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by Fred Kirby
September 7, 2005
The two-lane road with its
turn-around at the south end is being built as I write.
If the road is a reality, the other proposed changes are not as yet. This
is a time for creative thinking. If those concerned do nothing, they have
no cause to complain.
It is axiomatic that when you build a road you increase traffic,
congestion, pollution, and noise. A partial solution maybe is to have a
two-carriage train. Pulled by a John Deere tractor, the carriages would
require a cover to shield us from sun and rain, open sides for quick and
easy access, and attractively painted. The front part of the first
carriage, near the driver, should be accessible for wheel chairs; the
train would be available for use by all citizens but especially to the
elderly and those with handicaps. For those who just want a walk on the
boardwalk or sit and watch the water, it would be a pleasant break without
driving cars.
Then there is the children’s playground. It is a bad idea to place it at
the south end of Reunion Beach. There is already an excellent spot for
such a playground exactly where the current one is located on the north
beach. That location, situated on the lakeshore, has lovely shade trees
giving protection from the sun harmful rays; it is quiet and away from
traffic. Add an attractive wading pool, upgrade some buildings, and
perhaps install some more play equipment and tables and you have an
excellent place for young families to enjoy a day. The decorative train
would be a welcome bonus.
I ask the Rotarians, who are such great community citizens to reconsider
their proposal to build a playground on Reunion Beach and consider instead
the North Beach. If that is not acceptable, then I suggest they replace
the present ice cream booth on Reunion Beach. The Rotary Club, working
with the municipality, should construct a new brick building which might
be a small replica of the current station building or in a similar theme.
That would be a lasting contribution for the Club. For their anniversary
September 14, 2005
Council bit the bullet and the
ward system will be replaced by voting-at-large. If wards had not been
created at amalgamation, rational thought might have taken over by now.
Instead, free-floating paranoia penetrates the minds of otherwise sensible
citizens in Ward Three. It creeps along like gas from a cylinder released
by irresponsible councillors Ribey and Roppel. Their Milosevic-like
behaviour is encouraged by self-appointed leaders who aspire to be big
fish in a small pond. In an age when we all need magnanimous leaders,
locally and globally, with broad and deep vision there is no place for
those who cannot see beyond their backyards.
When people live with unfounded suspicions and fear of the future fed by
misinformation, it is destructive to themselves and to their community.
Ganging up to get their own majority elected is not the way to responsible
government, and electing a jackass because it will hee-haw for you does
not make for good municipal government. Lastly, when people shout down the
municipal clerk from reading a citizen’s presentation, it shows how hollow
is their talk of democracy.
Every day I read about, listen about, and write about people who foster
violence and hate. I see the consequences of their words and deeds on
individuals and communities. Even an inkling of such odious behaviour in
this beautiful place we call home should be distasteful to all decent
citizens regardless of where they live.
Now is the time to behave as one community. Councillors need to get out
into the municipality and listen to citizens about real council business.
And it should not matter what councillor a citizen speaks to. Councillors
are there to serve us all. Citizens will then learn which ones actually
care and are prepared to follow through and give honest answers to fair
questions. I do not judge members of council on the basis of where they
live or their personal lives but on their openness, their overall picture
of the municipality and their ability to get the job done right.
Democracy without responsibility does not give us good government for all
the people. It only gives us mob rule.
September 21, 2005
At the south end of downtown
Queen Street, Kincardine Municipality’s own High Street, sit three
historic buildings: the Carnegie Library, the former Post Office, and the
former Town Hall.
The library seems safe for now
from destruction or sale, but book burning could break out or some
official at the county level might consider the Carnegie building an
economic drain.
Then there is the former town
hall, now the Arts Centre, which has been under attack since the Pizza Hut
was purchased to be used as the Administration Centre for the
municipality. Recently, it was willfully suggested that the building’s
heritage designation be lifted, presumably to make it easier to have the
building destroyed. Does the word ‘restoration’ ever enter the mind?
The former post office was
built in 1907 as a federal building. Constructed in the renaissance
revival style, it is unique to Kincardine outside of major cities. As has
happened to other municipal’s properties, the former post office has been
left to deteriorate. Retrofitted and repaired it can serve the
municipality for another 98 years, a source of pride and a draw to what
could be an attractive shopping area.
I can still purchase postage
stamps in Toronto’s first post office, still functioning, tucked away
between tall buildings, not to be sold to developers for a mess of
pottage.
Is selling, pulling down, or
letting waste away our history the total extent of our imagination? The
former post office should not even be considered “surplus”. This unique
heritage building should be considered core to the main street. If
historic architect and heritage mean nothing, then we are indeed poor -
with a dismal future and a past void of richness.
When council spends more than
$500,000 on a tourist booth better suited to a national border crossing,
when we spend $700,000 on an unwanted beach road and accessories, let no
one dare say restoring the beautiful, historic post office is a matter of
money.
September 28, 2005
On November 8, 1923, a man
filled with obsessions and paranoia led a beer hall putsch. We still live
with the consequences of that day in Germany. On September 15, 2005 a
meeting was held in the village of Tiverton, led by those obsessed by the
past and driven by an irrational feeling of persecution. Civil government
was destroyed by the putsch and civil government here is threatened by
another brand of soap box haranguers.
It is now understandable, that after many letters and columns on the need
for open government as the cornerstone of municipal government, my
suggestions were ignored. It is understandable because those councilors
involved in the September 15 meeting are contemptuous of open government.
They and their ratepayers’ organizers have long lost legitimacy to
criticize. Demagoguery does not serve the public interest. Threats to
boycott businesses, threats against families and their animals are the
inevitable result of demagoguery. Of course they want to keep the fourth
estate from witnessing their meeting. Dark thoughts fear the light.
Citizens should be wary of the Tiverton and District Ratepayers’
Association‘s efforts to attract a wider membership by becoming a
Kincardine Association. Regardless of any name change, the Association is
a one-trick pony act. Roberts, Ribey, and Roppel have never shown concern
for the municipality of Kincardine. They have never accepted amalgamation
and the ward system was simply their last attempt to deny the reality of
amalgamation. Misrepresentation is another form of dishonesty.
What Kincardine does need are concerned, active citizens to respond to the
many specific issues that come before council. Taxes in all governments
are never the real issue; the issue is how this revenue is spent. A
municipality is not a business; it is a community of people and the first
consideration in all deliberations must be the common good. As a community
we should be concerned for all the people, not only ratepayers, but for
all members of the community – the rich, the poor, the young, the elderly,
the disabled and the able. The single parent on welfare has as much worth
as the ratepayer paying the highest taxes. Experience tells us that
ratepayer associations are not interested in that community.
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