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Wednesday, June 4, 2014 - PENINSULA NEWS REVIEW
EDITORIAL
Jim Parker Publisher Steven Heywood Editor Janice Marshall Production Manager Bruce Hogarth Circulation Manager
The Peninsula News Review is published by Black Press Ltd. | #6 - 9843 Second St., Sidney, B.C. V8L 3C7 | Phone: 250-656-1151 • Fax: 250-656-5526 • Web: www.vicnews.com
OUR VIEW
A hand up, not the boot R
umblings behind the scenes about how to handle Sidney’s recent influx of panhandlers seem somewhat heartless. This spring, a few panhandlers have turned up on Beacon Avenue. These are not the usual buskers who perform for their meals. They are what might be considered homeless individuals who are looking for a handout or perhaps even a hand up. Instead, it appears local leaders are looking for ways to force them to move on. Staff Sergeant Dennis O’Gorman recently reported that the Town of Sidney is exploring ways — including bylaws — to address the matter. What that might be is anyone’s guess but judging by some of the recent letters to the editor on the issue, a lot of people want the panhandlers gone. To where, is a hard question to answer. O’Gorman says some of those individuals choose to be on the street. Others have drug or mental health issues. He said working with them and the rest of the community is complicated and must be done in a humane way. A bylaw — possibly to restrict their comings and goings — doesn’t seem very humane. And it would put the police into a position they should not be in — a situation better left to social welfare organizations. O’Gorman says a generous population contributes to keeping the panhandlers around. Does that have to be a bad thing? If enough people of that generous nature put their minds together, perhaps they could find solutions that give people an out from life on the street — not just the boot from one community to another. Reasons behind why some people panhandle on the streets of downtown Sidney and elsewhere can be complex. A knee-jerk reaction to situations that make us uncomfortable — and pushing them out of the community — is perhaps not the type of generosity the Saanich Peninsula wants to be known for.
What do you think? Give us your comments by e-mail: editor@peninsulanewsreview.com or fax 250-656-5526. All letters must have a name and a telephone number for verification. The PENINSULA NEWS REVIEW is a member of the British Columbia Press Council, a self-regulatory body governing the province’s newspaper industry. The council considers complaints from the public about the conduct of member newspapers. If talking with the editor or publisher does not resolve your complaint about coverage or story treatment, you may contact the B.C. Press Council. Your written concern, with documentation, should be sent to B.C. Press Council, 201 Selby St., Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 2R2. For information, phone 888-687-2213 or go to www.bcpresscouncil.org.
2009 WINNER
Farmland fate a test for parties development on productive The B.C. Liberal government’s farmland. bill to divide the Agricultural Land That might be a valid concern, Reserve into two zones has passed, but there are a couple of factual after one of the nastier exchanges problems. First, every appointment I’ve seen in a decade covering the to the ALC, at the regional or B.C. legislature. provincial level, is made by the B.C. “You’re all a bunch of corrupt liars,” NDP agriculture critic Nicholas government. It’s been that way since the Dave Barrett administration set Simons yelled as the government it up in 1973. cut off a long and mostly Second, the regional repetitious debate that panels are not new. The dominated the final days of B.C. Liberals imposed the legislature session. them in 2003. If this was Not to be outdone, their method of corrupting cabinet minister Bill the process to dismantle Bennett replied to Simons’ the ALR, that would have heckle about Kootenay largely happened in the rancher Faye Street, one years since. Surely by of Bennett’s most vocal this time they would have supporters as he pushed found enough greedy through changes to the Tom Fletcher political hacks who hate land reserve to ease land B.C. Views farming to subvert the use restrictions in rural process. zones. I’ve written before about the Bennett advised Simons to offer legitimate concerns of places like his remarks to Street in person. Merritt and Vanderhoof and Dawson “She’ll kick your ass,” Bennett said. Creek, where some ALR rules and The on-the-record debate wasn’t decisions simply don’t make sense. much better. Strict secondary residence rules Columbia Riverare needed in areas with non-farm Revelstoke NDP MLA Norm development pressure. In most rural Macdonald summed up his areas, they are a mistake, and are party’s biggest objection with his frequently ignored. charge that “a bunch of Liberal The debate wasn’t entirely devoid political hacks” will be appointed to of honesty and civility. Macdonald regional panels of the Agricultural interrupted his string of baseless Land Commission. accusations to note that under The government’s scheme, the current system, 75 per cent Macdonald and other NDP critics of exclusion applications in the predicted, is to unleash a flood of Kootenay region are approved. If ALR land removals to enrich B.C. that’s the case, what is really broken Liberal supporters by allowing
that needs to be fixed? It’s a good question that the government did not adequately answer. And credit also goes to the new agriculture minister, Kelowna-Lake Country MLA Norm Letnick, who inherited a public relations mess left by the brief and boneheaded performance of Peace River North MLA Pat Pimm. Braving the heckling at the end, Letnick put aside his partisan talking points and gave his personal assurance that the government’s intention is to support farming in those places where non-farm income is the only thing that keeps people on the land. As soon as the theatrics had died down, the B.C. NDP sent out a fundraising plea to its members to help “save” the ALR. The party is broke and desperate after losing its fourth straight election and it hopes to activate its declining donor base by portraying the changes as the imminent slaughter of its most sacred cow. Voters have three years before the next election to assess this situation. If there is a flood of exclusions of prime agricultural land, then the NDP will be able to make its case that its warnings were at least partially true. If this does not take place, then the government’s position will be vindicated. We’ll find out the truth.
Tom Fletcher is legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press.Twitter: @tomfletcherbc Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca
‘The debate wasn’t entirely devoid of honesty and civility.’