Maritime museum is not Victoria’s priority
Re: “Museum in Langford makes no sense,” letter, March 3.
I agree that ideally the Maritime Museum should be on the waterfront. However, I disagree with the criticism that Langford has “grabbed” the facility from the rest of the region.
Look at what positive and sustained action waterfront municipalities —chiefly the city of Victoria — have taken to ensure that the museum is on the water.
Victoria has shown dedicated effort at building bicycle lanes, frustrating drivers, removing statues, trying to sue oil companies, slagging the cruise ship industry, arguing over catered lunches, supporting a so-called “city family” and a thousand and one other issues that keep the rest of the region in stitches.
If the city had spent a fraction of the energy expended on these “priorities” and focused instead on finding a waterfront home for the Maritime Museum, that facility might not have ended up inland. But hold your heads high folks, the region does have a prominent and beautiful waterfront site for its new sewage treatment plant.
Dale Leitch
Victoria
Influenza is deadlier than COVID-19
I do not wish to diminish or deny the seriousness of the present coronavirus outbreak but I would like to point out some facts that may put it in perspective.
According to the World Health Organization, between October and February 2020, 12,000 people from influenza in the United States and that number could rise as high as 30,000 by the end of the flu season.
About 31 million Americans have caught the flu and 300,000 were hospitalized during this flu season.
In the 2017-18 flu season, there were 61,000 recorded deaths due to influenza in the U.S.
Globally, between 290,000 and 650,000 die of influenza each year.
As of March 3, there are nine confirmed deaths in the U.S. due to coronavirus.
Phil Foster
Saanich
Washing your hands? Match this record
As a retired dentist who reckoned he washed his hands at least 250,000 times in his professional life, I wonder how many medical personnel, doctors included, could match that.
Strangely, I never was sick.
G.R. Greig
Victoria
Wearing a mask when flying
Re: “Wear a mask while on airplane,” letter, March 3.
While I get where the letter writer is coming from, I just wanted to point out a couple things.
Firstly, it has already been stated by numerous medical professionals that wearing masks may actually heighten your chance of getting any illness since you’d be touching your face more. If you’re already sick, wear a mask so you’re not coughing all over everybody and everything.
Secondly, airplane air is actually quite clean. They have so many filters on airplanes that their air is cleaner than the air in your home or place of work.
Lastly, if you really want to protect yourself on airplanes, wipe down every surface at your seat with sanitizer wipes (seats, seatbelts, tray tables, TV screens, armrests, anything else you’d touch) and ensure you have plenty of hand sanitizer and wash your hands as frequently as you can.
C.R. Jack
Victoria
Stay healthy by stopping all travel
As the coronavirus circles the world, I hope people will remember that the 1918 flu killed millions worldwide.
People didn’t travel as conveniently as they do now. Cruise ships will soon start to come here.
With the numbers of infected and dying rises every day, how about stopping all travel? I realize the almighty dollar is important to tourist businesses and to make the rich get richer, but is it worth this spreading to the point billions die of this virus this time around?
Money doesn’t buy you health, or more importantly your life.
Carol Dunsmuir
Victoria
Review who is allowed to work as a doctor
Re: “Proper medical care starts with a GP,” letter, Feb. 27.
We in British Columbia are in this unfortunate Third World-like situation where tens of thousands have no access to a family physician because our health system fails to address our needs. The U.S. recruits thousands of Canadian and foreign-trained physicians to work in all parts of that country.
I know of several Canadian physicians who were trained in fully accredited foreign medical schools but denied the chance to serve here.
It’s time to make bold decisions and save lives.
Clarence Fernandez
Victoria
Western painted turtle needs protection
The Species At Risk Act lists the only remaining native turtle in British Columbia as endangered. This turtle lives in many of our waterways, ponds and lakes. The female turtle lays its eggs up to 150 metres away from water.
The greenspace at 2401 Burnside Rd. West has recently been changed to an industrial site, with Craigflower Creek and a drainage ditch on the site. Both waterways are listed as western painted turtles habitat.
Please protect this precious greenspace and save the turtles, fish and all things that live in and around our waterways.
Bill Emile
Streamkeeper
Craigflower Creek
Don’t forget the need to pay living wages
Re: “The one per cent who help everyone,” letter, Feb. 22.
Yes, individuals who have been able to succeed in the business world have been able to contribute to the community in many ways.
“Success” as defined by considerable accrued wealth, due to possible inheritance, a birthright of intelligence and savoir faire, and often good timing and sheer luck, does enable many in the upper echelon of income to “give back” to the community in diverse ways, many of which are publicly lauded, and much of which is tax-deductible.
However, the “one percenters” are not the only ones providing employment or paying taxes. There are many small business owners who provide good jobs.
Our tax dollars should enable us to provide living wages to people who work in education, health care, local government, social services, fire, ambulance and other needed services.
Many citizens of all financial backgrounds contribute as they can. The majority of citizens pay taxes on goods, services and income, and that total likely provides more tax revenue for the public good than the “one percenters.”
Many major corporate businesses have success on the backs of staff who are paid minimum wage, which we all know is not a living wage, yet still taxable.
One could also ask how much income does any one family actually need?
Climate change and environmental concerns are of issue for all citizens of all backgrounds. Those who have the most can most easily give the most, and should have the intelligence to use the resources wisely.
Susan Nickum
Margaret Narain
Victoria
Crossing the line to domestic terrorism
I, and many Canadians have witnessed the occurrence in Canada of actions we believed were unthinkable, acts of terrorism occurring on Canadian soil directed by Canadians at Canadians.
How would you like it if you were the engineer running a train with up to 100 rail tanker cars behind or in front of you, loaded with propane, oil or other flammables, headed for a destination in Canada, and someone places or throws burning rubber tires or other burning material under the train?
Apart from the fact that the life of the engineer and other operators on the train would have been put in serious jeopardy, the rest of us should be outraged that these workers and their families are being so callously disregarded.
Protesters have crossed the line and have moved from lawful protest to criminal terrorism. The activists and their supporters, including the five Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs, protesting pipelines should be telling the perpetrators to stand down as they have gone too far. The right to protest does not include the right to threaten lives.
This type of terrorist act will achieve nothing and will result in a significant barrier to any constructive talks.
D.E. (Don) Howes
Victoria
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