To the Editor,
Re: Sports and events centre would revitalize downtown core, Letters, Jan 12.
It is not a good idea to build a multiplex on the downtown Nanaimo waterfront. A big box building with a big parking lot is not good use of waterfront. It would be ugly, and take away from Nanaimo’s greatest assets – natural beauty, the ocean and the mountain views beyond.
The cruise ship passengers would be unimpressed to see a big box building and a parking lot on the waterfront. Those passengers will be wealthy, probably highly educated and cultured people. They are not going to go home and tell people,’We saw a big box building and a parking lot on Nanaimo’s waterfront.’
We need creative, original ideas for this jewel of a property. Something unique that would put a beautiful stamp on Nanaimo. How about a botanical garden with all native wild flowers and trees? Something great that Nanaimo does have – the city gardeners do wonderful work. There are five daffodils blooming right now, in the strip of garden just before the old firehall. Now that’s impressive.
Madeline A. BruceNanaimo
To the Editor,
Re: Multiplex is perfect for waterfront, Letters, Jan. 24.
The multiplex that was recently and quite suddenly proposed for Nanaimo is a bad idea. If we’re going to get that much into debt, let’s at least put the money into something that a much larger percentage of our community will use. Hockey is not enough to warrant the tens of millions of dollars of debt, and a hockey team staying in a hotel 30 or 40 times a year, while eating at one or two restaurants, really doesn’t seem to add up to much financially. A couple of concerts per year, or maybe three at the very most, does not seem to add up to much either. What it does add up to though is a huge debt, that we cannot justify with just hockey, a couple of concerts and a boat show.
Douglas BodtonNanaimo
To the Editor,
Re: Respect process, outcome of vote, Editorial, Jan 19.
The editorial was good advice, especially the part stating “there are still fundamental gaps that probably preclude many of us from being able to take a reasoned stance.”
Then on the letters page we get more writers expressing their negative views of a multiplex. It’s hard to believe there could be a lack of positive opinions out there.
One writer bases his case on a weekday WHL game seen on TV. Having attended games/events in a few B.C. cities I’ve also seen varying numbers of empty seats but also some sell-outs as well. Another writer expresses a rather strange concept of what hockey is, thinks there would only be two or three concerts a year here and wants to put our money into something more interesting and enjoyable. Like what?
And although it covered a different subject, I found Tom Fletcher’s column headline ‘Fake news is coming at us from all angles’ rather fitting for this subject as well.
Jim CorderNanaimo
To the Editor,
Re: Sports and events centre would revitalize downtown core, Letters, Jan 12.
One only need walk the downtown and visit the facilities (the conference centre and the Port Theatre, not to mention the cruise ship dock). These projects were sold on the promise of sustainable performance, downtown revitalization and an assurance to the taxpayer that they will provide an economic spinoff. No one needs numbers or statistics to see that this is clearly not the case.
Perhaps the mayor and council should walk out the front door of city hall and begin their quest for redevelopment one block at a time within the downtown core. In my mind, small sums spent wisely on smaller projects that benefit taxpayers on a daily basis and attract and entertain the tourists would be a better long-term approach. Public market? Better street scapes? And maybe even some tax relief for current and future business owners and developers. No matter how the entertainment centre is sold/marketed to the taxpayers, there is no guarantee of success. I believe mega projects of this sort so often become white elephants and we already have plenty of those.
I.E. WarrenNanaimo
