Recently, our beautiful Performing Arts Centre hosted several multi-day provincial and extra-provincial dance competitions.
The weather was conducive to the dancers and families enjoying the lovely creekside setting in between performances.
However, due to the previous discovery of discarded needles and paraphernalia in that area, the staff deemed it prudent to advise against the use of the adjacent exit except in an emergency or use of the area at all.
How unfortunate for all attending and a black eye for Vernon and the Centre.
Many of these families would surely reconsider a return visit to our city thinking it is unsafe and rife with drug addicts and homeless. Add to that, a report that robberies and petty crime numbers have risen this year to date, and newspaper accounts of private citizen “Avengers” taking to our streets and parks to clean up the discarded needles that have been provided free.
Our city has chosen to enable and support so much anti-social behaviour that I fear anarchy is threatening.
June MacGregor
