Dallas Road railing reduces impact of waves
The Dallas Road seawall railing was designed and constructed to reduce the impact of wave action along the waterfront.
During winter weather and high tides this railing buffered waves and kept vehicles moving with the exception, occasionally, of closing Dallas Road. The railing not only reduces wave impact but holds back flotsam and jetsam on the road surface, thus allowing for traffic flow. The existing rail system can be rebuilt with the use of epoxy resins at far less cost than replacement, saving millions of taxpayers’ hard-earned money.
The damage can be filled and the whole surfaces of railing sprayed with epoxy resins, resulting in another 30 or more years of use.
The proposed replacement, with steel railing and wire, would not buffer waves nor stop bark and seaweed from accumulating on the road surface, creating obstructions and traffic delays.
Richard Coles
Victoria
To end U.S. mass killings, defeat the NRA
The headlines read: “Shooting renews debate over gun laws.” Is that all we got? That headline has been the go-to line for decades, with no real result.
It is time to rewrite the headline. “Banning guns has reduced mass killings in the United States.” But of course, that will not happen until the National Rifle Association is silenced, discredited and thrown on the scrap heap of history.
Bill Currie
Victoria
An atomic bomb was dropped, a war was won
The question of the morality of using atomic bombs in 1945 is a debate with no clear solution. There are valid arguments on both sides of that horrific time in human history. However, if Admiral Leahy said that “wars cannot be won by destroying women and children,” evidently he was proven wrong when the Imperial Japanese forces, who had been relentlessly aggressive for years, suddenly surrendered less than a week after Nagasaki was bombed. Sadly, tragically, that appears to be exactly how that war was won.
Colin Gardiner
North Saanich
Speak clearly when leaving a phone message
Many people are hearing impaired and answering machines present a particular difficulty since individuals often speak quickly and not at all clearly.
A recent message received stated the person wanted to return an article used on the altar at church but that was all I could decipher, even with the help of a friend, and the person has not called again. Speaking slowly and clearly also applies to receptionists at businesses, particularly at audiology offices.
S.J. Craig-Merrett
Victoria
Vancouver Street bike lane plan needs another look
Re: “$6.6M bike-lane project to ‘transform’ Vancouver Street in the fall,” Aug. 3.
Bike lanes could easily be built on the verges on Vancouver Street without damaging trees or the root system of the trees. In fact, the bike lane would be protected from traffic because of the curb separating the road from the verge. Victoria council needs to give a better reason for the current plan when less intrusive, and possibly less expensive, options are available.
On the issue of diverting motor traffic onto Cook and Quadra: Cook is bordered by residences and more are being built due to densification. Recent studies have shown that living on a busy road can be a cause of health issues such as heart disease and sleep disturbances, and negatively affect the nervous system. These findings have been supported by a 2011 WHO report titled: “Burden of disease from environmental noise.”
This is a good reason to get more cars off the road; however, until that happens, Quadra and Cook Street residents can expect to be inundated with more noise pollution with the current traffic pattern plan.
Linda Cracknell
Victoria
Time to move on from bike-lanes debate
How lucky we are to live in a city where, in spite of all the scary things going on in the world today, the biggest controversy of the decade is the construction of a few bike lanes.
We are truly blessed to have this “First World” problem as our greatest concern. But perhaps it’s time to let go and move on?
Jerry Wyshnowsky
Victoria
Present both sides of climate-change issue
Re: “Climate-change myths and utter hypocrisy,” Aug. 4
Congratulations to the Times Colonist for running the last two columns by Gwyn Morgan as well as the three letters which appeared in the Wednesday edition. The first two letters presented well-reasoned and thoughtful arguments concerning the ever-changing climate.
The third letter was the familiar rant espoused by the “sky is falling” crowd. The writer of this letter also utterly fails to recognize that a very large (and growing) number of climate scientists — as opposed to climate-change politicians — are now skeptical about the doomsday scenarios presented by climate activists. He also advocates the necessity for censorship in order to prevent citizens from thinking for themselves. Brave New World!
Please continue to present both sides of this issue and, above all, keep presenting Gwyn Morgan’s knowledgeable insights on this topic.
Steen Jessen
Oak Bay
Humans are changing Earth’s climate
With regard to letters published Aug. 7 about the Gwyn Morgan column, it’s disheartening, after working in climate research for two decades, to continue to see the same mistakes and misunderstandings about climate and climate change come up again and again.
Here are facts all Canadians need to know.
We know the Earth’s climate is changing and we have a very detailed understanding of how this is happening.
History has shown us that climate has changed in the past. This evidence supports the fact that humans are changing it now.
Carbon dioxide from human activities is the main cause of the observed changes to the climate system since industrialization. Volcanoes have emitted about 100 times less carbon dioxide in that same period.
To prevent global average temperature from increasing more than a chosen value we must stop adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Choosing a value for future warming, such as +2 °C, tells us how much more we can emit. For a cooler future we must reduce emissions to zero more quickly.
Please choose knowledge over ignorance. Only then can we work together to help Canada and the world determine how much climate change we will allow to take place.
Ed Wiebe
Saanich
Listening to opposing views with respect
Although we sometimes disagree with opposing point of view, banishing it is against our own Charter of Rights and Freedoms — you know, that little part about freedom of expression.
With every issue there are two, often opposing views.
Banning one because we do no like it is not a way to deal with the issue. We might actually learn something.
If we go down this path and the media is swayed by higher powers to censure views, then I suggest people who support this need to look back at history and realize that the exact same things were done in the 1930s under the Nazi regime, and more recently the iron fist of the Soviet block.
Marcin Jedynak
Saanich
Judging Scheer for not attending Pride Parade
I feel alarmed when freedom of speech or actions are being challenged and judged when one does not attend a function, as was the case with Andrew Scheer for not attending the Pride Parade in Vancouver.
Interestingly, the University of B.C. as well as the Vancouver Public Library were refused participation in the parade for allowing freedom of speech, not “hate speech,” which is the threatening term used these days to shut up anyone who does not agree with an ideology or agenda.
Hopefully, as the pre-election frenzy hypes up, voters will not be swayed by the frantic lobbyists who are doing their best to influence public policy and government decision-making by spinning the media.
We as voters need to do our own research, strive for freedom of thought, speech and action, as we vote and hopefully together elect a government that supports relevant concerns and not just the concerns of the strong ideological and agenda voices.
Wendy Campbell
Saanich
There’s a time and a place for texting
Re: “Why it’s so difficult to fire a misbehaving employee,” editorial, Aug. 4.
In a professional business meeting, to have a cellphone under the table and use if for personal texting is as rude as [sorry I can’t say it in print in this family newspaper]. … If your mother is on her deathbed, go and be with her. Otherwise, put the personal cellphone away during a business meeting!
Nattanya Hewitt|
Duncan
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