A parade full of proud marchers
Re: “ ‘March past’ should be knocked into shape,” letter, Nov. 14.
A letter writer described Monday’s Remembrance Day parade in downtown Victoria as a shambles, and decried the quality of the marching. Worse, he said there was no pride amongst the marchers, nor any understanding on their part of why they were there.
As the parade commander of that parade I feel compelled to correct that impression. The marching contingent consisted of over 400 veterans, sailors, soldiers, airmen and women, RCMP, and cadets. Despite this extremely varied composition, including two bands in close proximity marching and playing at different cadences, and the necessary absence of any practice sessions, the parade marched the streets of Victoria accompanied by the loud cheering of a grateful and approving public.
The service members paraded in their best uniforms, pressed and shone, wearing the medals they have earned in service to Canada in operations around the globe. My own service, spanning more than 38 years, has shown me time and again that the men and women who wear the uniform are extremely proud to do so, particularly at parades and ceremonies honouring our fallen.
More than most we are aware of the debt we owe to those who have gone before us.
By and large, the public do not have the opportunity to go to sea with us in the ships of the Royal Canadian Navy, or fly with the Royal Canadian Air Force, or go into the field with the Canadian Army, to see firsthand what it is we do for Canada, day in and day out. But they do see us marching in parades such as Monday’s Remembrance Day parade; we in the Canadian Armed Forces are very aware of this, and are justifiably proud to participate in such events.
Ultimately, Monday was about remembering those who have sacrificed so much for us in the past. The participants in the parade, from the oldest veteran to the youngest cadet, did just that, and I was honoured to march with each and every one of them.
Michael Erwin
Lieutenant-Commander
Victoria
Not a simple stroll for old-timers
I am disappointed with some of the remarks in the letter about marching in the Remembrance Day parade. I was one of those marchers in the parade.
At 81 years of age with two bad knees and various other medical issues, I along with other veterans took the time and marched in honour of all veterans.
Our median age is probably 80-plus and we did not sit in the comfort of our homes to watch the parade on TV. We arrived at our muster point at about 10:15 a.m. and marched off at about 10:30 a.m. Proudly hoisted our flags and marched to the cenotaph where we stood for over an hour, before marching back to our dispersal point at about 11:30 am.
That is not a simple stroll in the park for us old-timers, yet one that we do year after year.
Mike Sweet
Saanich
Reduce clashes with deer by slowing down
Re: “Deer don’t belong in the city,” letter, Nov. 7.
Many agree that deer don’t belong in the city, but why are they here? Because they have been forced from their rural areas by developers.
So what is the answer? The writer mentions that deer herds will double in size every three years.
Culling is not the answer. There was a very unsuccessful, barbaric and costly cull in Oak Bay, yet there are no fewer deer as a result.
The Urban Wildlife Stewardship Society seems to have the most sensible solution with birth control. Dosing 60 does with a contraceptive already means at least 60 fewer fawns will be born next spring. Shooting the deer or relocating them will result in the same situation: More deer will take their place.
Incidentally, according to the provincial government, no one has been killed or injured by deer on the Island. Traffic accidents could be reduced by paying attention to the road and reducing speed, the latter being an increasing problem, deer or no deer.
William Jesse
Victoria
Vehicles bigger hazard than deer in city
Re: “Deer don’t belong in the city,” Nov. 7.
The letter-writer notes the problems posed by deer in the city, including carrying of ticks and dog/deer incidents, all of which I won’t refute. I’ve hunted deer, been a provincial deputy conservation officer and a national park warden and managed the Atlantic seal hunt, the single largest wild-animal hunt in Canada for over 12 years.
However, deer are not the greatest hazard to residents of Victoria. It’s people and the way that they drive their cars (not to mention all the health problems we spread among ourselves).
I’ve never seen so many people go 20 kilometres or more over the limit, tailgate, fail to do full stops at intersections, run yellow lights and play chicken with pedestrians who have the right of way.
I’ve been grazed by a car at one intersection and my wife had a narrow escape with another careless driver who didn’t seem to understand a crosswalk with a green walk sign.
I’d much rather take my chance with a deer than some careless idiot in a luxury sports car.
Ken Jones
Victoria
Bring on the cowboys to deal with deer
Re: “Minor surgery would solve the deer problem,” letter, Nov. 12.
Probably the letter writer hasn’t been in Victoria long enough to recognize that simple solutions are not wanted here.
Councils work on the premise of: “Let’s think about this, appoint an ‘expert’ to study the problem and the most expensive cure that’s suggested must be the best.”
We like to eat fish, poultry and red meat, but we don’t like to think of the millions of creatures that paid the ultimate price before arriving on our plates.
I would prefer to see a few cowboys in my neighbourhood, carrying out minor surgery on the errant deer, than to have to continually chase deer from my garden.
I’ll forgo partaking of the “prairie oyster” delicacy, though.
Jack Clover
Victoria
Buses can take more cars off road
Re: “E&N railway track is still in use,” letter, Nov. 10.
This letter writer proposes another Band-Aid solution. Using “three cars” in a train, about 450 people, at maximum capacity of a single line roadbed will not cut it.
Any viable economic solution requires moving far more than E&N can carry, because rush hour is the real problem.
How long must we wait before Capital Regional District, or B.C. Transit, produces a comprehensive transportation plan that addresses the real problem — moving at least 10,000 private cars off the roads each day into buses, which can provide the flexibility in routing that rail can’t, as the region develops?
Roger Love
Victoria
Saanich Snarl now rivals Colwood Crawl
From 1990 through to 2016, I commuted the Pat Bay Highway from my home in Royal Oak to Swartz Bay. During those years, I noticed a steady, continuous growth in traffic.
Among the principal reasons were increased densification of the Peninsula, coupled with increased ferry and airport traffic.
Traffic flow, however, remained steady, except if there was an accident or a ferry from the mainland was unloading. This, however, would only affect the southbound lanes on a periodic basis.
Lately, when attempting to travel northbound during the late afternoon, I find the Saanich Snarl in full gridlock from the onramp at Royal Oak overpass through to just past the lights at Sayward Road. It often takes 10 minutes to travel the four-kilometre stretch of highway.
Recent improvements at the Sayward intersection have had virtually no effect in ameliorating the snarl.
With continued residential growth on the Peninsula and increased traffic through Swartz Bay terminal and the airport, the congestion has been getting worse, to the point that it rivals the infamous Colwood Crawl at times.
Improving the B.C. Transit link to the Peninsula would be the preferred option, as developing light-rail transit or adding an additional lane would be cost-prohibitive.
Wayne Neumann
Victoria
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