Editor:
It is past time that our SCRD acknowledge it has made a bad decision regarding the Gibsons pool and immediately correct it. The continued closure of the Gibsons pool is indefensible: for the health of many of its citizens; monetarily; and, politically.
Consider: Sechelt and its areas (not counting Halfmoon Bay) has a population of about 11,000. Gibsons and its areas including the town, Langdale and West Howe Sound has a population of about 10,300 (not counting the Roberts Creek area which has another 3,500 people, some of whom are closer to Gibsons than to Sechelt). Why would two quite separate areas with about the same population result in an SCRD decision to have service restored to one pool/area and not the other? It’s insulting from both a service and taxation perspective.
Consider: the SCRD says the decision to not reopen the Gibsons pool is for cost reasons – so what is this big cost? As recently reported in the Coast Reporter, the SCRD staff said they could not supply directors with the actual Gibsons pool costs because the SCRD administration could not separate these costs out from the other facilities. If this is the case, how can SCRD staff possibly claim its decision to not reopen the Gibsons pool is because of excessive costs? Further, the Town of Gibsons has offered to ante up significant dollars for additional Plexiglas and COVID-requiring renovations to allow the pool to reopen. The SCRD has even now said it has a current recreational budget surplus. One wonders what is the real agenda.
Finally, consider: the community divisiveness this decision is causing. The SCRD claims it does not want its many areas’ taxpayers comparing and bickering about services rendered amongst its various constituent communities. Then it makes a decision that precisely foments just such feelings. It’s a political decision; stop dividing our communities and picking favourites.
The community anger and frustration over this decision is SCRD-created. This is quite simply a bad decision. SCRD: listen to your constituents; reverse it. Citizens: the petition to reopen the pool is at: https://savegibsonspool.wixsite.com/savethepool
Gretchen Bozak, Granthams Landing
