Dear editor,
I am a Maple Pool resident by choice.
I love it here. Sold my house.
I am houseless, but I am not homeless. RV’in 24/7.
Not one soul in Maple Pool Campsite is homeless.
This is a community with landlords that care. They provide support and services to people who need it.
The value of this community is almost priceless. Although, if you consider the numbers tossed around, the value of Maple Pool, as a currently operating, well-run and safe place to live, and if it were a privatized alternate housing government-run service, the park business represents approximately $2.5 million to $3.5 million per year if considered to be part of government expanded social services budget.
Cost a lot of taxpayer dollars for something that already exists.
I believe that the City’s actions and all the BS needs to cease.
In my opinion and others, Jin and Dali are perfect candidates to continue and expand on the services they now provide.
They are my candidates for sure and I am pretty sure you will get 54 of 54 us in agreement. Hire them. Rezone the land use, build alternate housing on site and continue the services that Jin and Dali promote including Dawn to Dawn, Care-A-Van, regular provision of meals, the coffee truck, personal consultation, the help if and when you need it.
Ask that of your landlord if you have one.
The reality is Maple Pool, because it’s currently in-dispute zoning realizes a relatively low tax revenue for the City of Courtenay. Changing the zoning to permanent occupancy would up the revenue but maybe not by enough to meet the City’s infrastructure needs in the future.
The potential value of future tax revenues is a far cry from the true value of the real estate and the potential tax benefits from a high-end development of riverside properties.
This is a case of government and developers money versus the good people in need.
The Supreme Court just ruled in favour of Maple Pool Campsite as operating de facto and now the City has gone behind closed doors, which should be illegal and I see it as an opportunity to be in cahoots, viewed as collusion, people on fixed income and in need. It is all about money.
My 40 years of contracting experience acknowledges the fact that you are absolutely correct. It’s a $15-million net project over five years. I figured it out and I am good at that.
Don McWilliam,
Courtenay
