So we will have a new swimming pool and a new fire hall.
The voters (unfortunately a very low number) have spoken. When I interviewed them on the After Nine show on CFIS on Monday morning, city manager Kathleen Soltis and Mayor Lyn Hall were both understandably disappointed in the low turnout.
Soltis did point out, though, that we had a higher percentage turnout than a couple of other communities in B.C. have had recently for by-elections, so that’s not bad.
With the referendum out of the way, we can now turn our attention to more important things – like the fact we are now in the 11th month of the year, and I’m still wondering how we got here so fast.
I am also wondering how many people I know I will see this weekend at Studio Fair at the Civic Centre.
Yes, for the 41st time, the Community Arts Council is putting on the show with vendors of all kinds of arts and crafts. I have it on very good authority (Lisa Redpath, and yes, I am dropping names today like crazy, aren’t I) that there shouldn’t be a repeat of last year’s 47-mile long lineup at the admission booth.
OK, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it was quite a sight from our location just inside the main Civic Centre door to see the lineup of people stretch past us to the door leading out to the parking area behind the (soon-to-be-gone) Four Seasons Leisure Pool and then all the way back through the foyer to the far end.
Luckily, there was cake being served up to those in the lineup to appease their anger (which I didn’t see any of anyway).
Whatever happens this weekend, set aside a couple of hours and come down to the Civic Centre. And if you’re not too loaded down by the treasures you’ve found, stop by the CFIS table and say ‘Hi’.
One thought on “From the new pool into Studio Fair”
I have seen a couple of references to by-elections now. There is absolutely no comparison.
In a by-election there are at least two individuals opposing each other. There is typically no opposition to speak of when a City, with uncontrolled funds at their disposal promotes an idea without any organized opposition.
In some countries and some jurisdictions, that is considered to be a democratic inequity.
There are many articles about that very issue. Our recent referendum is an example of that.
As the author of a Globe and Mail article headlined “Government by referendums is not democracy states: “There is a popular view that the highest form of democracy is a referendum. We want to debunk that myth. Democracy is much more than consulting the people in “yes” or “no” decisions.”
The people of Prince George did not get to chose where the pool(s) should go, for instance. The City administration and Council did.