Letters to the Solar: | Vancouver Solar

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Re: Transfer to abolish Vancouver park board reveals rift in Mayor Ken Sim’s ABC celebration

I’m glad to listen to that Mayor Ken Sim is taking steps to finish Vancouver’s park board. I want, nevertheless, he would go farther. Many extra adjustments are wanted for Vancouver to function on a coherent, environment friendly, and democratic foundation.

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To start out, we have to change the way in which we elect our native representatives. An at-large system may go in some communities, nevertheless it doesn’t in B.C.’s massive cities. And grafting a celebration system on prime of an at-large, first-past-the-post system makes it worse. Events have change into a monetary and sensible necessity, however the system was not designed for them.

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My hope is that the provincial authorities will use the chance Mayor Sim has offered to take a look at native voting all through the province. One measurement not often suits all and an intensive evaluation of municipal voting is lengthy overdue. The chaos of the previous a number of elections in our huge cities makes it clear that the time for reform has come.

Catherine Evans, former Vancouver Park Board commissioner

As one of many legal professionals appearing in opposition to the park board, on behalf of 4 handicapped individuals who had been kicked out of the park in June 2020, I’ve had my variations with the earlier park board, however this plan by Mayor Ken Sim is dangerous.

The provincial authorities densification idealogues have taken zoning away from cities so as to flip Vancouver into Manhattan, or worse.

As an alternative of preventing to protect town from builders, the mayor now desires to take over the unbiased park board that has protected inexperienced area and made Vancouver at present essentially the most livable metropolis on the earth.

Phil Rankin, Vancouver

Re: Vancouver park board’s battle and controversy dates to 1890

Thanks to John Mackie for offering the historic context for the creation of the Vancouver Park Board. It’s important to grasp and respect our native historical past in order that we could successfully plan for the longer term. I look ahead to studying extra of John Mackie’s insightful articles.

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Mary-Ann Dyson

Authorities must be held accountable for health-care debacle

Re: Most cancers therapy delayed, B.C. man opts for medically assisted demise

I’m saddened to be studying that British Columbians are dying on this province because of the lack of most cancers therapy, and must go state-side for chemotherapy.

I might not be shocked to listen to extra households talking out about this travesty that they’re having to undergo. And I believe extra households ought to come ahead to inform their tales.

Though it makes me emotional to must learn these tales, the NDP must be held accountable for this health-care debacle we face.

And it’s not simply wait instances for most cancers therapy, however common hospital wait instances as effectively, and total physician shortages.

Please hold writing about on a regular basis British Columbians who I really feel are dying unnecessarily as a result of NDP insurance policies. Households have a proper to inform their tales and be heard.

My father died of most cancers two years in the past, and though he had already had his MAiD papers signed, it was my mom who in the end needed to make the choice for him as he had change into incapacitated to take action.

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Stuart Sim, Victoria 

In 2021, a member of the family had ache in his shoulder which required an x-ray that was adopted by an pressing appointment with the physician. Inside 10 days, he was receiving chemotherapy remedies for bone most cancers.

The principle distinction between our expertise and that of Dan Quayle was that this member of the family was not 52, however 17. Our son’s care was via B.C. Kids’s Hospital and the assets devoted to youngsters far exceed these we’re prepared to spend on middle-aged adults.

The legalization of euthanasia has solely exacerbated this drawback, with chemotherapy delayed or withheld till the affected person feels he/she has no different choice however to request doctor-assisted demise. How unbelievably tragic to know that we now have the means to offer nice look after most cancers sufferers, as we skilled with our son, however we don’t worth the lives of adults sufficient to place the assets towards supporting their care.

Mike Schouten, Chilliwack

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