Governor General squanders public funds on renovations
Seems our Governor General, Julie Payette, has some “out of this world” ideas about renovating Rideau Hall.
Her need for privacy has cost us $250K, so far, installing a door for her cats and a private, yet unused, staircase are seen as problematic.
She has yet resisted moving in, as all this is not yet up to her satisfaction. So she stays in the cottage provided, but sometimes prefers her own cottage near Mirabel, Que., where RCMP officers who guard her, need to hotel or motel it.
Wondering when her need for privacy and the cost of its extravagance will end? Feeling our tax dollars are being squandered.
N’est-ce pas?
Ruth Enns, Vancouver
COVID-19 cases escalating
I and many others are troubled by the escalating number of COVID-19 cases in B.C. this month.
I admire Dr. Bonnie Henry for doing a world-class job in flattening our curve.
This sudden increase, though, is due to irresponsible behaviour by unfortunately young people. The numbers don’t lie. Party buses, private parties and other bad behaviour is not acceptable to the majority of British Columbians who have acted responsibly in controlling the spread of this pandemic.
It is now time for the public safety minister and premier to take a strong stand against the irresponsible behaviour of a minority of the population that is putting the rest of us at risk.
The solution is to bring all the enforcement tools into play, such as fines enforcement, monitoring by bylaw officers and WorkSafeBC and pressure on businesses to enforce the rules.
Dr. Henry has done her job. It is now up to the government to do theirs.
Ron Faust, Burnaby
Hold party organizers liable
I don’t think it’s a secret that we are not supposed to form groups of more than 50 people here in B.C. and even so, the physical distancing, frequent handwashing and use of masks in proximity to others when safe distancing isn’t possible are all part and parcel of this practice.
If you are the individual(s) organizing these events, you should be held liable if these protocols are not followed and people end up with COVID-19 like we’ve seen with the well-publicized and disastrous event in Kelowna on the Canada Day weekend.
If a person or persons knowingly invite and facilitate people in an environment that can cause exposure to severe illness or death, they should be held accountable like any other person in a similar scenario.
Maybe, just maybe, people won’t take such gatherings lightly and will stick to the simple guidelines put forth by Dr. Bonnie Henry to keep everyone they care about safe.
D’Arcy Leoppky, Maple Ridge