I was very happy to read Coun. Tarik Sayeed’s suggestion to put a skating rink in Gyro Park This would have health and social benefits and form a gathering place that would replace the market in the off season.
The greatest beneficiaries by far will be the businesses downtown. Currently, there is nothing to draw citizen’s downtown other than shopping or services. Could you imagine with this mild winter, how many folks would enjoy a skate at the park, get a snack and hot chocolate from a food truck. Then they would go visit the stores downtown because of the proximity.
Businesses could rent out skates and new food-related businesses would pop up.
The thing is, the rink should not take up park area, as there isn’t really that much there. Main Street should be closed just past City Hall and traffic pushed to Martin Street. Then convert the road bed into a rink. This engineering would be simple and you needn’t destroy the road underneath.
Spending millions on going from three lanes to two will not guarantee any more people will come downtown. Spending thousands on a rink and town square will guarantee more people will use the downtown core because it becomes their place.
The Lakeside Resort is a huge stakeholder in the area and general manager David Prystay has wanted 100 block Main Street closed for years.
Let’s get the rink built for the winter even if it’s a prototype. Compressor technology is such that these rinks are not that costly and can scale up. Switch 100 block Main to one lane and build the rink straddling the roadway and sidewalk.
Our new council: Let’s dare ourselves to be bold!
Brian Hughes
Penticton
*****
The odd couple
Pope Francis and Canadian P.M. Harper form trinity with President Obama, known for his compassionate patient foresight, to eliminate decades of cruelty imposed on the Cuban people by removing U. S. embargo and recognizing Cuba. A joyous unexpected Christmas gift.
Done without the U.S. Titanic Congress.
Joe Schwarz
Penticton
*****
Raise your voice
I am sure that I am not alone in condemning the murders of all those innocent children in Pakistan, a horrific act committed by the Taliban.
Although the murderers were also killed I am perplexed by the silence of the Muslim clerics who, by their silence, appear to support the cowards, or are they so afraid of the terrorist organization that they remain hidden and speechless within their mosques? The clerics have a great deal of power in the Muslim world, and their world is not just contained in the Middle East, so why aren’t the Muslims in Canada, and elsewhere on earth, raising their voices in protest? The clerics are the teachers, so what are they teaching? Their holy book, the Koran, or cowardice?
Donald E. Thorsteinson
Penticton
*****
Heartfelt thank you
My family and I would like to extend our heartfelt thank you to all for your support, compassion, your stories and just for being there, even though some could not be there for Mike Churchill’s memorial in person.
We know you were there in spirit. It was a beautiful memorial for Mike. Thank you all.
Mary Churchill and family
Penticton
*****
Hospital staff recognized
I like to thank the staff and doctors for my stepfather’s care before his passing at the Penticton Regional Hospital on Dec. 11.
The care you showed to him will not go unnoticed.
Dave and Patty Hopkins
Penticton
*****
National park questioned
Why would local residents and government who presently control all this area’s activity wish to give up or be forced to give up this control to federal parks management?
Local and provincial government departments presently issue permits and set all necessary, and when required, strict controls. Park promoters mention activities that will continue to be allowed but fail to mention what will not be allowed and at what costs. Take a look at Federal Parks guidelines and see for your self.
I have to ask: if MLAs and special interest groups were so up front, they would put this issue on the next election platform, discuss it fully and let area people vote on it, not slip it through on their own because they have the ways and means.
The local businesses and residents are not tearing up hillsides with trucks, motor bilkers and ATVs, certainly not killing everything seen or out and out showing disregard for the environment. Most I meet are very environmentally caring.
Me, because of age, will continue to enjoy the short walks, drives and while I am still able and allowed; a peaceful ATV ride into the back country.
Wayne Harvey
Penticton
*****
Filmmaker benefits
As a Canadian looking in from the outside toward America weighing the decision by Sony to not release the film The Interview then change their mind has me thinking the delay by Sony will turn out to be a positive thing at the box office.
The film has turned out to be self-promoting the way I see it, and the coins from the curious paying public will fill up any box office with cash.
Did Sony have a change of heart or was it just good planning is the question. I lean toward the latter.
Tom Isherwood
Olalla
*****
New agreements emerge
At the APEC Summit in Beijing, the ascendancy of a new world economic system based on mutual national economic development emerged as the dominant force on the planet. This conference saw the Chinese Free Trade Agreement Asia Pacific (FTAAP) defeat and beat out the City of London and Wall Street Bank’s sponsored Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
The FTAAP is based on infrastructure development as the driving force for investment and trade. The TPP instead, is the consolidation of a supra-national bankers dictatorship over the Pacific area excluding China, would create conditions of economic conflict with China, and prohibits member countries from pursuing their national sovereign rite to carry out infrastructure development. Stephen Harper is for this odious so-called free-trade pact. All the nations of the Asia Pacific, including the nations in South America like Chile, declared their orientation to the Chinese FTAAP and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) over the TPP. At the end of the APEC Summit Xi Jinping offered an open invitation to all nations to participate in this new paradigm of global cooperation and scientific and economic progress saying that all nations must prosper together inclusively..
Then less than a week later at the G-20 meeting, Obama, Cameron, Harper and Merkel went berserk against Putin, and attacked Russia and China’s policies as “anti-Western values.” The virulence of this attack and developments for a continued proxy war with Russia in the Ukraine and expansion of Obama’s Asia pivot military encirclement of China indicate a continued war drive against these nations.
Canada must abandon ties to this dying, bankrupt, desperate British/US/NATO empire and align with the policies of the BRICS New Development Bank and China’s AIIB. War or peace? Your choice.
Brian Gray, Penticton
Independent candidate,
South Okanagan-West Kootenay
