To the Editor,
Re: Conference centre’s time is up, Letters, Dec. 24.
I’m surprised at how many taxpayers are fed up with the ongoing convention centre disaster. But there is a good sign: they’re beginning to vent their disgust to the new council.
The general theme, in no uncertain terms, is ‘shut it down.’
To take it a step farther, city council is finally free of the last remaining member of the infamous ‘yes committee’ that combined with city council and the chamber of commerce to edge through a two-per cent majority vote to build the thing. So now is an excellent time to begin the big cutback.
Here are a few suggestions:
1. Dump the entire staff. What do unionized employees and management do all day in an empty building?2. Hire people to work shifts as watchmen for insurance purposes.3. Turn off all lights.4. Turn down the heat.5. We have maybe two years left on the contract to operate the place: buy it out. I’m not saying the company didn’t do the job it was hired for, it just didn’t have a product to sell. Despite all the chamber of commerce ballyhoo and the downtown business people’s propaganda, Nanaimo is just a small harbour city with a pretty waterfront. There are no major attractions here. Get used to it.6. Lock the door.7. Now take a long, hard look at whatever possibilities there may be out there to make use of the building. Offhand I can’t I think of any, although it would have made a beautiful city hall.
We can hope the new city council will have some positive ideas and the will to act.
Joe IvesNanaimo