Editor:

The Olympics carry a responsibility regarding fair play, team orientated approaches, and world communities showcasing the merits of hard work and effort.  Ladysmith has earned an honour to participate in the games via the torch bearing ceremony.  

When $8,000 is donated to create this event by the government, and we have local financial needs in both the arts and library funding areas I wonder about the decisions of local government.   

Can we not as a community follow Olympic examples, and make a fair team orientated community platform, which creates a solution to  Coun. Bruce Whittington’s concerns about cutbacks to the arts and libraries, and supports Coun. Steve Arnett with his position on showcasing Ladysmith.  

We are to honour the torch on Oct. 31, which means that Ladysmith Theatre could have been invited to participate. Receiving much needed funds, and displaying costumes and theatre from our community on such a night would have merit. 

The library constantly improves and support education with literature.  Having an apple bobbing, and Trick or Treat event in the library, could also send funds back where they are needed.

We are living in a world where conflict resolution and community should be highly regarded.  The Olympics is a historic event that has long stood for the best being showcased.  

As a community let us showcase our best and support each other, our establishments and the world at large.

Funding comes and funding goes, but it is our intelligent capacity  as the people to make the right choices, support the needs of our population, and care for each other to be the best we all can be.  

City council should solve problems, and look out for our community interests to illuminate our best politically and socially.  Turn on the lights, turn on our love, and lets celebrate together.

Karen Herle

Ladysmith

Editor:

As a property owner on First Avenue, it is encouraging when there is investment that enhances our historic area. 

I commend the owners of 411 First Avenue, Cheryl and Brian Bancroft, for their new and bold colour scheme. It brings life and vitality to the corner of First and Roberts and is a welcome addition to the community. 

 Mike McDonald

Ladysmith

Editor:

The Olympic Torch Relay will arrive in Ladysmith on Oct. 31. and the community task force coordinating the Ladysmith event is eager to celebrate with any local residents who will be torchbearers in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 

Unfortunately, due to privacy concerns, the provincial office is unable to release the names of torchbearers, so this is a public plea for them to come forward. 

If you are a torchbearer (or you know one who would allow you to share their contact informaiton), please contact me at amcleod@ladysmith.ca and the community task force will be in touch.

Anita McLeod

Community Services Coordinator, Ladysmith

Editor:

I wrote the day the CVRD published public notice about Chemainus Composting’s application for a permit to operate expressing my concerns about odours eminating from this operation unless there were proper controls applied.

Since that time I have been assured a BioFilter will be required as a condition of a license with proper controls and a maintenance schedule to be followed. BioFilters are effective, reliable pieces of equipment that will abate any odour.

I think residents of Chemainus generally and those who live closer to this facility will have little to be concerned about. It will be miniscule when measured against the air quality when manure is spread on the fields of local farms.

Alex Currie

Chemainus

Editor:

There’s an endless list of schools, hospitals and “you-name-its” that we as citizens would like to see more money spent on.

But then we turn around and whine about the taxes that pay for these things. 

 If we want to have our cake and eat it too (low taxes as well as more services and vital infrastructure) then we’re going to have to become more enterprising as a province and start making the most of what we’ve got.  

 The forest industry has served generations of people in this province well and it will again. 

But it’s also made us reliant on the our biggest trading partner the Americans and they’ve always needed us far less than we’ve needed them to buy our lumber products. 

 But now we’ve got something the Americans desperately need, something we’re uniquely able to provide: an abundance of renewable clean energy.

That puts us in the driver’s seat for a change and it lets us turn the tables in our trading relationship with our American neighbours. This time we’re the ones with our finger on the switch.

 By becoming more enterprising and making the most of the renewable energy resources we’ve got in this province we can have our cake and eat it too.

We can cover the cost of the services and infrastructure projects we want without adding a single new tax dollar from our own pockets.

So let’s flip that switch and make it happen.

 Donald Leung  

 Burnaby