Cheers &Jeers

JEERS to the City of Charlottetown for wasting time dealing with requests to change the bylaw mandating fences around backyard pools. The city held a public meeting that required staff and councillors to attend, wasting their time because of two requests to change the rules. The meeting, which also dealt with other issues, cost taxpayers more than $4,400 for the room rental, advertising and audio. On Aug. 8, council rightly voted to deny the amendment after hearing opposition to it, including from a group of concerned pediatricians. It should take more than two requests over two years to trigger a public meeting and a vote — especially when it's about overturning a bylaw that ensures the safety of children.

CHEERS to the lifesaving society of P.E.I. for following proper protocol and closing the beach at Cedar Dunes provincial park after three dorsal fins were spotted close to swimmers on Monday, Aug. 8. No one was harmed, and the dorsal fins spotted likely belonged to basking sharks, which are filter feeders and are no danger to humans. However, it is reassuring to know that the lifesaving society has protocols in place to err on the side of caution and quickly shut beaches when risks appear. The association was also quick and thorough in its response to questions about the incident.

CHEERS to people like Howard Watts, Joe Borden and Billy Campbell for taking troubled youth under their wing over the decades and giving them direction and purpose. Former members of the Koed Boxing Academy recently reunited for the first time in 32 years to reminisce about their memories in the academy during the 1980s and 1990s, emphasizing to Saltwire the difference their coaches and the club meant to the course of their lives. There are many more coaches and mentors in our communities, making a difference in the lives of young people who might otherwise land in trouble. This story demonstrated that with a little faith and effort, lives can be changed.