Email from Robert Garside regarding Bylaw No. 1095
Opposition to opening Portage Inlet Linear Park (PILP) to homeless camping from a resident in Saanich bordering the park.
Correspondence: BYLAW NO. 1095 - A BYLAW TO AMEND PARKS AND PUBLIC PLACES
Sent: December 5, 2022 2:14 PM
To: info@townofviewroyal.ca; Mayor And Council Email mayorandcouncil@viewroyal.ca
Subject: Re: BYLAW NO. 1095 - A BYLAW TO AMEND PARKS AND PUBLIC PLACES
Importance: High
Re: BYLAW NO. 1095 - A BYLAW TO AMEND PARKS AND PUBLIC PLACES
Town Council Meeting December 6, 2022
Mayor and Council,
My name is Robert Wiley Garside. I reside at 1205 Portage Road in the municipality of Saanich. My home is the first bordering on the Victoria side of Portage Inlet Linear Park (PILP).
Every day without fail I walk the length of PILP to my property at 136 St. Giles Street in the municipality of View Royal. I have a small boat there and I feed the wildlife and just generally enjoy the outing. Often in clement weather I happily make this journey twice a day.
However, I am extremely concerned at the proposal of opening PILP to “homeless camping”. A very poorly conceived idea at best! You should be ashamed!
As a builder in and around the Victoria area for forty odd years, first and foremost priority in any endeavor was clearly to respect and abide by all set back requirements as established by any given jurisdiction. It appears that under your proposal these set-back rules just simply do no apply. Shame on you again!
I am now 75 plus years and quietly enjoying this later stage in my life. I feel very very venerable and unsafe at the prospect of making my way through a “homeless encampment” daily to enjoy my beloved daily routine.
I need not delve into all the other negative consequences of this type of encampment – we are all aware as they are very well documented.
This proposal must NOT proceed.
Thank you. Sincerely,
Robert Garside