‘A right to have a say’
Dear Editor:
RE: Bike lanes great, July 29.
Throughout my petition, I have never gotten personal with anyone who had an alternate opinion. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but just because I have one that “appears” to go against the bike community, I am now labelled as “the older community”, “someone who does not ride a bike”, “someone who has self important blinders on” or “someone who does not have a right to have a say”.
I am not against bike lanes and as an active daily walker and occasional cyclist, I do support active transportation. My petition is not about saying no to bike lanes, it is about “saying no to bike lanes on St. David Street” because local business owners and residents had expressed their opinion in a public survey and the media, that this was not an option they supported.
My family and I have lived and worked in Centre Wellington for 32 years, our kids went to school here and we have been tax paying residents, volunteers and positive contributors to the community for all of this time. People who know me, know that I am not self important and that I am someone (along with my family) who works to better the community we live in.
I would dearly love to see bike lanes in the community connecting our east and west trails and to downtown Fergus as outlined in the township’s Master Transportation Plan, but St. David Street is not the best place to start this; 80% of people who completed the public survey and 982 people who signed my petition agree with this.
And I believe they all have a right to have a say.
Ed O’Shaughnessy,
Fergus
Location not great
Dear Editor:
RE: Bike lanes great and ‘Fossil-fuel fools’, July 29.
The first letter heading “Bike lanes great” is one I whole-heartedly support!
Cycling, for those who are able, is a terrific and ecologically-ideal way to get around. I never once suggested that bike lanes were a bad idea; what my letter stated was that putting them on St. David Street was dangerous.
I also pointed out there are at least seven other streets feeding into downtown Fergus which would be ideal for this purpose. In defence of all the others who’ve written or signed a petition protesting bike lanes on a provincial highway, I’m pretty sure none of them disagreed with bike lanes – they merely disputed where they should be located.
As for fossil fuel, I drive fewer than 1,000km a year – and while I agree that perhaps bicycles are a better alternative, there are many of us who (for various health reasons) cannot use a bicycle. Many seniors I know have problems that make cycling impossible. I purchased a big clock at a downtown store – bringing it home on a bicycle would have been out of the question.
I totally agree walking and cycling are wonderful alternatives to consuming fossil fuel – but not always an option for everyone. Those of us who can’t bicycle or walk distances do need parking spaces. And there aren’t enough of them now so removing more is merely going to hurt the downtown businesses.
Cyclists, please note: I am completely in favour of giving you bike lanes – I never said otherwise! I stand by what I did say – that it’s a ludicrous idea to put them on Highway 6/St. David Street.
Helen Marucci,
Fergus
Bad spot for bike lanes
Dear Editor:
RE: Bike lanes great, July 29.
Elise Perrault suggests that those opposing bike lanes “need to look outside themselves and remove the self-important blinders”, but immediately after says “the bike lanes are benefiting me, my family, and my future children”.
Who is self important?
As for why people who do not intend to use the bike lanes have a say? Simple – we intend to use our cars and therefore are going to be negatively impacted by bike lanes on a busy highway/street.
Bikes are fine as a recreational activity but not as a mode of transportation.
Dushan Divjak,
Elora
Curious name
Dear Editor:
RE: Last of Guelph/Eramosa’s fallen soldiers will have street named in his honour, July 22.
I applaud the honouring of Rockwood’s final fallen soldier, Donald Fraser Titt, in naming a street after him: Donald Fraser Lane PVT.
Honestly, why don’t they just call it Titt Street? It’s easier to say and will capture people’s attention so this fallen soldier’s story won’t be lost on future generations.
He was a 19 year old man. He would have wanted it this way.
Galen Gannon,
Hamilton
Bridge not needed
Dear Editor:
I understand that an advocacy group has been formed to monitor the ongoing Pearle development anchored by The Elora Mill, to ensure that it complements the unique heritage of Elora.
The work that Pearle has done to date is exemplary. It has resurrected the economic vitality of much of Elora’s historic core in a tasteful fashion.
Indeed, in terms of bringing new residents to Elora, a more intensified condo style development along the river, within walking distance to downtown, is far more preferable than the cookie cutter sprawl on the margins of Elora, common to many North American communities.
Note, I have refrained from using the term “village”. The expansion of the community has ensured that Elora is no longer a “village”. A term useful in marketing, but not in the cold light of day. I mention this because it brings a dose of reality concerning the ongoing growth from those, like us, who have chosen to live here.
However, Pearle’s future development must blend in with Elora’s heritage. As stated by its CEO and their consultant, during the virtual public meeting held a month or so ago, they intend to respond to the excellent suggestions of the many citizens who spoke. I hope so. I will leave it up to others with more urban design skills than I, to contribute to this.
But, there remains one very troubling element of this planned expansion. It is the proposed additional pedestrian bridge, downstream from the existing splendid, renewed bridge recently completed by the township. A second bridge is not needed nor desirable. It will only serve to block the view of the river’s iconic ‘Tooth of Time” by the public at large. The current pedestrian bridge is an excellent means to traverse the Grand River by all.
With the inevitable give and take as part of the continued negotiations between the township and Pearle, this flawed element in the development should surely be taken off the table.
Rick Goodfellow,
Elora
‘Important issues’
Dear Editor:
RE: Pearle Hospitality will receive tax grant from township for Elora South development, July 29.
Centre Wellington council approved the Tax Increment Equivalent Grant by a vote of 5-2 for Pearle’s Elora South development.
Pearle recently withdrew their plans. How can council approve a grant for a development when we don’t even know what the final plans will be?
Councillor Ian MacRae commented that he hears the citizens concerns and would like to see the bridge connecting the Mill and Elora South “done away with” (cancelled) so we don’t loose the view of the Tooth of Time.
Councillor MacRae also said that the proposed building heights should be reconsidered.
Those are two extremely important issues and I support the councillor’s position on both.
Vince Agostino,
Elora
Trucker safety plea
Dear Editor:
Today I write to you as a Founder of Truckers for Safer Highways. We are a small group at this point but have the goal of waking up our political leadership to the issues the trucking industry faces.
We have been met with many brick walls after reaching out to different members of parliament including: Premier Ford, ministers of transportation for both the federal and provincial government as well as provincial Speaker and Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott.
The issues we speak of are the very reasons for the report released on July 9 by the OPP concerning heavy truck collisions rising 40% over six months. We as truck drivers should have the right to feel safe at work this is no longer the case because of our own colleagues.
New truck drivers are being trained in driving schools without any confirmation the instructors or trainers have the knowledge themselves. To add to the problems, new drivers are being trained to “pass the test” and not necessarily given the knowledge to be a professional truck driver on a daily basis. We know this from direct testimonials.
We are gravely concerned about the direction the industry is heading. People are dying on our highways needlessly. It’s past time for all levels of government to take this issue seriously.
Travis McDougall, Trucker’s for Safer Highways, Kitchener