Tuesday’s Letters: The New Boyle Street home is sorely lacking

Content of the article

Friday was a sad and troubling day for Edmonton and, in particular, for its downtown area. The Edmonton Subdivisions and Development Appeal Board used an unconvincing exercise in definitional gymnastics to revoke the development permit the city had approved, allowing Boyle Street Community Services to create a new home, the King Thunderbird Center .

Content of the article

This facility would significantly increase Boyle Street’s ability to serve Edmonton’s most vulnerable citizens, providing health and social services that the council and Boyle Street neighbors all praised at the SDAB hearing.

Content of the article

Boyle Street is a very special organization. He seeks to build trust between himself and the homeless in our inner city, overcoming the anxieties that cause many to avoid approaching mainstream health and social services. This trust encourages them to access the supports and health care offered by Boyle Street so that they can receive the care they need, improve their lives and, ultimately, better integrate into the community.

This is extraordinarily important work that improves the quality of life in our city center, work that the decision of the SDAB should not be allowed to stifle. I sincerely hope that Boyle Street, its neighbors and the City Council can work together to pave the way for the construction of the King Thunderbird Center, improving the lives of all residents of our downtown.

Content of the article

Gurston Docks, Edmonton

Smith should help all Albertans, not just his base

As a new senior, I find myself in the enviable position of being the recipient of $600 from our new Prime Minister. The other envied group are parents of children under 18. Large families with many children should receive the whole manna, and just before Christmas.

It’s so obvious that this is shameful vote buying, that I’m surprised she didn’t wait until Black Friday to announce it. Mind you, all of those recipients wouldn’t have had time to plan their shopping spree, so Tuesday’s announcement made more sense to the ruling party, I guess.

What are the largest voting base groups for the UCP? Elders and parents of large families. If this government really wanted to help all Albertans, it might have followed Saskatchewan’s example and sent $500 (or more) to each citizen.

Content of the article

My single adult children, who are struggling to make ends meet with rising rents and other increases in the cost of living, need this affordability help more than I do. This government is more concerned with flattering its base than helping all Albertans. So they mismanage the province for four years and then bribe their base for their continued support? I intend to donate my new boon to any opposition party willing to overthrow this incompetent government.

James M. Fraser, Spruce Grove

Hawrelak Park Renovations Are Unnecessary

I’ve been a frequent recreational visitor to Hawrelak Park since 1968, and I’m distraught over plans to close the park for three years for an expensive, unnatural, and largely unnecessary « rehabilitation. » I’m concerned that the natural beauty of the park will be ruined by the proposed renovations, including the addition of paved trails throughout the park, especially around the lake where the abundant migrating waterfowl with their hatchlings climb in and out of the lake. water for rest and food. grass.

Content of the article

The gravel and wood chip paths around the park are well maintained and provide the best surface for walking and running. The current ring road, which is also in good condition, works well as a multipurpose surface, and in my 54 years of experience walking, running, running, biking and inline skating around the park Hawrelak, I’ve never had a security issue. on the road.

The picnic sites are minimal and rustic, as they should be. I also frequent the park for festivals and concerts, picnics, cross-country skiing, and skating, and I can’t imagine the emptiness in my life with the park being closed for three long years. Hawrelak Park is easily accessible, within walking or cycling distance for many.

The only common complaint is that the restrooms need upgrading and while the pavilions housing the restrooms are being considered for inclusion in the city’s historic resource inventory, only the interiors of the structures would require special attention. Our park should be an urban oasis, dedicated to preserving nature as much as possible: grass, trees, lake, bird sanctuary, a space where individuals, families and communities can recreate and come together; adding more asphalt and signage will only detract from its natural beauty.

Content of the article

Nancy Constable, Edmonton

Churchill Square should attract families

I think it’s great that there is no tree this year, but consider holding events in Churchill Square.

Churchill Square was created for Edmonton events. It was demolished and replaced with what is now a paved space to facilitate holding events. It is known as the center of the city next to the City Hall, a landmark that citizens regard as a symbol of the city. It’s bad enough that downtown is dead right now and its silence is so obvious that people don’t want to come downtown.

To bring the center back to life, City of Edmonton events should take place in Churchill Square. To attract families and make it affordable for people to come downtown, clean up trash and make it easier by offering free or cheap parking. No one wants to take their children to step over puddles of urine at LRT stations on their way downtown for a happy event, then step over urine again on their way home to mark the end of that happy event.

Content of the article

CM Simons, Edmonton

Relief neglects singles and childless couples

I’ve been thinking about Danielle’s vote-buying package. Like every other vote-buying program ever announced, it ignores working singles and working couples without children. Do working singles and childless couples not vote? I think they do. Or are there so few that their votes don’t matter? I understand that their number is increasing. So why aren’t their voices solicited?

Now, the last vote-buying package was really a headache. If a household with children earns less than $180,000 per year or $15,000 per month, that household receives relief of $100 per month per child under 18. What does $100 mean for a household earning $14,999 per month? How much Kraft Dinner will this buy that can’t already be bought? Yet a single person earning a fraction of that $15,000 a month gets no help with Kraft Dinner shopping, much less lettuce shopping, and can help pay sorry housekeeping for just $14,999 a month. . (When did $15,000 a month become the poverty line, anyway?)

Content of the article

I’m a senior myself, so I take advantage of Danielle’s largesse. I do not need it; it will be redirected. Meanwhile, I don’t blame the younger, hard-working non-recipients for blaming me and my gray-haired cohorts for always, always, always falling behind.

Elaine Ramsay, St. Albert

Giving relief money to the NDP is a mistake

Re. “Direct $600 where it can do good,” Letters, November 26