As one of the speakers at the downtown rally 18 months ago I am a proponent of change. But having said that, I do have some initial reservations about what I read and saw in The Citizen.
Change from the top down would seem to be the present proposal, whereas growth from the bottom up seems the more prudent course.
By this I mean that those of us who spoke at the rally, and I could be misinterpreting for many folks, saw a vision of both a "green" and people-friendly gradual change in our downtown area.
Obviously private enterprise has to be an important player in making this all come about, but I find it disturbing when the ideas and push all seem to emanate from developers and engineers. The most worrisome aspect for me is that developers, are not accountable to voters.
The first question is who will pay the bills if a 30-year tax abatement goes ahead?
Many of the city's problems originate from both the exclusion and the plight of First Nations people and I cannot help but feel it is a disservice to all of us if change does not include all of us.
Next, I must voice my disappointment at the perceived inference that old and trusted Prince George residents such as Mr. Moffat, Mr. Gable, and others have nothing of value to contribute to the growth of this city.
For myself, Northern Hardware is the soul of this town, as it represents fair play, good service, honesty and integrity, and therefore reflects what we most desire from people doing business in Prince George.
I also feel very uncomfortable with our mayor and city council members somehow being represented as less than concerned with, or capable of directing the growth of Prince George.
I know that Prince George has great promise for the future and that is why our family chose to put down roots here. Let us make sure that we do not become a carbon copy of so many other developed communities and end up losing our unique and most treasured attributes.
Jeannette Paterson
Prince George
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