To all the wonderful people of Qualicum Beach and the incredibly nice people who stop by my work site each day to tell me how lovely my projects are and how important they are for any seniors hoping to live downtown in either a beautiful rental or condo style building: Please clearly understand I have only been able to create these award winning buildings thanks to the tireless efforts of three councillors.
The organized and politically-motivated naysayers (read next week’s letters to the editor I am sure) will tell you I am a whining, rich developer. My wife may agree about the whining part but rich?
I often tell her she married me for my looks not my money. What I am is this: I am a 15-year resident of Qualicum Beach, I am also a passionate, state-of-the-art building designer/builder who recognized years ago that the downtown core should support a vibrant retirement community and not an ‘experiment’ community which was the path were heading down. Go to my website (www.amplio.ca) and judge for yourself if my additions to town are not suitable, and please remember the burnt-out structure and falling-down structure that would still be there today if changes didn’t happen.
For those naysayers who moved here in the last several years, you do not remember what I call ‘The Lost Decade’, yet you have pretty strong opinions about how you are going to save this community from the likes of me.
Folks, If you have ever thought about downsizing to the Village Center to a small, quiet, seismically safe and rot-resistant structure that is above all attractive and meets our aging mobility needs, please come out and vote for those who implemented the positive policy changes and please be aware of those who voted against them.
I would love to continue to work in my home town if you see fit, but I can only do so if our council shares the same positive exciting vision. I can tell you that many running for council this year have not or do not.
Dean DregerQualicum Beach
