You have to hand it to city management who keep coning up with new ways to ensure our community is seen as a backwater on Vancouver Island. I’m referring to the decision to put two outhouses in front of the Art gallery.
I like art and I’ve visited galleries over much of the world, including those in Courtenay, Qualicum and elsewhere in B.C. (These places one might recall compete with Campbell River for permanent residents and tourists ). Oddly, I can’t recall ever seeing visible outhouses marking the entrance to what most people think of as a treasure of the community. This spectacle truly makes Campbell River unique in my experience, and soon there wil be the added enjoyment of watching the “honey wagon” load up at the location and watching the vagrants gather, curse, smoke dope and discuss their latest coutroom adventure.
Further, I particularly appreciate the exterior of the buildings. There is no attempt to blend with the Gallery/Tourist office and so the “crappers” are a perfect contrast to the architectural design of the gallery building. They look like they belong at a provincial campsite, which helps maintain the image of Campbell River as backwoods and unsophisticated – which in fact it is.
And finally, I can’t help but think of the recently touted Community Plan which spoke of a revitalized downtown core with a “unique and identifiable character” and improved aesthetics. It called for a “focus on form and location” in future development, achieved in part by increased character signage and benches. This was not a step in that direction at all, although surely some city manager will now argue that we have in fact added signs (i.e. “Mens” and “Ladies”) and seating (albeit with holes in the seats and mass of excrement underneath.).
I am so discouraged with the poor management decisions made for this town and I doubt that I’m alone. The town and its citizens need a leader and council who will exercise oversight and demand accountability.
For me, this election is not so much about taxes, it is about responsibility, admitting and dealing with past decisions, and putting an end to the status quo which for the past four years has been to allow poorly thought out projects to proceed, and then defend the mistakes and ignore the consequences.
Howard Milner