To the editor,
The hidden gem of Nanaimo has since soured. It used to be a place one could breathe a sigh of relief when coming home, where you could leave your door unlocked and forget your purse in your car without any lasting consequences. A place where you could feel safe and secure to walk down the street or wander off the beaten path to lose yourself in nature. Nanaimo was a fairly modest place, not fancy or flashy but somehow it still radiated a simple, breathtaking beauty with a sense of virtue.
We have always had our unsavoury places in town but nothing like the new Nanaimo – dark and pitiful, full of abandoned shopping carts, discarded furniture, possessions strewn carelessly on the sidewalk, random tents, garbage, vandalism and not to forget the bike theft epidemic.
Our parks have become a place of hidden needles and lurking dangers. The culprits creating this chaos appear strung out, obnoxious, self-entitled, and couldn’t care less. They appear content spending a free day lounging, begging and drugging without embarrassment.
Why must honest taxpayers have to idly stand by and be victimized over and over with efforts that are only enabling this conduct to continue? Those of you who remember the old Nanaimo, don’t settle for this new way, this new normal and this new face of Nanaimo.
Linda Harbo, Nanaimo
The views and opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the writer and do not reflect the views of Black Press or the Nanaimo News Bulletin. If you have a different view, we encourage you to write to us or contribute to the discussion below.