Burnaby NOW • Wednesday, March 23, 2011 • A07
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR City has to take action continued from page 6
I’ve read through the draft plan available on the city’s website, and I have to applaud the hard work put into it. There are great ideas and suggestions for making Burnaby an even better place to live and work in. There is one area that I found lacking however: homelessness. It is mentioned only three times and only in the context of advocating. Under the heading of Affordable and Suitable Housing, it only says to continue to advocate other levels of governments to “make it easier for municipalities to support affordable and suitable housing, including winter shelter options.” In the article, Mayor Corrigan says it’s difficult for cities to develop social infrastructure, again bringing up the old refrain of it not being within municipalities’ jurisdiction. Sorry, but that doesn’t hold water. If the mayor would look beyond the borders of his “best-run city,” he would see many social infrastructure examples our neighbours have managed to build – with and without the help of other levels of government. Perhaps he could ask the City of Vancouver how they were able to build shelters and hundreds of social housing units? You can’t wait on the other levels of government to get their collective acts together. Also don’t expect the other levels to work well with you when you continue to slam them and their policies every chance you get. You know the old folk saying: You attract more bees with honey than vinegar. Show some leadership as other cities have done. Use the tools in your toolbox effectively, the Burnaby Housing Fund,
use density bonus, etc. Or you can use the cheapest and easiest tool within a city’s power. Change some zoning bylaws and allow a multi-service shelter, as some local associations have been asking for since 2000. Carrie McLaren, Burnaby
In defence of free speech
Dear Editor:
I read with interest the story in your Wednesday, March 16 edition (School rejects article) about the suppression of Grade 12 student Elias Ishak’s article from being included in the Burnaby South school newspaper. It seems that principal Li has taken it on himself to determine what is and is not permissable for the Burnaby South community to read and hear from its young people. The youth of that school, and Burnaby beyond, are learning that the freedom of expression entrenched in the Canadian Constitution and spoken of in school history texts is not for real life. It is just something we tell the countries subject to dictatorship: we are free, and they are not. So, Elias Ishak, and fellow students and citizens – you have learned a valuable lesson that will not be on any school test trumpeted by the Fraser Institute: Freedom is what those in authority say you can do and think. Thank you, Burnaby NOW, for giving Mr. Ishak a voice. Will the “progressive” Burnaby school board now put principal Li in his place and allow student freedom of speech so that the Elias Ishak’s of tomorrow can be heard, and so that we can hear them? Fred Lowther, Burnaby
Free speech: Report the facts continued from page 6
fact, on any job, the bosses set the rules, whether it is a publisher or editor in a newspaper office. If he complains about the abrogation of his own personal rights, by the boss or owner, he would be wise to find a place and the money where he, himself, is totally responsible as a boss or owner.
If he cannot accept this, he will have to seek another workplace. Hopefully, he will have the choices we had when we entered the word force so long ago (my career began Nov. 1, 1944, ended May 1974, when I was elected to the House of Commons). I had the great good fortune to work for the greatest
journalists in the business in Canada, and in Ottawa with the super prime minister named Pierre Elliott Trudeau. I hope Elias has the quality of mentors I had in my many careers and does not cry foul when what he says is not allowed to be the last word. Simma Holt is a Burnaby resident.
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MARCH 26TH, 8:30 PM
2011 - For just one hour. Switch the way you think about energy usage.
On Saturday March 26th the City of Burnaby will join cities across the world in turning off their lights for one hour to show that it’s possible to take action together on climate change. Join Us in turning off your lights from 8:30 - 9:30 p.m., Saturday March 26th, 2011. See the world in a whole new light!