Red Arrow flyover was terrifying
If the fly-over on Sept. 26 of Victoria Harbour and the B.C. legislature by the RAF Red Arrow aerobatics jet team was supposed to elicit “shock and awe” from the public, it failed to do that for many on the ground.
I did not know this was scheduled, and the first sound I heard from my apartment was an unearthly roar as the jets screamed over our building, trailing plumes of coloured smoke.
Instead of awe, this stunt produced “shock and terror” and frightened me into thinking something horrible was happening: a plane crash? An attack?
Additionally, in a time of extreme greenhouse-gas emissions contributing to accelerated planet warming, who dreamed up this display of human stupidity?
Donna de Haan
Victoria
Great-grandparents were likely racist
If you want to change the name of George Jay Elementary School on the basis that he was prejudiced against Chinese people, you should burn every photograph of your great-grandparents. They, at the time, likely had the same views toward the Chinese and natives as Jay.
You certainly should not want to remember them, either.
It is unfair to judge people of the past by the standards of today.
Like Joseph Trutch and Sir John A. Macdonald, Jay would not have the same attitude if he were 65 years old today.
Like Trutch and Sir John A., I would imagine he was a standout among his peers and was recognized for doing something good at that particular time in our history.
If you’re willing to shut these historical figures out, where’s your tolerance and acceptance?
Racism is part of our history.
William Lamb
Oak Bay
Another hint to leave the province
A new front has opened in the B.C. government war on those who divide their time between two homes but for various reasons are residents of other jurisdictions.
First came the significant “speculation” tax that adds thousands to property taxes of many of these residents. As it is being collected, it turns out it is hitting many with long histories in the province who are anything but speculators.
Now discriminatory car insurance rates are being heaped on top. Since Sept. 1 those who own a car in B.C. but have a driver’s licence from another province have lost all experience discounts.
Last year’s $1,008 rate for a car on Salt Spring used less than 5,000 kilometres a year has leaped to $2,614 – a 259 per cent jump.
No change in vehicle or driver record. No accidents.
In Victoria and other places where the “speculation” tax is levied, car insurance rates are higher to start with so the ICBC pile-on is even more dramatic.
It is clear that ICBC rates are not insurance, but simply another tax as this hit on other Canadians is not related to their risks as insureds. Driver records are readily available from every jurisdiction in Canada so the possible excuse ICBC does not have a rating basis is not true.
This is simply another whack at the people who did not take the hint with the “speculation” tax that the Horgan government does not want anyone in B.C. who is not a full-time resident.
Of course many, many B.C. residents spend lots of time outside the province and have cars and homes and businesses in other places so perhaps it is time for other provinces to look carefully at this B.C. attitude and be as fair to B.C. residents in their province as B.C. is to theirs.
Jim MacLeod
Salt Spring Island
Fight the higher rates for young drivers
Maybe it is time for young drivers to band together to get ICBC’s attention.
It is terrible that all young drivers are tarred with the same brush and are considered bad drivers even before they have a chance to prove they can drive as well as anyone else.
There are as many bad drivers in all age groups. This is looking more like age discrimination every day.
ICBC at the beginning was brought in by the government because auto insurance rates were getting out of control. Now it is ICBC that is out of control, charging the highest rates in Canada.
Don McWhirter
Campbell River
Teach kids to reduce food waste
Re: “Families waste five pounds of food a week: study,” Sept. 29.
It is deeply disturbing to discover that a very large percentage of our “recycled” plastic waste is shipped overseas, where much of it is burned. If you recycle every scrap of soft plastic, as I do, you will find this disheartening.
The Times Colonist reported that Canadian households waste five pounds of food each week.
At least this is something over which we have some power. Don’t buy so much food, and consume what you do buy. Teach your children about food waste. If you take an apple, eat it. Don’t throw it away after one or two bites.
The study showed that bread, apples and tomatoes topped the list, while chicken topped the meat category.
Van M. Buchanan
Victoria
70,000 trees will cost millions of dollars
Re: “Let’s aim to plant 70,000 trees,” letter, Sept. 28.
I assume the writer has no idea what the costs to taxpayers will be to plant 70,000 trees.
My estimates: A tree planted by the government costs about $500, excluding transport.
It’s around $2,500 each to have union employees map out where and when to plant, write reports, dig holes, water and feed trees for months, put up protective barriers to prevent animals from eating or damaging the smaller trees and then write progress reports.
If the average tree planted by city workers costs around $3,000 or more, multiply this by 70,000, which means $210 million to complete the project. Even if I’m on the high side, the Bamfield Main road could be fully resurfaced for half that cost.
JS Cooper
Victoria
No room left for trees in Victoria
Re: “Victoria pledges to plant 5,000 trees in UN challenge,” Sept. 22.
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps promised at the UN that 5,000 trees would be planted in Victoria to counter climate change. Most of the trees would be planted on private land.
However, the mayor and council have been promoting densification, such as secondary dwellings, which means that more and more land would be covered by buildings.
One only has to walk or drive through the city to see all the construction occurring — low-rise buildings on spacious grounds replaced by higher-density buildings built close to the property lines. And, of course, city council has no hesitation about cutting majestic old trees to build separated bicycle lanes.
Kenneth Mintz
Victoria
Taking action better than blaming
Re: “A dressing down from a sour-faced teen,” letter, Sept. 28.
This letter writer must be feeling terribly guilty to try to pin our generation’s use of plastic diapers and love of big gas-guzzling vehicles on our children.
I don’t remember involving my kids in those purchasing decisions. We did those things, pushing any nagging thoughts of environmental impact to the backs of our minds, choosing convenience and comfort instead. (Besides, some person smarter than I am will fix everything, right?)
Now we are being called out and yeah, it feels awful. But we can’t afford the luxury of getting defensive: it’s time to accept responsibility.
Google “reduce my carbon footprint” to start. Change is hard, but taking action will feel better than blaming the messenger, I promise!
The biggest hypocrisy is wanting to give our children the world then doing nothing to save it.
Tammy Ruffolo
Colwood
Government vehicles all electric by 2030
If the consensus is that climate change is a global emergency, then governments at all levels should treat it as such.
One way would be for all levels of government, municipal, provincial and federal, to make a pledge to ensure that all motor vehicles operated by every level of government be electric by the year 2030.
This would include all regulated utilities and perhaps any private organizations that enjoy government financial support. The exceptions would be heavy vehicles and equipment and the military.
This would increase utility expenses, but it would spread the cost over all taxpayers.
Rodger Banister
Victoria
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