his job, which is at the highest level in sports, he’s gone!
Toronto’s president is Brendan Shanahan and Dubas’ boss. Shanahan is a tough former NHL star and a tough executive.
He was not impressed with Dubas crying the blues publicly, then asking for more money and appearing to put other things in front of his concern for the future of the Leafs. He fired the 37-year-old Dubas.
Today’s young up-and-coming people need to learn, and will learn the hard and expensive way, to keep whining to yourself. When you are making that kind of money, you and yours need to accept that it will always be stressful!
Jim Laing
Saanich
Rich are already paying their share, thank you
Re: “Tax the rich, help those who are struggling,” letter, May 20.
So a survey says 89 per cent of Canadians want a wealth tax that will predominantly apply to the richest one per cent.
What a shock! People support taxing someone else! What would the survey results have been if the question was “do you support a wealth tax on the richest Canadians if your taxes also increase by a significant amount?”
By the way, in 2020, the top one per cent of Canadian earners made 22 per cent of the total income in Canada and paid 42 per cent of the income tax in Canada. Apparently the rich are paying more than their share already.
Richard Lewanski
Sidney
Not everyone wants Victoria to take charge
Re: “Municipal tax increases are hard to justify,” editorial, May 19.
To quote the editorial: ‘Victoria could likewise take on a similar responsibility for Oak Bay, Esquimalt and the West Shore. Of course that would require political courage.’
No, it would take political stupidity, not courage. I recently moved from Esquimalt (which I loved for the past 10 years) to Colwood (where I grew up and also love).
I moved farther from downtown Victoria — to be farther from downtown. I love my new neighbourhood and don’t need it Victorianized by people who don’t represent me, but their pet projects.
I don’t need politicians telling me how I need to densify my neighbourhood.
Victoria reaps what it sows. As the economic powerhouse of the region, it should charge a higher tax to those who do business there rather than complain that us outliers who don’t go there should share in the cost of their prosperity.
There are reasons (as explained by numerous letters to the editor) I don’t go downtown anymore, if I don’t need to.
I will gladly pay the extra 0.28 per cent property tax increase, compared to Victoria, to keep Victoria out of Colwood. Victoria doesn’t need more “responsibility,” it needs to fix their current responsibilities, not add more.
Aaron Malmgren
Colwood (happily)
Got a problem to fix? Spend, and spend more
Re: “We can do better to embrace the value of region’s downtown,” commentary, May 18.
“All has been revealed,” unintentionally mind you, in the collaborative submission from the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, theB.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association, Downtown Victoria Business Association, and the Urban Development Institute – Capital Region.
They have joined, likely unintentionally, the collectivist mindset, which is groupthink run amok.
The collectivist mindset is about subordination to “the collective,” (which is embodied in the public sector) and collectivists portray their end-goals as “noble” or even “utopian,” hence mistakes/misjudgments are to be forgiven and forgotten. The end justifies the means.
The “collective good” is increasingly determined by the public sector these days, hence the article’s plea for collaborative dialogue “so we can come up with a plan together to start the undoubtedly long journey of solving these issues.”
The ‘we’ references public sector administrations who are the “gatekeepers,” who pretty much determine what does and does not happen within their jurisdictions.
Unfortunately, it is common among public sector collectivists to demonize capitalism, hence any approved policy decisions are likely to result in higher public spending with another bureaucracy expansion, which of course brings additional expenses to the taxpayer.
Just more of what now exists. No matter the problem, the remedy is always spend ... spend ... spend … which makes it rather obvious “about where things have gone wrong.”
Ken Lane
Saanich
Measure the true cost of having a vehicle
Re: “Government Street staying pedestrian-focused,” May 19.
Kudos to Victoria council and their forward-thinking policies regarding dissuading the use of automobiles.
My wife and I own a 2014 SUV. We also live within two kilometres walking (or cycling) distance of almost every amenity anyone could want or need, from a beach to a major hospital.
Considering the damage gasoline-burning vehicles do to the environment, we have been pondering selling and buying an electric vehicle in the next few years.
Our present thinking, however, has shifted to believing that too many cars are the problem, gas burning or electric. The present explosion in battery production and future massive exponential demand for batteries looks to be as dangerous to the environment as burning fossil fuels.
The growing demands for energy needed to continue to expand the economy are insidious and relentless and it is questionable just who is benefiting. This is the real problem. We are leaning toward not having a car. Walking, cycling, taxis, car rentals, EVO, Uber, public transportation, all provide ample choices and will definitely lead to a reduction of energy demands in general and transportation costs in particular.
While owning a vehicle can be seen as a freedom and certainly a convenience, the cost is far too high, both to the environment and one’s own cost of living. Not owning a car means more of a lifestyle adjustment than a loss of freedom. And it’s great for the environment, too!
Robert Milan
Victoria
Someone needs help, we should stop and help
Where is the humanity? The other day I found an man unconcious in the middle of a busy sidewalk in downtown Victoria laying face down with the sun’s heat beating on him. It was 11 a.m. He was not well. People walked around and over him. No one asked if he was OK.
He is someone’s son. He is someone’s grandson. He could be a partner, brother, beloved uncle, employee. We don’t know.
What I do know is that it took very little effort for me to show him some care and he responded in kind.
In order for our society and our communties to flourish, we need to show that we care. How would you feel if that was you on the sidewalk being ignored by all those witnesses?
Nicola Oldham
Victoria
All that traffic blocking comes at a high price
The citizens of Victoria continue to suffer daily through road closures, slip-lane eliminations, turning restrictions, straight-lane eliminations, bollard installations, speed bumps, potholes, traffic jams where there used to be none, emergency vehicle blockage, and coincidentally, much more pollution from idling engines.
The city’s Department of Euphemisms has worked overtime to come up with terms that will make all of this palatable — and they have been creative: traffic flow blockage is now “transportation improvement” and road obstructions are now “traffic calming”.
And what does this cost the already overburdened taxpayer?
Well, I have received a “Message from the Mayor” along with the property tax notice (tax increased, of course).
The 2023 city budget as laid out should only be read by those of a very strong constitution. The cost of movement blockage in the city is listed as $11.7 million for “road rehabilitation,” plus $22.1 million for “multi-modal corridor improvements” (think of this as you wait in a long line on Cook Street), $741,000 for new crosswalks and “upgraded crossing locations” (read: concrete projections into the street), and $489,000 for “traffic calming measures” listed as “speed humps” and “curb extensions: and “medians” (read: concrete islands in the middle of the road).
Simply stated, the cost this year to block traffic flow as much as possible will be more than $35 million. Where is this money coming from? And when is the next election?
Gregory Peter Andrachuk
Victoria
Downtown cleanliness should be a priority
While I prepared for my first (and only) trip to Paris 25 years ago, friends cautioned me about the filthy streets. When I threw back the curtains in my hotel room that first morning, I was happily surprised to see workers in green coveralls hosing down the sidewalks.
Each was responsible for keeping the four sides of their one block freshly cleaned each morning. This new initiative was the result of a new mayor.
Perhaps we could try that in Victoria now that almost one million dollars is being earmarked to clean up the downtown. “A downtown scrub-up in late June” is not sufficient.
Dianne Woodman
Victoria
In cleaning downtown, don’t forget sidewalks
Nice to hear downtown Victoria will be “cleaned up.” Can the various stains on sidewalks, especially Douglas Street be removed? I want to wear sandals with bare feet. After seeing a street person urinating I realized there aren’t many facilities for them in the central core.
Another problem for everyone downtown.
Susan Maclean
Victoria
They want us to come, so they raise the prices
The City of Victoria wants us to come downtown more often so they extend paid parking hours and increase the parking fees. Have I missed something here?
Sharon White
Saanich
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