Nothing is so spooky as a deserted, decaying big box mall. It screams depression. Now imagine the new cement-laden Uptown Shopping Centre with iron bars on the windows and a barbed wire fence around it. Prison, anyone? Please don’t spread that joy to our Peninsula.
We have a hungry monster at the door. Feeding big box stores requires so many customers, I swear our Island will sink from the weight. The tax dollars aimed at infrastructure support will be never-ending, as with the gas-guzzling vehicle fumes and cheaply made products we are expected to buy over and over again. Did I mention foreign ownership – money shipped offshore?
Let’s think outside the box and keep our Peninsula a home for small business, local manufacturing, fresh farm food, beautiful green spaces, varied architecture, clean air and friendly, home-grown hospitality.
Sharon Lawrence
Saanichton
