Opinion

Editor: As we come up to this year’s municipal elections, I would like to whole-heartedly endorse editor Ian Jacques’ call for absentee election options for the Sunshine Coast Regional District in his editorial Oct. 30.

Editor: Current council members and candidates pay homage to something called “economic development” as the solution to all of Sechelt’s woes.

Editor: In November 2011, the quietly positive majority of voters showed Sechelt’s best side in the Target Marine referendum. Sechelt voters backed the company in a landslide vote of 2,687 to 663.

Editor: This spring the Town of Gibsons invited residents to offer feedback on how to improve our official community plan (OCP).

Editor: In 2012, For a Better Sechelt pointed out that Sechelt’s residential tax burden was 86.3 per cent and that needed to change — and we needed more jobs.

Editor: One on-going challenge at all levels of government is the need to balance economic development with environmental protection and our overall quality of life. Each Sechelt mayoral candidate recently acknowledged this.

Editor: Many times I have stopped when the driver ahead of me has stopped to turn left or allow a person to cross the road.

Cathie's Comments

Editor: I attended the all-candidates meeting organized by the Gibsons Chamber of Commerce last Thursday (Oct. 30) at the Community Centre. It was an awesome display of community involvement — literally standing room only.

Editor: I have lived and operated a business in Gibsons for the past 16 years. In all those years I have not seen any growth to Lower Gibsons, only business starting and folding. With about half the population over 55, we are a retirement community.