Editor: Last week I felt an enormous indignation after the last speakers at the public hearing: BOWDA and Ron Casey.
That’s why I reacted spontaneous on Mayor Barrowman’s question, “Is there still someone who wanted to take the floor?”
After being refused the opportunity to speak for a second time, not even in my wife’s name, I was emotional, confused and didn’t understand immediately what Mayor Borrowman was explaining to me. English is not my native language and understanding it, is sometimes difficult, especially when I am in a stressful situation.
Why did I feel an enormous indignation?
The meeting regarding the dissolution, rezoning and development on Larch Park had the intentions to bring the pro and cons to council.
But in an honest and trustful organization, people who have a potential opportunity to make profit or have an interest in the decisions on the table should be refused to give comments.
Building houses need builders; some of the BOWDA members will share that part. In times of a slowdown they need each opportunity to build as fast as possible on whatever piece of land available. Those builders aren’t interested in the quality of life of a neighborhood, nor on the value decrease of the existing homes around Larch Park.
Ron Casey started to teach us that we all should live together and share land and park and be happy in this beautiful town. Nice words to wrap up shortcoming municipal actions from the past.
Wasn’t it under his leadership that the proposed council rule for staff housing for hotel workers was dismissed?
Isn’t it wrong of him to support destroying Larch Park for housing, while he was the previous four-term mayor of Canmore and could have avoided or at least reduced the actual problems of housing shortage, with his decisions?
In my eyes, Mayor Borrowman and councillors, you should distance yourselves from the comments by people with an interest (conflict of interest) on the town decisions and a mayor who was involved at that time.
Please, don’t get me wrong, my words may be “sensitive and emotional,” but my goal is to help and build together a better Canmore.
I am always available to bring positive support, to search for the best solutions possible, for our community.
Thank you for your understanding.
Wilfried Lens,
Canmore
