LETTERS

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Linley Valley offers carbon solutions To the Editor, Re: City signs on to make cuts to emissions, July 31. It’s good news that Nanaimo plans to cut emissions and become carbon neutral by investing collaboratively with other Regional District of Nanaimo municipalities in regional emission reduction and carbon offset projects. Protecting Linley Valley West could be an ideal regional carbon-offset initiative, for three reasons. 1. Linley West lands have mainly second-growth forest cover, which absorbs carbon more efficiently than old-growth forest, so it provides greater carbon offset value. 2. Current zoning of Linley West lands allows development, so this area will qualify as a carbon offset if zoning changes and/or other strategies are implemented to protect the forest cover. 3. A protected Linley West and adjacent areas of Linley Valley will contribute to broader environmental goals, as part of a regional initiative to save at-risk coastal Douglas fir bioregions with sensitive ecosystems. Moreover, Linley West can become a regional attraction by offering low-impact recreational and learning opportunities, such as hiking, birdwatching, nature tours, and locally-based environmental study projects for students at all levels. Local carbon offset and emissions reduction initiatives help all of us to recognize the additional value of our greenspace. The City of Nanaimo emits most of the RDN’s greenhouse gases: by protecting Linley West and other significant areas of green space, it can offset its impact on global warming and reduce its costs to become carbon neutral. Jennifer O’Rourke Nanaimo

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Thursday, August 9, 2012 Nanaimo News Bulletin

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Eyesore needs creative solutions To the Editor, Re: ‘Barney Building’ sitting idle, Aug. 2. It is a travesty that non-resident owners of properties let them become eyesores to any city. The Steiners don’t care about Nanaimo, they care about their investments. They will hold on to the “Barney Building”until the rest of downtown has been improved, then sell when the most money can be made. This is a sad truth. This means that a creative solution must be found to deal with this eyesore – with the permission and even some assistance from the Steiners. Why doesn’t the Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvement Association propose that the building (at least the street level section) be covered in a fantastic marine mural, like the one done on the backside of the McGavin bread building? Why not use what is now an eyesore and create an attraction? In the big picture it won’t cost much money, but the benefits to the downtown, tourism and the general well-being of our citizens will be dramatically improved. The reality is we are going to be staring at the Barney Building as it is for years to

stores like Lululemon or Urban Outfitters to be a magnet for shoppers. There are a large number of local teens and young adults who travel to Victoria and Vancouver to shop at those stores. Popular retail outlets such as these would draw shoppers to downtown from all over the Island. Sherri Prevost Nanaimo

City’s flourishing core deserves more energy NEWS BULLETIN FILE

Letter writers advocate new uses for now-vacant A&B Sound building.

come, so let’s make it something delightful to look at. Sarah J. Clark Nanaimo

Purple building perfect for downtown market To the Editor, Re: ‘Barney Building’ sitting idle, Aug. 2. I have truly been enjoying our downtown core for the past five years now. From the waterfront, to Commercial Street to Heritage Mews, our downtown is definitely a fun place to visit. It’s growing with so many interesting

little shops and tasty cafés that I find myself heading downtown more often. Regarding the Barney Building, I would love to see a public market located in that spot. An atmosphere not unlike Coombs Country Market or Granville Island Market would make a great tourist attraction as well as another fun alternative for locals. However, accessible parking would need to be considered as well as keeping a balanced blend of good quality vendors. If retail shops go in, it would be wise to choose popular

Composting operation drowns residents with stench To the Editor, Re: Grant awarded to help with carcass disposal, Aug. 2. This article states that Regional District of Nanaimo will use $17,000 for a “study to locate possible sites for a mass carcass compost”. Here is an idea that could save RDN from any effort: why not use existing Duke Point composting facility? Nobody in south Nanaimo, Cedar or Extension will notice additional stink anyway. All residents there are directly benefiting from a previous RDN study by enjoying nauseating, obnoxious stomach-turning stench coming from the composting site at Duke Point and its auxiliaries.

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It is good that existing composting facilities are located upwind from south Nanaimo, so with every breeze the putrid smell of rotting and decomposing does not go to the waste, but lingers in the noses and lungs of happy residents. Furthermore, the RDN should revoke the suggestion to green bin users to freeze kitchen scraps during hot weather to reduce

stink until a garbage collection day. It stinks before, during, and after collection days anyway. Composting companies, those that harvest green money from our volunteer compost gathering, actually do nothing to prevent disgusting stench being generously discharged from their locations. At the fee they currently charge us to take scraps, in the event of a major livestock emergency they will accept anything. As far as any honest bacteria or viruses go, I expect that they will all drop dead from stink as soon as their host carcasses are dumped at Duke Point compost facility. Zlatko Zvekic Nanaimo

To the Editor, Re: ‘Barney Building’ sitting idle, Aug. 2. After reading your article on the vacant A&B Sound building, it brought me back to when my father and I would go for hours and hours there to ponder all the different music genres together. The building used to have such a great energy to it. It now lacks any kind of energy. It brings down the downtown core. A market would be the utmost best project for the downtown area. We need it. Nanaimo is flourishing and bringing in a market could support local farmers and businesses. I hope to see something spectacular become of that building that has so much potential. Jessica Hunter Nanaimo

LETTERS POLICY: Letters should be no longer than 250 words and will be edited. Preference is given to letters expressing an opinion on issues of local relevance or responding to items published in the News Bulletin. Include your address and phone number (although those won’t be published) and a first name or two initials, and a surname. Unsigned letters or third-party letters (those specifically addressing someone else) will not be published. MAIL: Letters, Nanaimo News Bulletin, 777 Poplar St., Nanaimo, B.C. V9S 2H7 FAX: 250753-0788 E-MAIL: editor@ nanaimobulletin.com

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