Editor:
In “Gibsons Members Sworn In” (CR Nov. 4 online) is a suggestion from chief elections officer Rebecca Anderson that municipal and regional staff may want to collaborate on approaching the federal government regarding the confusion about official addresses versus physical residence. For instance, my address is Gibsons but I actually live in Elphinstone. Thus I was not eligible to vote in Gibsons.
This was frustrating: decisions made in Gibsons affect me as well, yet I had no say. However, I also had no say in the SCRD or Sechelt elections, and affairs in those areas also have an impact on me (think traffic, housing, water . . .). But that’s a separate issue.
As for our confusing addresses, please, do we really need to urge the federal government to spend many thousands of dollars or more, and thousands of hours of staff time, on the huge job of searching out all these discrepancies country-wide, and forcing us to change our addresses even if we haven’t moved? It seems to me the solution is simple: if you move into a new region, and an election comes up, ask your neighbours what riding you are in.
Let’s focus, as new Gibsons Mayor Silas White recommends, “on the big issues and big decisions.” There are more than enough of them to work on.
Sheila Weaver, Gibsons / Elphinstone
