Maritime museum belongs downtown
Re: “Capital Iron building part of 6.7 acres bought by Reliance; store to keep operating,” May 29.
I know no one asked but, the Maritime Museum would be a perfect fit for the property that Reliance just purchased on the harbour.
The museum belongs downtown, near the water, in reach of locals, school groups and tourists. It would be beneficial for any development done on that site. Hoping Reliance will consider making the museum part of its future plans.
Sandra Richardson
Victoria
Museum shouldn’t be in Langford
Wouldn’t it be nice if the Maritime Museum could be a part of the new development that Reliance is putting together. It should not be out by Costco, it should be located in the downtown core for the tourists and near the water.
Lori Stocks
Victoria
Massage OK but books off limits?
Re: “Library’s painfully slow reopening plans,” letter, June 3.
I find it hard to believe that I can get a massage but can’t pick up a book on hold at the library.
Christopher Causton
Victoria
Fair to link Our Place with crime
Re: “Don’t connect Our Place with stabbing,” letter, June 3.
The letter-writers state that “referencing Our Place in regards to this violent crime is unfair and undermines all that Our Place stands for.” They go on to suggest we blame the Island Health supervised consumption site instead. I think a little history might prove illuminating.
When I was growing up in Victoria the “skid row” was gathered around the Salvation Army building on lower Johnson Street, which is also where the original Upper Room (later transformed into Our Place) was located until a well-meaning individual donated property on Pandora next to the present Music Conservatory.
That was when the troubles began. My father, a reporter and columnist for the Daily Colonist, wrote at the time that moving the services the addicted require would move skid row as well. It didn’t take long for time to prove him right.
Without in any way denying the need for poverty reduction services, I feel that the relocation of those services are a direct cause of the horror show on Harris Green, and that this started with the Upper Room.
Island Health located their consumption facility there only because Our Place had already led the migration of the homeless to the 900 block of Pandora. It is therefore entirely fair to connect Our Place to the increase in crime that followed.
We can’t say we weren’t warned. Dad said it in print, on the radio and in meetings with various elected people who chose to ignore him and allow the rezoning that permitted Our Place in the first place.
After covering that community for most of his career, he obviously knew his Victoria better than that city council did.
David Lowther
Mesachie Lake
Upgrade rail line, add multi-use trail
Re: “Multi-use trail touted for E&N line,” May 29.
I have read a number of articles in the Times Colonist on turning the E&N rail line into a multi-use trail only. I’m a cyclist and would like to see a multi-use trail along the E&N corridor as well, but the rail line should stay.
The population will continue to grow on Vancouver Island so there would be a requirement for more lanes and more roads. The alternative would be to build a rail and bus transit system along with a multi-use trail system that would allow the public to have an alternative besides the automobile.
The recent report shows the cost of upgrading the corridor is up from the 2010 report, but it is still considerably less than trying to build another highway from Victoria to Courtenay.
Upgrading the entire 289 kilometres of track is also less than three kilometres of underground rail rapid transit. The E&N line would not be disrupted by Island Highway closures as well.
Upgrading the rail line and building a trail along the corridor would have the broadest use.
Gwyer Webber
Nanaimo
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