Trains must be practical for success
To the Editor,
It was with a smile on my face that I read the article on the on again-off again Island Corridor Foundation (ICF) train issue on our Island. Coming from a country where train travel was the way to get from point A to B, other than by bicycle or bus, our small town (13,000 population) had train service once per hour, rush hours every half-hour.
Many used it to go to work out of town or like me to trade school. Hardly a train whistle was heard even though they went faster than our Island trains do, which blow their horn three times at each crossing—unmarked, marked and protected crossings.
Having lived along the track it was annoying: the crossing bells and the train horn, some just short beeps some make it loud and clear they were coming like hanging on the horn instead of a short pull.
Trains have been around longer than any person alive; why the annoyance? I could never figure it out.
Train travel was just for tourism here on the Island and will never be any more unless they make service available all day long, at least once a hour from around 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. so shoppers or others could use it for travel to and from work. And the speed would have to be at least close to highway speed for people to make use of it.
Currently I’d say all the track has to be replaced between Victoria and Courtenay—let’s not talk about the Port Alberni track; that will need a total reconstruct with new bridges, etc.
John de Boer,
Port Alberni
Small print in budget a horror story
To the Editor,
With this first federal Liberal budget we can see that the Trudeau legacy of increased debt and reduced personal responsibility is back. It took less than six months to blatantly discard their election promises. This year, a $30 billion deficit and a future with no end in sight for deficit spending.
The debts incurred will be paid, but by whom? Quoting Richard Lamm, “Deficits are when adults tell government what they want and their kids pay for it.”
Yes, the debt will be paid by those with no voice, often those not yet born. Far too many Canadians find it acceptable to ask their government to fleece their harder working fellow citizen, hence there is no appetite to shrink the role of government.
But the budget probably will manage to hit your wallet as well.
There’s a hidden little gem in the back, on pg 223 that’s called a “bail in” for banks. Yup, after this budget is passed, failing banks will be able to reach into your account and make you pay for their problems. This is the Liberals idea for helping the elite of this country, to the money the frugal citizens have saved.
This is what took place a couple of years ago in Cyprus, where the wealthy few were allowed to remove their deposits but middle class citizens were stripped of some 20 per cent and more of their savings.
And so what is about to take place here? Your environmentally correct Liberal government is determined to drive the oil industry into bankruptcy. Between completely halting pipeline construction and taxing every particle of carbon fossil fuel use generates, the Canadian energy field is in for a very rough ride.
The repercussions of this will be to take the profitability out of a number of Canadian banks that are heavily invested in the oil sands. Should those banks experience financial problems they will be allowed to take your savings and give you back common shares. You’ll be allowed to sell those shares but you won’t get back the money that was stolen, with government help.
It is not too late to be outraged, to demand the Liberals remove this blatant bit of thievery from the budget before passing this into law. Tell your MP to fight this budget.
Gary Seinen,
Port Alberni
New rules discriminatory
To the Editor,
Re: proposed new laws governing assisted suicide.
In this day ‘n’ age, how hypocritical is it to perpetually campaign for acceptance of the mentally ill only to then stigmatize anyone who’s ever had a diagnosis of “mental illness” by excluding them from this legislation?
Liz Stonard,
Port Alberni
