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Letters to the editor for the week of September 27th, 2012

BC Transit needs all the help it can get
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A few years ago TransLink staff met with owners in our apartment building, located along the route of the Evergreen SkyTrain line. During the discussion the staff mentioned several times the severe financial constraints TransLink was facing so several persons asked the "suit" in charge why TransLink wasn't developing the land around, above and under the stations with all sorts of buildings that would produce a steady income.

His answer was that it was not TransLink's mandate, it was up to developers to build something by a station — or not. Surely, we said, wouldn't it make more sense for a perpetually short-of-cash transit system to own income producing buildings than to let others get the profit generated by transit stations they didn't — even partly — finance?

It became obvious that, like many of the TransLink staff at the lower management level I have talked to at open houses, like the various B.C. ministers of transport (remember [Kevin] Falcon [Liberal Minister of Transportation, 2004-2009]) discovering turnstiles in the London subway a few years ago, unaware that Toronto had them before he was born), he and the other staff in attendance had little experience of transit as "she is done" on the other side of the mountains...or the ocean.

The New Westminster SkyTrain station is now part of a complex of three-highrise condominium towers plus a shopping mall — with a Starbucks and a Safeway — built around the tracks. Unfortunately, I am pretty sure that TransLink hardly gets any money from it. Not as much as if it owned the whole kit and caboose anyway.

Japanese trains and bus companies are owned by private companies. They have developed major stations to an amazing level (with giant stores, shopping malls, hotels, offices etc. right around the stations). As a result the fares have hardly increased in the past 15 years.

Many European railway companies, including government-owned ones, started turning major stations into shopping malls several years ago and are making a nice income from it (besides the income that companies like the French National Railways and the Paris transit system make by managing transit systems in foreign countries).

A bus garage in a corner of Whistler will likely never become a favorite shopping destination for Vancouverites, or even Whistlerites, but any amount of money earned will help BC Transit.

J-L Brussac

Coquitlam

Luge worth supporting

I do not habitually reply to columnists or write to the newspaper. I usually take what I like and leave what I don't like. However, this being said, I took offense to your "Maxed Out" article "Time to choose your battle?" of the Sept. 6, 2012 Pique paper.

I bought tickets and took my family and friends (from Singapore and Calgary) to the men's double luge event at the Olympics in 2010. It was awesome! Luge is not a very well known sport because you need big facilities to be a luger. Soccer is huge around the world because most anyone can find a ball and a field. Luging, however, requires a proper venue and proper professionals to run it, and properly trained staff and athletes to practice on it and let's face it; it is not for the faint of heart.

I have taken a strong liking to this sport ever since I saw it and found it amazing that out of the four sliding centers in North America, Whistler has one. Wow. No Canadian has ever won an Olympic medal in luge. This may change in future Olympics because Canadians now have two sliding centres to recruit and train athletes and welcome the world championships and other amazing events. I am not a luger and I do give a rats' ass. I am pretty offended that you would say that no one does. I know that Sea to Sky athletes brought home medals from the last national championships. We never read about it in the local papers. There was no fanfare or even display of appreciation for the lugers who brought home the hardware.

Yes, it does cost the taxpayers of Whistler money to maintain and upgrade such a track. Such is the price to pay for hosting the Olympics. You end up with a legacy. You end up with a few kids who want to try. You end up funding the dream of young athletes for whom one day you may be jumping up and down in your living room saying, "this Olympic medal is ours. The kid is from the Sea to Sky." That's what happens when you have a legacy.

Maybe you were just in it for the fame and glory (and $$$) of the Games. I would hope that some people were in it to promote and encourage amateur sport. There is no money in amateur sport. Very rarely is.

You are a writer and you have access to the public by your writings. I would rather you would use the precious word allotment you were given to promote and encourage the sport and write up every time a local athlete excels in luge, skeleton or bobsleigh. Please use your powers constructively and appreciate the efforts of the people working hard for nothing other than the passion for their sport. Please help people appreciate what they have rather than complain that "goshdarnit" you have a sliding centre to take care of.

People had to think of that before they bid for the Games and built it, not afterwards. Now, let's work on rewards.

Roseline Grimm

Garibaldi Highlands

RMOW receptive to proposed development of Mons area

"We took a lot of heat for not just adopting this bylaw," said Mayor Nancy (Wilhelm Morden). Is this why mayor and council changed their tune? Who is putting them under pressure? And why do they feel this way? (Pique, Sept. 20, 2012)

So who is giving our elected officials heat? The public? Not likely — after third reading council is not permitted to listen or discuss matters with the public pertaining to these properties. Staff? I doubt it, as they would be directed by council. Could they be feeling the heat from Eric Prall's (Canadian Home Builders Association Sea to Sky Chapter) letter expressing his dismay at delay's in final approval? Surely not, as they would have been instructed to disregard this, especially as it was later retracted. The threat of litigation by Bayly and Woods? For what? They have received the benefits in income from their property without correct zoning and should have postponed major investment until after rezoning had been approved — similar to a resident building an over-sized house(s) on land without correct zoning.

Third reading was given by another mayor, another council. I applaud this council's efforts in revisiting this project. It's a new council — they need time to study the issue for themselves and should take as much time as they feel they need to make a decision we will have to live with for time to come. Times have changed in the last few years and so has the market. Function Junction has an abundance of space available, with another rezoning application on adjacent property. Rezoning of the BC Transit site shall easily accommodate the parking and maintenance needs. Does Whistler need another industrial zone in the middle of town? Who is pressuring our council?

Milo Rusimovich

Whistler

A big thank-you to Pemberton Valley Hardware!

We here at the Mount Currie Health Centre, and in particular the Maternal-Child Health Program, would like to extend a wholehearted kukwstum kacw — thank you — to the wonderful people at Pemberton Valley Hardware.

Pemberton Valley Hardware has donated funds and supplies to the Mount Currie community for years, in an effort to make the lives of children happier and healthier.

With the generous support of local businesses and families like Pemberton Valley Hardware, we can encourage and foster healthy living for young families in Mount Currie, and empower people to take control of their health in often challenging circumstances.

Pemberton Valley Hardware cares for the health and wellbeing of children in particular, and as Paul at Pemberton Valley says, "It is all about the community — it is why we live here, and we are all in this together."

Again, thank you to Pemberton Valley Hardware and all the other generous community members and businesses who support the Lil'wat children!

Laura Ogden, Community/Maternal-Child Program Health Nurse,

Sheila Bikadi, Maternal-Child Health Coordinator

Sharon Edmonds, Community Home Visitor for MCH Program

Rachel Andrew-Nelson, Health Director

Pemberton

Hydrogen Bus Milestone

Congratulations to Ballard, and to all who have worked to make the hydrogen bus project go in Whistler.

The project has been both a challenge and a privilege for all involved. For the record, concerning supposed driver errors (Pique, Sept. 20, 2012) such as pulling out while closing the rear doors, almost all transit buses have an interlock mechanism which precludes being able to drive a bus while the rear door is open.

To say that error was at fault for the operational issues in the first year of the project is a mischaracterization.

The buses were prototypes, using technology that had not been put into a transit fleet before. Processes for operation and maintenance of the fleet had to be developed and adapted after the project was under way.

Steve Antil

Service Delivery Manager,

Whistler Transit LTD

Wow, 100 Playgrounds!

Well, 112 to be exact. But when we started planning last Saturday's Thank-You Party for Playground Builders' donors, supporters, volunteers and directors it was with a mind to celebrate completion of the first 100 playgrounds constructed in areas of the war-torn Middle East and Afghanistan. In fewer than six years daily, safe play has been provided for more than 250,000 children.

The party was an equal success, as usual made possible by the efforts and support of many wonderful people and organizations. As a result we were all treated to excellent food, libations and compelling talks from an Iraqi partner in attendance and via live Skype feed from Afghanistan. Huge thanks for the contributions and helpful hosting of Scotiabank and their crew, Nesters and Whistler Brewery. Thanks also to D.J. Smokey (a.k.a. Eric Berger) and Whistler Blackcomb. Finally, a special thanks to Krystelle Leveque, who wrote and performed a special song for Playground Builders broadcast live to Afghanistan.

Onward to 200!

Keith Reynolds

Playground Builders