There were so many articles in your recent editions that struck a chord in me.
Our beloved beach front: Change the bylaw and what, get another eyesore? For $5 million the city could buy that Parksville Beach Resort land and expand the community park.
The people of Qualicum Beach believed so strongly in the Brown forest they raised money and paid for it. I don’t know how they did it but wouldn’t it be worth it to buy the land back and preserve the gem of Parksville?
City council could forgo the murder of Canadian geese and put that money aside for the first of many payments. Perhaps the people of Parksville could step up and help fundraise enough to go towards the purchase. I would be willing to help. Would you?
The Homeless: There are enough empty lots in Parksville that second-hand Atco trailers could be used to house the homeless. Provide one shower trailer and some port-a potties. Put the garbage pick-up on the route and the city would control the visuals.
We can’t let the tourists see we have people living without hope in Parksville. Is it our dirty little secret? Isn’t it a country-wide tragedy? I would hope compassion comes before tourism.
Water restrictions: Sorry but this is a very real sore spot for me. Didn’t the drought last summer teach city council anything? They succeeded in scaring everyone into an expensive water treatment plant, but the plant isn’t built yet and all I see are developers ripping groves of trees up to place more boxes in a row to make a buck.
Look at the mess just past the Temple store. Look to the houses squished next to Foster Park and all the trees destroyed to accommodate more houses behind it.
What if there is another year of drought? Council is not prepared for it and the people of Parksville will pay the price. I find it ironic that everyone wants to kill the geese because they are wrecking the estuary but we the humans are destroying everything else.
These are all thoughts that make me go hmmm. Why not? There’s nothing wrong with thinking outside the box.
Elaine ThompsonParksville
