Letters Dec 23: Pandemic punishment; Woodwyn win-win; housing density timescolonist.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timescolonist.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Talk to a health care worker before declaring this is not a crisis on the island. Suggest that to a family who has lost a loved one. See what kind of reaction that brings. We have seen our treasured daughter only once in two years, because of this pandemic. Our only son, who lives in this city, we see once every couple or three weeks, only outdoors. As he is a tradesman, he is well outside our bubble and we don’t want to take the chance and nor does he want to give us anything. This is affecting us all. These measures are for the good of everyone, the responsible, the reckless and even the brain-dead pandemic deniers. With any luck at all this will be a once-in-a-lifetime event. But I doubt it.
The growing nation, which is running out of space for housing, recreational and cultural activities, says the land is welcome.
“Our nation is excited to acquire this property to expand our land base for our membership,” Chief Don Tom said in a statement Thursday. “Acquiring this property almost doubles the amount of land we currently have, so we can begin to plan for current and future generations to support our growing population. We recognize the importance of stewardship to ensure the environment of this land is sustainable.”
Tsartlip First Nation bought the property, which is in the Agricultural Land Reserve, from B.C. Housing with a $7.77-million grant from the province.
VICTORIA The return of a large parcel of land to a First Nation on the Saanich Peninsula is being hailed as a historic gesture to heal long-festering colonial wounds. The Tsartlip First Nation took possession this week of the former Woodwynn Farm property on West Saanich Road. The 78-hectare plot of land was once used by the First Nation for hunting, farming and other activities. At one time, our people hunted and fished up and down this coast. My grandfather grew fruit and vegetables here,” said Tsartlip elder Paul Sam in a statement Thursday. “But our people were outnumbered, outgunned and pushed onto small reserves.”