Send tanks to Ukraine, and please don’t wait
With regard to the matter of delivering tanks to Ukraine or not, and if so, how many, etc.: We should keep in mind that the Ukrainians are fighting not only for themselves, but for our entire Western, Judeo-Christian civilization.
For those of us who know what it is to live under foreign occupation/ oppression the matter of tanks or not, is easy to answer: The more the better and the sooner the better.
Alberdina Roosegaarde Bisschop
Victoria
Make it the Maritime Museum of the Pacific
The Maritime Museum of British Columbia has one of the best artifact and archival collections for an institution of its size in the world.
A couple of years ago, a British scholar researching original engraved copper chart plates made several annual visits to examine our chart collection, looking for rare examples of printed material not jettisoned upon obsolescence at the direction of the Admiralty.
Other local scholars made generous use of our Lloyds registrations, photo collections and library reference collection. The reserve collection was also open to those researching examples of various navigational instruments.
I can also tell the public from my experience that a new Maritime Museum of the Pacific as a bookend to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax will succeed only if its construction and management comes directly under provincial oversight.
Richard Mackenzie, former collections and exhibitions manager
Victoria
Washroom plan flushes money down the drain
There are no words to describe the thinking of the planners who came up with a $14-million cost to upgrade 18 washrooms. The really scary thing is that our new council has apparently rubber-stamped the idea with seemingly little consideration to the taxpayers who will be footing the bill.
It doesn’t bode well for the four years ahead of us when such a reckless decision is made so early in their mandate. Next time folks, when the engineering department pulls your chain in this way, flush the idea around the bend and give a thought to those of us paying an increase of nine per cent on our property taxes this year.
Paul Cunnington
Victoria
When you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go
Back in 2017, Victoria was considered the second-best small city in the world. Victoria is known internationally as the City of Gardens. Our Chinatown is the oldest in Canada and its Fan Tan Alley is the narrowest street in Canada.
It is great to see all kinds of people around the world come to visit our mesmerizing city. However, a growing problem arises downtown.
The past summer, I was walking to the bus stop from work around 11 p.m. I noticed on different sections of the sidewalk that there was a powerful putrid smell of urine that could have been there for minutes, hours or days.
I’ve seen no evidence that sidewalks are being washed down. I thought this may give Victoria a bad reputation in time and deter tourists.
The problem is that there are not enough places to pee in a 24-hour period. It would be positive to budget in the near future for more outdoor washrooms spread out around Victoria.
We already have two existing outdoor washrooms that are near each other on one side of Victoria.
The lack of restrooms in the later night and early mornings do not help those that cannot wait to get home to do the deed, or for the ones that live on the streets. Victoria is our home, let us stop procrastinating and do something about this before our reputation flushes down the drain.
Kevin Turton
Victoria
A tale of two cities: Speeding drivers
Ottawa Citizen, Jan. 24: “The driver was clocked at 131 km/h in a posted 80 zone in the 12:50 p.m. traffic stop near Leitrim Road, police said. He faces an automatic 30-day licence suspension and 14-day vehicle impound. Upon conviction, a stunt driving charge — 50 km/h or more over the limit, or 40 km/h where the limit is less than 80 km/h — carries a further licence suspension and fines of $2,000 to $10,000.”
Times Colonist, Jan. 24: “One of the drivers involved in a two-vehicle collision Sunday night on the Trans-Canada Highway near Leigh Road was travelling up to 200 kilometres per hour in a 90 km/h zone … The BMW driver was charged with excessive speeding — going more than 40 km/h over the speed limit — which meant a $368 fine and a seven-day vehicle impoundment.”
It would seem that the fines and charges in B.C. are rather lenient.
William Macmillan
Victoria
Mercy Ship charity is based in Victoria
Re: “Our health system needs help quickly,” letter, Jan. 25.
The letter suggested a hospital ship might ease Victoria’s health-care woes.
Well, look no further. The most excellent charity MercyShips.ca is headquartered right here in Victoria.
Dedicated to funding and manning hospital ships to serve medically deprived Third World countries worldwide, perhaps Canada now qualifies?
Shame on the politicians, both provincial and federal, of a rich country like Canada that, through wilful neglect, the health-care system has deteriorated so far while money is squandered on boondoggle projects.
Dr. Julian A. Hancock FRCPC Dermatology
Victoria
Athabasca University easing nursing crisis
Re: “Despite staffing crisis, nurses face roadblocks in upgrading, returning from retirement,” Jan. 22.
Cindy Harnett raised much-needed awareness about the ongoing nursing staffing crisis and what it means not only for nurses seeking to upgrade their education and careers, but the well-being of British Columbians in need of health care.
While we wholeheartedly agree it’s vital to support licensed practical nurses (LPNs) to become registered nurses, it’s vital to do this based on knowledge of the actual barriers that prevent some from doing so.
This was not the impression provided by B.C. Nurses’ Union president Aman Grewal, who seemed unaware of the unique nature of Athabasca University’s open and flexible approach to our programs and students.
As Canada’s open university, our Post-LPN Bachelor of Nursing program is distinctive in Canada in supporting LPNs to study at their own pace and, for many courses, online from their chosen place.
Importantly, this flexibility allows them to continue working and having a positive impact on patient care in their communities. Students gain vital clinical experience in two short clinical courses (four weeks each), in adult acute care and in community health, in Alberta.
AU also works with B.C.’s health regions to support students so they can take their final practicums in their home province. Graduates of our Post-LPN Bachelor of Nursing program continue to live and work in B.C., and become eligible to apply for RN status with the B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives. Our alternative to traditional in-person study benefits learners, the health system, and the patients and communities we all serve.
This is a vital, more flexible and accessible solution to the pressing nursing staffing crisis.
Dawn Mercer Riselli, program director, undergraduate programs
Alex Clark, Faculty of Health Disciplines
Athabasca University
Council used its power over James Bay
The reality of the destruction of our trees and the eviction of the Village Green community in James Bay is very difficult to watch and impossible to accept. Surely as Canada’s first city to join the UN Trees in Cities challenge, we should be protecting our trees, not handing them over to profit-driven developers.
My daughter studied at UVic 20-plus years ago, and I have had a yearning to live here since, excited to be near the ocean and thrilled to be in what was a lovely “village.” The destruction and mess on the corner of Menzies and Niagara is ugly and heartbreaking. I do not understand how 300-plus citizens were ignored by a city council of eight.
This is not a democratic system — this is blatant arbitrary use of power over the majority by a handful of councillors.
Jan Johnston
Victoria
850,000 passengers? That is far too many
The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority’s recent announcement concerning their expectation of 850,000 cruise-ship passengers visiting in 2023 should be a cause of considerable concern for local residents.
Their forecast means that we will have nine visiting passengers for every resident of the City of Victoria across the cruise season. This is equivalent to Vancouver receiving over six million passengers, as opposed to the 1.3 million they expect in 2023. Or Halifax receiving more than three million instead of the 340,000 they actually receive.
In 2019, when the citizens of Barcelona staged large-scale public protests against the number of cruise ships visiting their city, they had the same rate as Vancouver — less then two passengers per resident.
If we seem to be swamped by passengers during the summer months, it is because we are. And it is only going to get worse. There has to be a maximum number of cruise-ship passengers that our small city and compact downtown can reasonably accommodate without ruining the summer season for the people who live here. Pressure needs to be put on the harbour authority to exercise some kind of control over their apparent growth mania.
Mike Pennock
Victoria
Let’s just say no to ‘missing middle’
This whole missing middle idea needs to be canned because it was too rushed to begin with thanks to our apparent “housing emergency.”
The only emergency was the last council’s incompetence.
The new council now turns itself into an ideological pretzel in search of a “proper” solution. There isn’t one.
Much tax money has been wasted, homeowners continue to get the shaft and many wonder how many more people will be finally stuffed into this city before something implodes.
There are no more “golden” eggs of taxpayers money to blow because the goose is dead.
John Stanton
Victoria
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