Province behaving irresponsibly

DEAR EDITOR:

At the March 2nd Penticton Council meeting, council decided to look into increasing the complement of bylaw officers to include safety officers working rotating shifts at night. Council is trying to put safety first without the added cost of extra police officers.

It is obvious we can only expect abuse from the current NDP government. B.C. Housing minister David Eby is baffled, saying he would override council’s decision to close the Victory Church shelter threatening to put up a tent city in Penticton.

And he has a thousand tents to do it. Penticton has little available land so where would a tent city be likely to go? Riverside Park? God help downtown residences and the local school as the homeless cruise the west side to reach the downtown. Skaha Lake Park? People fought tooth and nail to preserve Skaha.

The Province is behaving irresponsibly with its current lack of supervision of the homeless. Council by contrast is trying to ensure the safety of people that are being subjected to the harmful behaviour of the homeless: Swearing; spitting; threatening; criminal acts; active panhandling of women alone at night; defecating or urinating in public.

The homeless are creating havoc. The opening of Compass House turned the Industrial Park into a disaster zone; one business owner was forced to install razor wire to protect his property. Victory Church homeless are terrorizing nearby residents.

Apparently Eby does not consider it government’s responsibility to provide adequate support services preferring to use threats against townspeople to get his way. The Province does not pay for policing in Penticton.

Eby said he plans to use statutory immunity which would give BC Housing the power to exempt themselves from local government rules.

This self-styled white knight of the homeless won in a dust-off with Cranbrook. Mayor Lee Pratt was critical of Eby’s influence stating, “He’s using his position of trying to influence a decision on this council, sitting around here trying to make a decision for the municipality and the citizens of our city … that was totally uncalled for.”

Eby claims Penticton is facing a crisis of leadership. Eby has a warped idea of leadership. Bullying tactics against law-abiding citizens belongs in the gulags of Russia.

Elvena Slump, Penticton

CALGARY -- The sting of defeat still smarts for Darryl Sutter.

It’s been nearly 17 years since he guided the Flames to the Stanley Cup final, only to lose to the Tampa Bay Lightning in a seven-game series.

The result continues to guide Sutter as he returns to Calgary for a second stint as the team’s head coach.

He still remembers sitting on the flight home from Florida, thinking about the loss and how it impacted everyone associated with the club.

“For me, it’s unfinished business,” Sutter said Friday. “It’s like I have a debt to pay to them guys. And we’re going to win a Stanley Cup for them.”

The Flames announced late Thursday night that they had fired head coach Geoff Ward and hired Sutter to replace him.