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Letters July 30: Poor planning at Clover Point; a plan for invading wall lizards

Poor planning on display at Clover Point Visited Victoria recently and checked out Clover Point. The new layout was an eye-opener.
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A European wall lizard. COURTESY ROYAL B.C. MUSEUM

Poor planning on display at Clover Point

Visited Victoria recently and checked out Clover Point. The new layout was an eye-opener.

It is plain to see the before, and after, where very obviously, the after has taken so much away from the people who will visit.

The obstacles to entertainment are huge, the design is of very poor planning, to say the least. I will speak of three things, being the poorest decisions.

The cruellest thing is taking away the ability to park and watch the sunset, which many people (healthy, or having some impairment) find relaxing.

The second thing is the circular road being blockaded, and the turnaround being very small, plus no warning of what drivers will face, which is a huge mistake. As a result of this fault, there will be an extreme increase of idling vehicles. Some drivers will have to back out — or does everyone have to back out? Weird.

The third mistake is the poop-covered picnic tables.

When I was there, the parking spaces were all full, with people congregating on the parking side, and there was a man standing by the tables, alone, and his long hair was blowing in the wind.

I think Victoria council members should make themselves available to the public, to be at Clover Point, on a date revealed in advance, with all council members present, and the public invited.

Put council on the spot: If they show, it would restore a little faith in them.

Please consider this idea, it is out of the box, for sure, like going back in time, which could be a good idea.

Rob McKenzie
Duncan

Clover Point needs a seasonal approach

Could the picnic tables at Clover Point be removed over the fall and winter so that cars could have access during “non-picnic” times of year?

Alanna Wrean
Victoria

Peaceful defenders should not be criminals

Re: “B.C. Prosecution Service considers criminal contempt charges for protesters,” July 20.

In the statement announcing old-growth forest defenders who were charged under civil law may now face criminal charges, the B.C. Prosecution Service says there is a “strong public interest” in upgrading the charges from civil to criminal.

Really? Given that recent polls show 85 per cent of British Columbians are opposed to all old-growth logging, how is the public interest served by turning peaceful protesters into criminals?

Paul Nicholson
Victoria

How to deal with European wall lizards

It seems obvious that we will be completely over-run by European wall lizards within a year or two unless we take immediate action.

I suggest the following:

1. Appoint a committee of political hacks to consult with “stakeholders” ($2 million).

2. Hire a team of consultants to conduct a field study ($250,000).

3. Hire more consultants to verify the findings of the first consultants ($300,000).

4. Expand the remit of the political hacks to include recommending a course of action ($2 million).

5. Hire a contractor to shoot the lizards, then give up after lizard-huggers protest ($80,000).

6. Hire a contractor to trap the lizards humanely ($500,000).

7. Oak Bay: fit lizards with contraceptive collars and release ($5 million).

8. Elsewhere: ship them to a lizard sanctuary in China ($100,000).

9. Hope no one wonders about pet shops selling exotic snakes, toads, turtles, spiders and so on.

Just do it!

Martyn Ward
Victoria

Not the best venue to display their feelings

I, too, have questioned the protests of the women’s rugby team in Japan.

Not only did they dishonour the formalities of dress code of the Olympics, but they couldn’t have chosen a worse venue to display their personal feelings.

Many Japanese Canadians will never forget that the federal government put thousands of them in internment camps across Canada. I lived in one of those areas — New Denver — for 15 years, and co-authored a booklet on the sad time in history.

This required many interviews with those citizens who decided to stay in the area. They were not living in past sadness, the majority accepting it was a difficult time long ago.

When it came time to leave the village, it was the Japanese citizens I found hard to leave. They were a proud and loving aspect of the community who made many contributions to the well-being of everyone.

I do wonder how the citizens of Japan felt about hosting this group of Olympic athletes who so disrespected their own country by carrying our shame to them — and perhaps bringing back sad memories.

Gail Brighton
Nanoose Bay

If you want action, do something about it

Everybody is being perfectly correct.

Yes, the B.C. government must make a move one way or the other on old-growth logging. And the federal Liberals must step up for the action directives of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

But the real move is up to you, dear reader. Move over to the telephone and call your MLA. State your case for or against stopping old-growth logging.

Sit down at your desk and email your MP to force action on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission directives on unmarked graves at residential schools.

Without your action, nothing is what will continue to happen in Ottawa and Victoria. Your move.

John Harris
Esquimalt

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