Bravo to residents of Grange Road
Re: “Saanich councillors warm to campaign to save trees along sewage-pipe route,” Dec. 9.
What a breath of fresh air to read about the Grange Road residents fighting for their precious trees. I want to hug these people, or better, move there! Here in Dean Park in North Saanich, residents have been going berserk lately, logging beautiful, big, healthy cedars and firs “because we don’t like needles and leaves in the fall.” Sterile, silent streets if this continues.
The species of trees is important, too. Why Birds Need Native Trees from the National Wildlife Foundation, in 2014, studied why birds will fly great distances to native trees (such as oaks) — to find healthy, native insects — bypassing non-native trees. Oaks are mentioned specifically as prime feeder habitat for chickadees to find the good bugs to feed their chicks.
I applaud these caring and active residents, the Saanich mayor and councillors for supporting them, and the construction engineers who are working to find a better course of action than the drastic and irreversible destruction of such important habitat.
M.E. Williams
North Saanich
Learn from Gove Inquiry
Re: “Neglect of autistic boy sparks call for overhaul of services,” Dec. 11.
Having worked on the Gove Inquiry, it is sad for me to read about the disturbing chronic neglect of a 12-year-old child. The minister is “horrified” and says that policy was not followed.
I suggest the minister take a look at how Judge Thomas Gove wanted to professionalize the ministry and make major reform efforts on local offices. Social workers in the ministry currently do not have to be regulated, as recommended by the Gove report. The Ministry of Children and Family Development administers the Social Workers Act, but has refused for many years to remove a key exemption to the act that permits child-protection social workers to work without being regulated or accountable to the public like other professions.
In addition, the level of local clinical supervision must be strengthened. The ministry is too top-heavy and bureaucratic. Social workers must be clinically supported and paid appropriately for a challenging job as properly regulated professionals.
Eric Jones
Victoria
Rejection of casino is short-sighted
Re: “Helps folds cards on bid for a downtown casino,” Dec. 11.
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps is short-sighted in her reason for asking councillors to vote against bringing a lucrative money generator to Victoria.
Of course, there are negative ramifications, but the B.C. Lottery Corp. and the B.C. government have installed safeguards to stop past (and present) criminal activity.
The positive aspects of having a casino are that Victoria is a tourist town, and having a casino would be a boost to the local economy. View Royal’s casino brings in $4 million a year to the region. That could pay for a lot of things here.
A casino would be an attraction to the many visiting cruise-ship passengers, businesspeople and the citizens of Victoria.
Will we get a casino in Victoria after this week’s city council meeting? Don’t bet on it.
Mur Meadows
Victoria
College helps with prescribing opioids
Re: “Patients caught in crossfire of opioid war,” column, Dec. 7.
I write to correct some inaccuracies reported in the column by Jack Knox.
The Safe Prescribing of Opioids and Sedatives standard has, as its principal objective, primary prevention of opioid addiction, overdose and other harms from the use of such medications. Neither the document nor its previous versions set limits or absolutes on prescribing. Physicians are expected to use their professional judgment when prescribing opioids or sedatives.
In situations where these medications are initiated, the college directs physicians to do so appropriately. This means completing proper patient assessments, holding and documenting discussions with patients about the risks of the medications, taking full histories and learning about what other drugs patients are taking (illicit and prescription), reviewing patients’ PharmaNet profiles, scheduling followup visits, advising patients not to mix opioids with alcohol and other substances, and tapering safely.
Prescribing is complex. Even the most seasoned physicians find prescribing of certain drugs challenging. To assist, the college works collaboratively with physicians through the Prescription Review Program to ensure prescribing patterns are consistent with best practice.
The college does not take a punitive approach, and does not wish to deter physicians from prescribing opioids and sedatives responsibly. The college takes a collegial, educational, and remedial approach to enhance safe prescribing, and provides a prescribers course, along with other educational offerings. Physicians will not have their licences suspended or taken away for doing their best under difficult circumstances.
Heidi M. Oetter, MD
Registrar and CEO
College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C.
Fire-department firings justified
Re: “Hidden camera raises issues of privacy,” editorial, Dec. 7.
The editorial suggested it was unfair to dismiss someone from their job because they were seen having sex in the fire chief’s office on a camera that he had installed.
I suggest that they should have been discharged because of where, not why. They had no right to enter the office of the chief.
I am sure anyone would feel the same if someone were to enter their private office.
Frank Enns
Duncan
Nativity story is true Christmas spirit
Re: “City looks to reduce Christmas decorations, broaden diversity,” Dec. 8.
Are Christmas/holiday lights, trees, glitter, Santas, reindeer and decorations the true meaning of Christmas?
It might be a good idea for council to down-scale all this distraction so people can focus on the true, historic meaning of this national holiday, the blessed Nativity. “Behold, a Saviour has been born unto us who is Christ the Lord.” He is the Prince of Peace, and the only hope in a world that dwells in darkness.
This is the true Christmas Spirit, which dawns upon all creation. Christmas lights and decorations, while perhaps pleasant to look upon with the eye, are not to be compared with the glory, wisdom and riches of the Nativity story.
David Carlos
Saanichton
Rental rates and the role of culture
Re: “Big rent hikes at Royal Theatre leave arts groups scrambling,” Dec. 7.
Community leaders and anyone who is informed and active in society cannot deny the inherent value of culture, its contribution to society, its symbiotic relationship with education and its economic power.
Why is it, then, that we often fail to connect the importance of the arts with the public infrastructure required to sustain them? The cost of art-making and venues must be borne by the society that it serves through all its agencies.
The Royal and McPherson Theatres Society is a not-for-profit organization. Its mission statement is: “To enrich the cultural life of the region, by operating and maintaining the civic theatres of the CRD.” How does this reconcile with the recent announcement that the Royal Theatre is imposing dramatic increases in rental rates effective Sept. 1, 2019, despite reporting significant operating surpluses over several years?
How does it serve the holistic cause of supporting the arts by setting theatre rental rates so high that they erode the ability of arts groups to afford that venue? Is the expectation that since for-profit commercial shows can afford it, then that is what can be borne by the “market,” as if commercial touring acts are the sole contributors to culture?
The dedication, efforts and talents inherent in our arts organizations deserve to be nurtured and supported by the society they serve. Public support of the performing arts is an investment we must make. The “profit” of our arts is the value of education, enjoyment, enlightenment and inspiration that they contribute to the region.
Franc D’Ambrosio, architect
Victoria
Municipalities must support the arts
Re: “Big rent hikes at Royal Theatre leave arts groups scrambling,” Dec. 7.
For the past 20 years, the three municipalities of Oak Bay, Saanich and Victoria have worked through the Royal and McPherson Theatres Society to enable our arts organizations to present world-class performances to our local audiences.
This partnership has been shattered by the society board’s decision in its attempt to become a user-pay facility.
Since the recent elections, the new municipal councils have been developing strategic plans for their four-year terms. It is imperative that these strategic plans re-establish the historic relationship and recognize the responsibility of the municipalities to grant sufficient operating funds to the theatre society to continue providing affordable civic-arts venues for our residents, as they do for swimming pools, skating rinks, golf courses and other public facilities.
Lydia Kasianchuk
First Greater Victoria arts manager
Don Kasianchuk
Previous chair, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
Previous chair, Greater Victoria Arts Advisory Committee
Do more research on mayor’s adviser
Re: “Helps gets OK to hire adviser for her office,” Dec. 8.
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps is quoted as saying: “But I’m the mayor of the city of 85,000 and the mayor of the region of 300,000 people.” I’m sure the residents and mayors of the other municipalities that make up Greater Victoria are shocked to hear that Lisa Helps is their mayor, too.
I truly hope the councillors and city staff do a bit of research before agreeing to pay out $130,000 a year for a chief of staff for Helps. Helps talks a good story about making Victoria more affordable, but taxes have increased dramatically during her tenure.
I shudder to think how much more we’ll be paying in taxes over the next four years so she can force down our throats all of her social-engineering pet projects before her term is up.
J.C. Siemens
Victoria
