Opinion

Revitalization plan:
Close to being lost

Developing a plan to revitalize Sidney’s downtown area
is not new. Going back to 1984 there has been talk about
what can be done to help merchants by improving the
atmosphere on Beacon Avenue.

The previous Sidney council approved a plan, to follow
the underground wiring project, that would see sidewalks
widened and red brick pavers inlaid into crosswalks going
in four directions at Beacon Avenue intersections. Trees,
colorful garbage receptacles and banners would spruce
things up. The council of the day approved the plan
providing property owners in the Beacon Avenue specified
area agreed to pay the cost, after grants, through their taxes.

In good faith, members of the Downtown Revitalization
Committee petitioned property owners, after talking to
tenants, and succeeded in getting the required approval.

It’s not surprising that the committee was crushed after
Sidney council decided to have a consultant study an
advisory planning commission recommendation to narrow
Beacon Avenue to three lanes.

It effectively delayed the revitalization plans. But more
than that, it could do more damage to revitalization than
the worst-designed plan the committee could come up
with.

What wasn’t mentioned at Monday’s committee of the
whole meeting was what the three-lane Beacon Avenue
concept is intended to do.

One can only assume it is supposed to improve matters
but we're having a problem determining how. Apparently,
Sidney taxpayers will find out, through a consultant who
may very likely come back with a recommendation against
the change.

What all parties involved are trying to accomplish is in
danger of being lost.

The delay is unfortunate for Beacon Avenue merchants
who are behind the project, worked hard to see it develop
into a workable plan and were looking forward to a
prosperous summer with new surroundings.

The most important thing to happen now is a meeting
between the revitalization committee, the advisory plan-
ning commission, council and Beacon Avenue merchants.

Only one thing should be on the agenda — agreeing on
a final plan to revitalize the downtown area. Once that
happens, it can be brought to the public at large for
comment, then move into the final design stage so a
non-disruptive construction schedule can be drawn up.

These recent events should be forgotten or all the work
done to date will be lost. The initiative is a positive one
and, as revitalization committee chairman Frank Malerby
said, it requires the support and enthusiasm of all parties
involved to be successful.

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TheReview

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Volume 77 Issue No.8

TheReview

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GST and greed

Editor:

There are amongst us some
people who are getting greedy and
then there are some who are going
insane.

The other day I was in a store
and my bill came to. $2.45 with the
goods and services tax included. I
gave $2.40 in silver and five
one-cent coins, wherreupon I was
informed they do not take one-cent
coins!

In a case of rounding off, [I
purchased a large coffee for 90
cents. Plus GST should have been
6.3 cents more. Was I charged 96
cents? No, it was rounded up to $1.

It goes on and on. Where is it
going to stop? If you purchase two
large coffees it should be $1.80
plus 13 cents GST. Are we charged
$1.93? No way, it’s $2!

Some V.I.P.’s think money
grows on trees. No wonder we are
in a recession. The law is the law
and I am told use it to your
advantage, study it but keep it
honest. Government offices,
municipalities etc. are overloaded
with bureaucrats, the time has now
come to wield a large stick and
start to clean house.

We hear a lot of talk from the
minorities but the majority are
silent until it is time to vote!

George C. Clark
Sidney

Simple solution
for school site

Editor:

Now that the Agricultural
Society has received a “Go B.C.”
grant of $1 million towards mov-
ing the fair site, it would seem
reasonable for them to sell at least
part of the old fairground site to
the School Board at an acceptable
cost.

The old fairgrounds would make
a good site for the Mt. Newton
Middle School. It is fully serviced,
it has good road access, it is
surrounded by urban development.
The Keating Ridge students would
be able to use East Saanich Road
to go to school rather than the busy
Keating Cross Road which is a
safety concern for parents.

Further, to drop the application
{0 put a site on the ALR land will
eliminate the time consuming

involvement of the Agricultural
Land Commission.

Because the ALC is under obli-
gation to protect and preserve
agricultural land any site within
the ALR is bound to be judged
partly on there being possible
alternatives outside the ALR.

The old fairgrounds is available,
is zoned for institutional use and is
outside the ALR; this would
appear to downgrade any chance
of the ALC now approving an
ALR site.

The Agricultural Society is a
non-profit organization which has
received tax concessions plus
grant monies to perpetuate its role
to encourage an interest in agricul-
ture through holding an agricul-
tural fair:

Presumably they would be inter-
ested in providing a site for the
school to avoid the necessity of
putting the new school on agricul-
tural land.

It is to be hoped that the School
Board, Central Saanich council
and the Agricultural Society will
now work quickly to consider this
possibility.

This story may yet have a happy

ending.

John Smith
Seabrook Road

Stats on produce

-. from California

Editor:

The Central Valley in California,
as the Sacramento and San Joa-
quin Valleys together are known
as, account for at least two-thirds
of that state’s $17.5 billion busi-
ness in agriculture — by far the
nation’s largest. The valley is
without equal in all the world as
an imeplaceable resource for farm-
ing.

However, a harvest of profound
change has begun including a loss
of 20,000 acres of land annually to
urbanization, migrant labor prob-
lems, reform in the distribution
and pricing of highly subsidized
water for irrigation etc., all leading
to a declining output.

The conclusion one draws from
this is that the day of cheap
California produce depressing the
price of local produce is coming to
an end.

Surely then the rezoning of the
old Maber Farm containing some
of the best growing land not only
in Central Saanich, but in all of

ON PRIORITIES

Canada (Statement by David
Sands, greenbelt
administrator, B.C. Ministry of
Agriculture), should be considered
in all its future implications.

For our own operation of
approximately 200 acres, which
contains every soil type and classi-
fication, only 50 acres is of an
organic type comparable to the
Maber Flats! This soil type is the
most highly productive for crops
such as lettuce, carrots, parsnips,
celery, onions, cauliflower, broc-
coli, cabbage and beets.

I personally have seen’ most of
the above mentioned grown suc-
cessfully on Mabers. Also, at the
present time the Island Vegetable
Co-op could easily market the two
million pounds of produce that
was harvested on the acreage
annually.

Possibly the above will lead to a
more balanced discussion on the
issue.

Wilmer Michell
Michell Bros. Farms
Island View Rd.

Turner Valley book
celebrates history

Editor: :

The Sheep River Historical
Society still have some copies of
their history book “In the Light of
the Flares” for sale.

It is'a 798-page history of the
Turner Valley Oilfields and the
people who lived there. They sell
for $25 plus $3.50 postage and
handling.

We are willing to trade for other
local history books. Please make
cheques payable to the Sheep
River Historical Society, Box 277,
Turner Valley, Alberta. TOL 2A0.

Florence Denning
Turner Valley, AB

Help soughi for
Navy cadeis

Editor:

In 1995 the Navy League of
Canada will celebrate its centen-
nial. The league is dedicated to
fostering an interest in the tradi-
tions of the sea amongst the young
people of Canada.

Its history includes generations
of our youth. Cadets, aged 10-13
years old have the opportunity to

~ Continued on Page A8

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