Pedestrian-only street would add to our appeal

Re: “Victoria ranked seventh among world’s cities in travel magazine poll,” Oct. 21.

“Victoria retains stately mansions and picturesque gardens perfect for walking and gazing,” says the article. “Take a kayak tour of Victoria Harbour, or walk a halfmile over the sea on Ogden Point Breakwater.”

I want to emphasize the words “walking” and “harbour.” That is what bring the tourists and makes us attractive to hightech industry.

Victoria could move up that Condé Nast list if we accepted its magazine’s appreciation of what a great walking city we have and what a beautiful small harbour we have. If we don’t, some future travel writer will be writing on how Victoria turned its streets into parking lots with empty storefronts, and turned its amazing harbour into an inner-city airport. Do we want to see tourists bused out to Uptown and to the new Gateway shopping centre so they can get out and walk and enjoy our great climate?

Victoria has to be only tourist destination in North America that has not closed even one street to traffic. The obvious street for a downtown walking and shopping plaza is Government Street. Imagine how much a downtown shopping plaza would reduce the traffic on Douglas Street and how much gas we downtown residents could save if we did not have to drive out of town for a pleasant shopping experience. John F. Mullane Victoria