Foreign workers not needed
Would there be an outrage if the B.C. government replaced all the teachers with temporary foreign workers?
What about the RCMP, or the City of Penticton? We all know the answer to that.
Why are we not outraged when businesses employ TFWs rather than Canadians.
We all have a son or daughter, brother or sister, or a friend looking for employment. We are putting up with businesses that do not support their communities, province, or country.
Not I. I will not support businesses that employ TFWs. Do these businesses understand that not only are we losing a job, but we are also losing a consumer. Foreign workers don’t spend their money here, they send it back home.
Shame on you to all those businesses that turn their back on Canadians and employs TFWs.
Canadian jobs are for Canadians first.
Richard vanRyswyk
Naramata
*****
Graffiti issue must be resolved
A few days ago I saw many children from New Beginnings Christian School with rubber glove on one hand cleaning up the trash on the Trans Canada Trail.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank them, their teachers and helpers for caring about the community they live in.
I would like to see some of the householders backing onto this trail cleaning up the unsightly graffiti on their back fences and retaining walls too. Maybe we need more children involved in litter projects as well as graffiti projects.
Penticton council needs to resolve this issue sooner rather than later.
Elvena Slump
Penticton
*****
Local author remembered
Long time residents of Penticton may remember Heather Glebe. She wrote, amongst other things, a column in the Penticton Herald during the 1980s which was widely read and enjoyed. In 1989 she compiled the columns into a book titled All Things Considered, the name of the columns. Her writings covered a multitude of subjects, funny, thought provoking, sometimes sad.
At the book launch at Theo’s she remembered interviewing Burt Reynolds in his sumptuous trailer, when he was filming in Hedley. She thought he was not only rich and handsome, but friendly and just a “darn nice guy!”
Heather was active in the community arts scene, taught evening classes at Okanagan College, was a founding member of the Okanagan Writers’ League and served as president of the Federation of B.C. Writers in 1989.
She eventually moved to Alberta where she remarried, settling in Two Hills, near Vegreville. She continued to live a busy life with their farm, garden and teaching her Fiddling Kidlings, award winning child fiddlers. She was very proud of their achievements. Heather had many friends and family who are all devastated to hear of her sudden death on May 24. Heather (Glebe) Soldan was killed in a car accident while driving home that night. She will be missed.
Maggie Ricciardi
Keremeos
*****
Haven Hill staff helpful
My wife has been getting great care at Haven Hill.
To most of the staff this is not a job, but a calling, truly angels here on earth.
Today for example, I took my wife for an outing and on the way back the control on her wheelchair completely blanked out and try as I might I could not get it going again. Five hundred or more pounds is a lot to think about holding on a hill, while disengaging the clutch and pushing it up hill.
More so as I have a slightly herniated disc.
Locating three men working there, I asked for assistance. Without hesitation, all three walked down with me and it was then an easy push up to the facility and to her room.
My special thanks to Darryl, Ken and Matt. Part of the very special team at Haven Hill Retirement Centre.
Bob Richards
Penticton
*****
Boonstock wildlife boondoggle
(re: Wildlife takes a beating, Letters, Western News, June 6)
Like Laure Neish, I am deeply saddened, and very angry at the destruction of wildlife habitat that occurred in the process of cleaning the property as the operations manager put it.
Far from being dirty as implied by her comment (Boonstock making progress on plans, Western News, June 6), the land was a nursery for who knows how many western meadowlarks, various native sparrow species, Brewer’s blackbirds, killdeer, and possibly other ground-nesting species; oh and the birds and other creatures living and nesting in the hedges that were cut down.
As Laure pointed out, the birds were in the middle of their nesting season, most of the young in the nest or still dependent on parents for food and the cover of the native grasses and shrubs for protection from predators – except for the uber-predator, the unthinking and/or uncaring humans who destroyed all that life for this season at least.
And for what?
So that non-native grasses can be sown, fences put up, and for three or four days other humans can sit around and listen to music, party, undoubtedly enjoy themselves, and never give a thought to whose homes were destroyed for their ephemeral pleasure. Oh yes, and then there is the money that Penticton and the Penticton Indian Band make.
Am I angry? You bet I am.
I have no idea who authorized the timing of this land clearing or if there was any process to consider the effects of it.
I can think of only two scenarios: one, those in authority knew what would happen, but didn’t care and thought nobody who did care would notice; two, they didn’t know and considered only their narrow aims.
In either case, it’s deeply reprehensible, but I strongly suspect that at least a few people involved do know about the birds and their nesting habits.
A wait of about a couple of weeks would have made a huge difference as the baby birds would have at least fledged and be able to fly and their parents would have had food for them.
Would that have been just too awful a delay for the Boonstock committee to contemplate?
Most of the tourist advertising for our area, no matter what group is putting it forward, makes much of the attractions of the natural Okanagan and its beauties, but this is far too often (usually) just marketing tripe with little if any knowledge, understanding, or caring behind it.
This latest sad bit of destruction is unlikely to be the last; however, everyone involved in it should be thoroughly ashamed.
Eva Durance
Penticton