Open letter to Coun. Carol Day,
Re: “Onni hopes fest will garner public support,“ Feb.17, News.
Thank you for providing me with your suggestions for what you would wish to see at the Onni waterfront ghost-town. Yes, Granville Island attracts many visitors, who come because they find what they are looking for, and local merchants have successfully stepped up to provide that. So has the White Rock waterfront.
Steveston has successfully attracted local merchants to provide a thriving commercial community that attracts visitors from near and far. The common theme is that the merchants provide what the visitors are looking for, and, if they don’t, visitors leave. Why can you and your colleagues not trust this successful process to continue? Is it because you, as a politician, know better?
If you think I’m being cynical, it’s because of your ridiculous suggestion that this could be a great location for a museum or similar. Our Steveston waterfront has huge heritage buildings from the fish-packing era which remain unused and could be far better used for such a purpose. Whoever heard of putting a museum showcasing life on the river and telling the story of the Musqeam in a cold glass and concrete building?
Cold glass and concrete buildings are what we’ve got, like it or not. So let’s get on and use them. Let local merchants decide what will bring customers to the Steveston waterfront and create a vibrant successful visitor experience.
Let’s use the funds that city council will negotiate from Onni to help make this happen.
Carol, please step aside and let the existing and prospective Steveston merchants make it happen.
Brian Coleman
Richmond
