Dear Editor:
Re: Condo development at Banks Crescent
I am 89 years old. I moved to Summerland about four years ago to be with my daughter and son-in-law.
I am relatively active and enjoy helping with the garden and preserving fruits and vegetables and spending time with my new neighbours who have become friends.
But I understand that our neighbourhood is about to change and I am not in favour of it at all.
I moved from Vancouver and one of the key reasons was to get away from the noise and the traffic.
When I came to visit with my daughter, I felt at home here, safe. I enjoy the country feel of Summerland and really enjoy being so close to the orchards and being able to walk around the town core. I know my neighbours and we all look out for each other.
Who will be moving in to this big complex? I am very afraid that my safe, peaceful setting will be threatened and my last years will be spent with construction and traffic noise.
The other fear that I have about the proposed development is the pressure that it will put on our medical services.
I am already having difficulty getting an appointment with my doctor. I often have to book two to three weeks in advance and then, more often that not, I still have to see his locum rather than him. But I feel lucky right now to at least have a doctor.
I understand that seniors at that facility will have access to telephone help. But with that many people, they will eventually need to visit doctors, especially as they age.
As I said, I’m 89 and I notice that I need a doctor more rather than less, and more urgently. A telephone call for medical attention just doesn’t work.
Please consider the elderly as you make this decision.
The impact of this huge development is very stressful and really threatens our healthcare. I am really afraid and sad that this is happening here, in Summerland, at this stage of my life.
Gilda Pucci
Summerland
