A06 • Friday, May 3, 2013 • The Record
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Losing special folks hurts in a small city
you don’t even know their name until There are plenty of reasons New you see an item in the newspaper about Westminster residents cite for loving them, or you overhear a conversation this relatively small city in the midst of about them in the grocery store. But much larger urban areas, but one that is you know that they make a difference regularly mentioned is the opportunity in your community, and that to get closer to neighbours, makes the city feel – well, just city leaders, and people who a bit more like a hometown. make a difference to our lives. THE RECORD This week we bid farewell In New Westminster, you can actually get to know the to one of those people who have made an incredible impact on the cop on the beat, the firefighter, the city. Const. Bruce Ballingall – or ‘chicken electricity worker, the chap who writes legs’ – as he is affectionately known, letters to the editor, the woman who works at the local food bank. Sometimes will be sorely missed. Our story in this
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print edition barely scratched the surface of his fascinating story – so we urge you to read more about him on our website. We wish him well in his retirement. Sadly, we also lost two other remarkable community people this past week – both to illnesses that they had struggled with. Ed Harrington, was key to this city’s thriving arts community. His joy for life and people and theatre was visible in everything he did. He was a generous soul with his time and energy, and laughter, and the city is poorer for losing him.
Tony Eberts was a reporter at The Province newspaper for years, and an author. When he made New Westminster his home, he also became a regular letter to the editor writer. His letters were always born from his principles, straight-shooting and often tinged with a wry sense of humour that only a reporter could have. Yes, we know, people leave, they die, that’s life. But in a small city where, as the song goes – everybody knows your name – the losses seem much more personal.
Consider voting for ‘none of the above’
I
less gesture. ’m going to bang that drum If you have even ever bothagain – the same drum I’ve ered to check the “Spoiled been banging on during Ballots” column in a final balevery major election for years. lot tally, you probably And I’m going to thought exactly what keep banging on it everyone else does: “It’s until someone listens amazing how many – and hears. BOB GROENEVELD people don’t even have There’s something enough intelligence to missing from the balmark a ballot properly.” lots that are presented to us at Be honest. No one thinks, the polling booths during federal “Wow. Those people were proband provincial elections. ably disenchanted with the Actually, it’s missing from choices available to them and civic election ballots, too, when spoiled their ballots purposely to we’re choosing school trustees lodge their protest.” and mayors and councillors, And if you exercise the only but it’s usually not as critical, other realistic alternative – stay because of the wider variety of home – you’re just another one choices we usually have. of those apathetic slobs who There’s a choice we’re all can’t be bothered to make the denied, and it’s to the detriment effort to study your choices and of the whole democratic process. make a valuable decision. We need one more box that Either way, you don’t count. we can check off (technically, in You’re either stupid or lazy, or Canada, we are supposed to use both. check marks, not Xes to indicate But if you could put your our choices – but the rules accept check mark in a box beside the any “obvious intention”). words, “None of the Above,” That extra box belongs at the there would be no mistaking bottom of the list of candidates. your intentions. And it should read: “None You considered the options of the Above.” We need to be open to you. You thought able to give voice to our dissent – when it is warranted – without about the choices available. You weighed all the qualifications spoiling our ballots, which is and experience offered by all the technically illegal and logically candidates. foolish. And you decided to take Even if they don’t throw you your ballot into a polling booth, in jail (I haven’t heard of it ever picked up the pencil provided, actually happening) for spoiling and registered the preference your ballot when you really feel you should have the choice to vote for “None of the Above,” it’s a completely useless, sense◗Options Page 7
IN MY OPINION
Canada’s ‘hearing’ problem Dear Editor:
The inscription on the Peace Arch at the Canada/ U.S. border reads, “Children of a common mother” but although our British parent may be the same, our approaches to moving governments to action differs. The U.S. was born through a revolution and a Declaration of Independence that began “We the people …” By contrast, Canada was born, quietly 90 years later, through evolution, with reliance on “… Peace, Order and good Government …” The contrast in our beginnings persists to this day in our attitudes to changing the direction of projects like the transhipment and export of coal to Asia. Washington State’s Whatcom County (population 200,000-plus) has received 125,000 public comments over a 12-day comment period that cul-
minated in a 140-page report by three federal, state and local agencies on the environmental impact of expansion of the Cherry Point Gateway Pacific Terminal to handle coal from the ominously named Powder River Basin. By contrast, our city councillors and New Westminster Environmental Partners have only recently jumped on the “Coal Train” – the moral equivalent of running to catch up to lead a parade past the reviewing stand – a parade started by Quayside and Queensborough resident petitions. I have listened to New Westminster provincial candidates on the coal transhipment facility. All but Terry Teather and James Crosty cede the issue to “federal jurisdiction” or being a “done deal.” The May 9 Community Dialogue on Coal and Climate Change meeting at Surrey City Centre Library from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. will hopefully change this provincial ◗Coal Page 7
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