Extremely disappointed in Victoria council
So Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto is “extremely disappointed” that Premier David Eby commented on what she termed a personnel matter in the case of the firefighter who wrote a letter opposing the mayor and council’s decision to put a social services facility in his Dowler Place neighbourhood without input from the citizens effected.
Well, I am “extremely disappointed,” but not surprised, that the mayor and council did not apologize to the firefighter and reimburse him for the day’s pay for the petty decision to punish him for writing a letter expressing his opposition to council’s undemocratic decision.
The decision shows little respect for first responders while doing little to respond to the problems associated with the addicted.
In her carefully phrased denial of council’s responsibility, it is hard to imagine they did not have some influence on the decision.
Neil Rawnsley
Victoria
Freedom of expression and conflict of interest
I am appalled by the official responses to firefighter Josh Montgomery’s expression of his opinion.
Some have claimed that he is in a conflict of interest. I don’t see it. A conflict of interest occurs when someone abuses their power or authority, particularly to their own or a select others’ material advantage.
Josh’s position as a firefighter does give him authority of a kind: the authority of experience. The nature of his job puts him in regular contact with those who live with the many problems of public drug use.
We expect that he would have an opinion, and, like everyone else, Montgomery has a right to express his opinion, particularly as it is an informed opinion.
I do not see that the expression of his opinion harms anyone (including the integrity or reputation of his fellow first responders), or benefits himself.
I can argue that his inherent right to speak rises toward an imperative call of duty. We should especially welcome and encourage the opinions of first responders on such matters.
Not because we are obligated to accept their opinions, but because they inform the debate.
That his bosses, be they the fire chief or Victoria’s mayor, see fit to sanction Montgomery for exercising his right implicates them of conflict of interest.
Allan Reid
Esquimalt
Outrageous reaction to downtown woes
Fallout from the Pandora Avenue attack on a paramedic continues with the unbelievable suspension of a respected firefighter for publicizing safety concerns.
A chilling aspect of the attack is that police were swarmed by 60 people while attempting to control the situation.
What has our society come to when police and other first responders are subject to mob attack? A firefighter is disciplined for expressing concern? Outrageous!
Don Graham
Chemainus
Speaking out about the street circus
I am stunned to have seen the mayor of Victoria try to deflect the suspension of the firefighter for speaking up on the drug centre proposed and bought by the city for the group called SOLID.
Finally, a person speaking up from the frontlines of the ongoing gong show on the streets and he gets a penalty for saying what anyone with open eyes has witnessed on the streets daily.
Tired of seeing the city council provide more assistance and keeping the street circus supported with more misguided taxpayer funds. Time for a drastic change at city hall, so vote this group out next time around.
G.R. Bourne
Victoria
‘What happened this time?’
I watched the gaunt, tattooed shirtless man begin arguing with the constable whose police cruiser had pulled up the moment before, blue lights flashing.
The stage was set, just in front of the Crust Bakery on Fort. I was having lunch with an old friend facing the street, and from behind me, a stranger walks up to us and asks, “What happened this time?”
It wasn’t like an, “oh boy, what now?” The question was genuine, and the person was hoping I knew more about what was happening than he did. But I am still confused by it all.
I don’t live downtown, and I hardly ever come there except to enjoy the local lunch offerings, as there are many great ones. So as a consequence, I don’t know that it is a fairly regular occurrence for an unhoused person to be considered dangerous enough to warrant a police response, as the person behind me had just inferred.
Why is it a regular occurrence?
Why do we all collectively allow it to happen? And then there’s the big question, how did we get here, and how do we extricate ourselves from a situation where public safety is no longer a guarantee walking around downtown Victoria?
Asking for a friend.
H.W. Plainview
Victoria
Ninety years of age, four without a doctor
Re: “Tell us where we stand in queue for a doctor,” editorial, Aug. 16.
I was born in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ and have lived and worked here all my life. I am now aged 90.
My wife and I have not had a doctor since the beginning of 2020, but were supposedly fast tracked on the health registry due to our age.
Our chances of ever having a doctor are seemingly quite minimal. Am I justified in being somewhat resentful?
Perhaps I should be looking at this from a different perspective. We are well beyond our allotted “three score and ten” and should be happy to have younger people put first, as probably it is considered time we “shuffled off” anyway!
Oh well, we can always look forward to MAID.
Gordon Hansen
Victoria
The doctor shortage is not a priority
Re: “Tell us where we stand in queue for a doctor,” editorial, Aug. 16.
This editorial mirrors my thinking and describes my situation while providing additional local information.
The Health ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ Registry is a black hole of a bureaucracy; registrations go in, nothing comes out.
It is extraordinary that those in charge are forbidden to talk to the public. They should be forbidden to refuse.
The cutesy attitude toward recruitment locally (“locate here and get great meals and fantastic conversation”) doesn’t bode well.
At age 75, I have been paying taxes for the health-care system for over half a century but my doctor quit three years ago and I don’t expect to see another family doctor provided by MSP during my lifetime.
I have been a lifelong NDP voter, and I note our premier is quite aggressive and energetic about dealing with important issues. However, the 900,000 with no family doctor isn’t one of those. I will be watching for what the other parties are offering in the election.
Jim Bonfonti
Victoria
We have a right to know where we stand
Re: “Tell us where we stand in queue for a doctor,” editorial, Aug. 16.
Quite obviously, the Health Ministry, being supported and paid for by the people in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½, has an obligation to report the wait list and the expected wait time.
I am in fact quite surprised that such query has not been raised in the past.
I hope in future whenever a registry is established in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½, it is essential that the format of reporting and the timeline on the reports should be established and published.
Harry Kwok
Saanich
Health-care spending has more than kept up
An Aug. 13 letter stated that health care spending in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ has not kept up with inflation. This is incorrect.
According to CIHI (Canadian Institute for Health Information) ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ is now spending one and a half times more per capita adjusted for inflation compared to 1990.
Doug Branter
Victoria
Not the UVic that we remember
I swam many lengths in that McKinnon Pool during my undergrad years. It cleared my head and made me smarter.
I have never been the athletic type, but that facility helped me balance my academic goals with the joy of physical exertion.
I even remember swimming away one of my first heartbreaks in that pool, crying my tears into the water as I swam (much better way to deal with hurt than hitting a bar and drowning my sorrows, don’t you think?).
I have three degrees, two from UVic, and have been a practising family law lawyer in Victoria since 1996.
A client recently insulted UVic, saying it was a terrible university. I felt offended on behalf of the institution I loved so much and said so.
They said, “Well, it is not the UVic you remember.” I hoped that was just one opinion.
Yet, now I wonder. If UVic’s pool can be closed so easily, without the opportunity for community input and the opportunity for creative solutions, what is going on with my beloved alma mater?
UVic, please move forward in a way that is on brand and in accordance with UVic’s stated values.
Val Hemminger
Victoria
Many benefits to be had in swimming pools
My granddaughter is upset with the idea of closing the UVic pool — she had her swim lessons there at age five.
As for me, I was never an aquatic fan because at her age, I had swim lessons in frigid ocean water. But all that changed since I moved to Victoria.
I am in the dive tank at Commonwealth pool chugging along almost daily now and reaping the benefits of water “jogging.”
So I am strongly in support of the repairing the University of Victoria’s swimming pool. From young families, school children, to university students, and all the seniors we have, these are essential health and lifestyle services.
Older people’s ailments such as arthritis, Lupus, advanced scoliosis, joint pain, balance problems and muscle spasms are gently and therapeutically addressed in our local aquatic facilities.
It’s catching on. It’s cheap.
Mobility and strength are noticeable gains so people keep coming. We must keep every pool, and build more.
Dozens of seniors and other folks with impairments actually enjoy the feeling and fitness gained from running or walking in deep water with flotation belts or noodles.
They come in all sizes and shapes, are often recovering from injuries or illness, doing what can’t be done on land.
People chat with each other as they “jog” along at about one kilometre an hour, all while they have an invigorating workout.
Nearby are parents and babies in their pool, and kids and teenagers in the wave pool, and elite swimmers doing lengths. How many field and sport facilities can claim this kind of participation?
Let this be a plea for maintaining all our pools in case the secret gets out!
Sandra Hartley
Victoria
With those salary costs, no money for the pool
The problem for the University of Victoria not going ahead with pool repairs and closing the pool forever is because the total wage costs is out of control like a stage 4 cancer. Why?
Total payroll cost for 2019 was $327,439,878 and total payroll cost for 2023 was $425,386,143 – an increase of $97,946,265, or 29.9 per cent, over four years.
In 2019, 52.9% of the total payroll was for employees earning over $75,000 per year.
In 2023, 63.8% of the total payroll was for employees earning over $75.000 per year.
In 2019 one employee was paid $273,207 and this same employee was paid $333,680 in 2023, an increase of $60,473 or 22%.
This is outrageous and taxpayers can no longer pay for this foolishness.
Employees earning these kind of wages do not need wage increases. Their wages should be frozen until they retire from the job. With the above carelessness, amazing why $1.5 million cannot be spent to repair the pool.
Present management is totally unqualified when it comes to financial matters.
The above data was taken from UVic audited financial statements.
Joe Sawchuk
Duncan
Get students to help, and lead by example
Re: “Saanich considers strategy to protect urban trees,” Aug. 17.
If Saanich wants to plant 10,000 trees a year, here is a suggestion. There are about 8,000 students in Saanich.
Why not provide schools with saplings that they can then sell as yearly fundraisers. That way, the schools get the much-needed funds for extracurricular activities and such. The kids can take pictures of them after they are planted and post them on social media. It’s a win-win for everybody. The kids get the funds, no taxpayers dollars are expended other than for the cost of providing the trees, and you raise a whole generation of children with an appreciation of nature and the urban forest.
Here’s another suggestion for Saanich. Tend your boulevards as well as you expect citizens to attend to their own properties. Saanich boulevards are overgrown in my area and are a fire hazard as the trees have all grown together.
It’s also not healthy. If one tree gets diseased it spreads just like fire.
Saanich needs to lead by example. Pruning the urban forest is a healthy thing and Saanich needs to embrace that fact as much as it needs to plant trees.
Doug Coulson
Saanich
Saanich wants to protect trees? Really?
Re: “Saanich considers strategy to protect urban trees,” August 17.
Isn’t it Saanich that removed all the glorious shade providing trees on Shelbourne? Isn’t it Saanich that allowed a property at the end of Haro Road, to remove almost all the trees, including a beautiful Arbutus? Who do they think they’re kidding? I’m positive there are hundreds of examples elsewhere, but those two are my personal pet peeves.
Julia Pollard
Victoria
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