The Editor,
Re: "City eyes $110 million rebuild," News, June 19.
As a senior citizen who regularly visits and uses these facilities, I strongly object to this excessive waste of diminishing public funds on a low-priority, luxury mega-project of interest to only a tiny segment of our community.
Firstly, as a senior citizen living in a community in which one in four children currently lives in poverty, I'm embarrassed to be complicit in, once again, dipping deeply into our children's pockets to finance what is essentially a non-vital, luxury desire.
The present facilities are okay. It's not okay that child poverty rates here in Richmond are among the highest in Canada, and have been so for a generation.
Most parents of children living in poverty here are making enormous sacrifices for their kids. I can certainly sacrifice a new pool and seniors center.
Child poverty hides in plain sight in Richmond. If we wait for the provincial or federal government to act on it, we shall wait - and wait, and wait.
In short, isn't it time city council made child poverty in Richmond a table top priority at city hall, and finally put Richmond children first?
Isn't it time, Coun. Ken Johnston, that "council mosied along on this."
Doug Bentley Richmond
