10th Street hazards
I find I must disagree with the mayor’s view of the angled parking in downtown Brandon. I travel quite a bit north on 10th Street and this winter the driving has been quite bad. The road has not been properly plowed, I'm assuming it’s because people who live down there park overnight? Therefore the driving gets dangerous when drivers are backing out of their spots, very slippery driving north and no place to go to avoid backing-out cars as there is parking allowed on the other side of the street. I don’t know whose decision this was but they need to put it back to the way it was!
More meetings about meetings
Really? The chiefs having a meeting about a meeting to go to see prime minister and whoever ... what a waste of money. So what did the last meetings in Ottawa cost? I think natives and non-natives need better leaders, ones who can decide what’s going on, not just a holiday every month.
Church politics
The all-weather billboard in front of Knox United Church reads Solidarity Idle No More. This suggests an official church endorsement of a movement which often behaves badly and has nebulous objectives. Should religion and politics mix? This church thinks so. But the issues are complex and I wonder how well they have thought this out.
Glad to hear it
Sorry to hear that Brandon lost the 2017 Canada Summer Games bid because I was hoping the money would bring some upgrades to the Sportsplex. I was very happy to read in the paper that there are going to be some improvements done anyway. Since I started going there, I have seen a steady increase in the number of people using the facility. I love the pool and the parking facilities. My favourite recreational facility.
Better use of money and facilities
The City of Brandon gives the museum $90,000 and wants to spend $3 million on the Convergys building for a youth centre. We have community centres in Brandon — start using them. That Convergys building has been a white elephant since the city bought it. Why spend more money on it at this time? The $90,000 they want to give the museum — spend that on infrastructure which is badly needed. Also the repairs to the Keystone Centre roof and the Sportsplex pool are needed, that is what brings money into Brandon. Let’s start thinking clearly.
Can’t we just all get along
I become very discouraged when I read the bigoted, ill-informed comments about the aboriginal people. I am not of native descent but I'm very aware that I am privileged to live in this beautiful country which they share with us. We took away their culture, possessed their land, introduced them to alcohol and destroyed their strong family ties by sending them to residential schools. Now, their pride is returning and they are once again finding their voices to reclaim their place in our history. Let's hope that our future together will be based on building bridges as opposed to dividing and conquering. People complain about the disruptions created by the Idle No More movement but I'm sure the disruptions to the Aboriginal people created by our centuries of domination was far, far greater.
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition January 23, 2013
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