On Wednesday, July 30, I had the duty to attend court in the City of Campbell River as a witness.
Arriving early, I noticed a considerable amount of garbage in the entrance way leading up to the front doors and the wheel chair ramp of the court house. Not limited to wine bottles, cooler bottles, beer bottles,bottle caps, clothing, food containers, stacks of old wood, cigarette butts, condom wrappers, and used needles.
The place was an eye sore. Perhaps I could go so far as say a health hazard. Is this how we want our image seen? To enter a place of justice but first I must wade through the garbage to get there? Excuse me but I thought the dump was located on the Gold River Highway until today. I myself took the liberty to go out side and remove most of what I could pick up and dispose of in a garbage bag. I was too disgusted to walk around the rest of the building.
The courthouse is owned by all citizens of this province. It shows not only a bad image to the government of this province but to the contractor company being used, the citizens of the cities in which not only a court house is located but any government building and the City of Campbell River for not enforcing the bylaws we have in place. One would think the city is too afraid to go after the province to clean up this mess. The province by right is breaking the law in front of our court house never the less and it seems the city could care less. When I or anyone else entries these we should be proud to call it ours. This is a deplorable condition. In an entrance way to a court house never the less.
I was told the sheriff would come and clean it up. I am not paying a sheriff or wasting his time to do a job that is not theirs to do. I am also told a file has been opened up on this situation. More than a file needs to be opened up on this and I am asking not only the Minister of Justice to look into this but the Ministry of Public Works to have all government buildings to be at a level that all citizens of British Columbia can be proud of. I, myself, will be touring different parts of the province this summer and reassured if I see this condition of a health issue the MLA for that riding will be receiving an email from me.
Shame on the government for letting it get to this condition and to the city as well. The problem is not with the meth. clinic or the homeless but due to plain laziness and uncaringness of the people who have control to change this problem.
Be proud of where you work. Your government work place belongs to all British Columbians do not let this happen and disgrace us an further. I am sure there are standards in place for a government buildings.
Lorne Novak
Campbell River