OPPOSITION TO REHAB PROJECT A CLASSIC NIMBY EXAMPLE

The Editor:

I concur with Barb Dawes letter of Friday, Feb. 20. To those who say
the opposition to the Drug Rehabilitation project in Beaver Creek is a
classic NIMBY example, I say damn right.

Who in their right mind would want a Drug Rehab Centre in his
neighbourhood and as Barb Dawes stated, this centre seems to be ever
growing from the originally stated nine families to 14 families and
two youth dorms with new clients every 12 weeks.

The most galling aspect of this project is that the people who will
have to live with it were never consulted. If Creekers had voted in
favour of it, those of us opposed would at least have had the benefit
of democracy. No small wonder that people are becoming increasingly
disillusioned with governments at every level, as well as the courts,
which in our case agreed with the merits of the case but ruled against
us anyway deciding the interest of strangers outweighed those of the
residents and taxpayers.

I initially thought that this attitude of disregarding the people was
evident only where rural folk were concerned but after following the
high school fiasco it's clear to me that those in authority over us
have their own agendas and to hell with the citizenry.

It appears that the Clutesi Haven Marina proposal will be another done
deal despite the excellent consideration proposed by Bob Cole.

As far as the new prison goes, before this grand scheme is forced on
Creeker's, there had better be some consultation with us, plus voting,
BEFORE THE FACT, not after. Maybe the powers that be could start their
prison project by looking at the fine suggestion made by CC Schwager
(Feb. 20).

C. Smyly

Port Alberni