Re: Jobs for families trump lives of attractive trees (Letters, Dec. 7)
First, in regard to Helen’s supposed selfish esthetics hindering jobs: What utter rubbish.
Helen, I believe, has no wish to halt any development and related jobs. She merely wishes a development to be done in a way that would enable as many of the trees to be kept as possible.
Such is done all the time. It is common practice for architects and planners to work around existing trees and preserve all that are possible.
Secondly, in regard to Helen’s supposed selfishness, allow me to perhaps broaden Steve Cox’s perspective on this.
Helen Lang, now over 80 years old, is an avid gardener who until recently lived in a house surrounded by trees. Not being able to manage that on her own, she has had to move to a condo with the only other greenery available being what she can manage to put on her balcony.
Perhaps Mr. Cox, unlike Helen, is unaware of how rare mature deciduous trees are close to downtown Sidney and the benefits they provide for all citizens. Perhaps, also, Mr. Cox, while he enjoys living in the natural setting of rural North Saanich, takes trees a little more for granted.
Whatever the case, I only hope that when Mr. Cox reaches Helen’s age, and particularly if he has then contributed to the community as she has, that he is treated with a little more understanding than he has shown to Helen Lang.
David Eyles
Sidney