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What a waste

Editor: If the article on Sechelt Innovations Ltd. (SIL) in the Aug. 1 Coast Reporter is anything to go by, then SIL is in a sad and sorry state.

Editor:

If the article on Sechelt Innovations Ltd. (SIL) in the Aug. 1 Coast Reporter is anything to go by, then SIL is in a sad and sorry state.  

Since SIL, as reported, has been operating for two years, how is it that they have just released their first quarterly report? After two years and $600,000, we have just one report? The article mentions “some progress,” but none is evident from the article.

There is great notice given to the (free) public WiFi, which cost $64,000. Since it has already cost $64,000, it is hardly “free” to the residents of Sechelt. Since WiFi is becoming readily available anyway, what value are we getting here?

Is this really all SIL can come up with after two years?

The electric vehicle charging stations do not appear to be used much; how many people are driving around in all-electric vehicles?

What has SIL got to do with the St. Mary’s Hospital LEED gold standard?

The wastewater upgrade requirement was in place long before the creation of SIL. Is SIL claiming credit for the Telus fibre optic network? Put together, this infrastructure hardly seems to be the work of SIL.

For the next half of 2014 SIL will focus on refining Sechelt’s “value proposition” (whatever that might be). A new website, sales to specific corporations, and generally more of the same. This whole exercise would seem to be an abysmal and colossal waste of time and money. It is hard to fathom just what SIL has achieved as no real innovations are identified and the infrastructure was already in progress, or would have come about anyway.

William Thomas, Sechelt