Help wanted
Is there a doctor in town willing to take on a new patient [“Clinic opens,” April 17, 2013]?
I have lived in Powell River since 1963, 50 years. My life has been fruitful; I have worked, paid taxes and contributed to the community.
Now, at age 75, I have no doctor. Please help. My phone number is in the book.
Margaret Havens
Ontario Avenue
Write and complain
I have just read that there will be a 3.5 per cent fare increase for BC Ferries due to higher cost of fuel. On top of the four per cent rise happening April 1, this makes a 7.5 per cent increase in fares [“Ferry schedules need to connect,” December 11, 2013].
So the ferry corporation is cutting sailings due to low ridership. With the fare increase just announced, ridership will go down again and then the fares go up again, ridership down again. Will it be six months, or less than six months before the ferries will be going back and forth with only 20 or 30 vehicles? How long before they are completely bankrupt and the government will be forced to take over again and spend millions of our tax dollars to provide transportation to the communities that are dependent on the ferries?
Perhaps the mayors of all the affected communities need to demand a meeting with the premier and get this resolved. Just because the Lower Mainland has a higher population than outlying communities does not mean that we can be ignored and all the monies are to be spent on Vancouver.
Every person in every community affected should start writing letters or emails to the premier and the minister of transportation for BC. If we don’t write, we can’t complain.
Larry Law
Huntingdon Street
Special treatment
Powell River people should all stick together and support each other on this BC Ferries matter [“Ferries’ future unclear,” January 3].
Remember the sports teams and medical, also citizens of the beautiful community. If people are selling their homes because of fear of no way out, or because of ferry cuts, it’s not the greatest for the Pearl of the Sunshine Coast.
BC Ferries should treat the people of Powell River more fairly and think what it is doing. It is stressing people out. It is hard for people to go anywhere now.
I hope BC Ferries will think hard and treat us, the people of Powell River by lowering the price of our ferries and giving this community a chance at life so we citizens of Powell River have a life we can live without worry and stress of losing homes and team sports of our beautiful city. People will not be able to afford to come to this city for events or live normal lives under ferry cuts and increased costs.
I ask BC Ferries to give the people of Texada Island and our city a break and warm our hearts for 2014.
Clifford Lang, retired citizen
Squamish, BC.
Toques for tots
I’m most appreciative of your recent story in the Peak in regard to the Powell River Toque Initiative [“Call goes out to knitters,” December 23]. The colour photo was especially eye-catching and your reader response has been terrific. The very day the story was published, a woman came to our office to follow up and to lend the support of the Catholic church knitters.
How nice for the babies to be able to receive toques from Canada. As my daughter Terra says, nothing else quite says Canada like a hand-knitted toque, and what a warm show of support from so very far away.
The hat total as of January 6 is 308, including a donation of 10 little hats knitted by a 93-year-old.
As one supporter so aptly said, “Oh Powell River....you are the little town with the big heart.”
A number of non-knitters have asked how they can help out. We are gratefully accepting cash donations to help cover the high cost of shipping. Please feel free to drop any donations to Coast Realty, 4766 Joyce Avenue.
Kathie Mack
Joyce Avenue
World libraries
When we first visited Powell River 17 years ago, we were impressed with the recreational facilities, parks and hospital. When we saw the library it could be described as poky [“Study documents opposition to library,” September 18, 2013].
Back in 1955 I remember our development commissioner, Harry Ubelacker, telling us that an industrial prospect wanted to know how many books we had in our public library. Visiting Moscow’s Lomonosov University in August 1963, we were told about all the books it had. “Do you have Dr. Zhivago?” we asked. “No, and nobody would want to read it anyway!” On to Yerevan, Armenia, to see its deposit of ancient manuscripts.
If you ever go to Ketchikan, Alaska, see their library by Ketchikan Creek. Juneau’s public library is on the fifth floor of a parking garage. You take the elevator up,and are met with quite the view.
“Watch that little girl.” We were in Auckland, New Zealand, branch library. We watched as a nine-year-old girl self-checked out an armful of books. Our Powell River Public Library self-checking machine is operating. Come on in and try it.
The Magna Carta was signed in June 1215. “Magna Carta Gathering Place 800” (old arena site) would be a grand location for our library.
Charlie Tatham
Fairmont Street
