Skip to content

Music in the Park threatened by Cobble Hill election

Music in the Park brought our community together, young and old
13994357_web1_Letters-logo-2-660x440

Music in the Park threatened by Cobble Hill election

Cobble Hill in part attracted us by its amazing mix of folks who live here. All ages, a large variety of occupations, and a thriving retired community. Our representation at the CVRD board should reflect that diversity. If the interests of one group take precedent, the resulting policies are skewed and the balance that makes Cobble Hill great are diminished.

I attended the all candidates meeting in Cobble Hill, and found myself as one of only five people there under the age of 50 (there were at least 120 people in attendance). I feel strongly that if you think your interests as a family or younger person is well represented in this election without coming out to vote, you will be sadly mistaken. Like our neighbours to the south, if one very motivated or angry group all vote, that view will be the one that is represented, and everyone else will feel they no longer have a voice. The voice of our agricultural sector, of working families, of children and youth will not be heard.

What was very clear in that meeting was that neither Darlene Davis nor Mike Wilson had any plan for families, the agricultural sector or young people. The only real plan in their platform was to build a senior’s centre (which was a plan that had already been written previously), in the area of the Commons. Besides the fact that a local focus group determined it could not be built there, that is the same area where we presently host Music in the Park (which is a program at threat as both Darlene and Mike suggested they would in no way help support that program as it would have to be 100 per cent self-funded). When asked what they had planned for non-seniors, they suggested that youth could visit and be matched with seniors at the centre. A nice idea, but not a youth or family-based program.

Music in the Park brought our community together, young and old, to meet and gather in the town. No other program has done that on a weekly basis, and was what our town was truly missing. We need more programs like that, not less.

Finally, it is important to be informed on what specific taxes are used for and what they aren’t. Much of the infrastructure work we’ve seen in Cobble Hill was not paid for by our property tax: monies came from provincial and federal disbursements and grants which in no way affected our property taxes. I think there has been a lot of misinformation coming out by different people that Matteus Clement spent our property tax dollars on projects which he clearly did not. Please inform yourselves, and please get out and vote.

Danielle Bellefleur and Chris Koehn

Cobble Hill