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LETTER: What happened to the values?

From reader Dwyn Roberts...
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Water restrictions announced for Nelson and yet at the same time a plan to develop Railtown and Cottonwood Park. Global warming and yet Nelson and area, such as the proposal in Queen’s Bay, seems to be allowing itself to be propelled toward more and more development spurred on from those coming from outside seizing an opportunity to exploit this area for their own greed.

The lake is seeing increased amounts of motorized vehicles. I see an increase in a soapy foamy substance at the lake’s edge along with more dead fish then I have ever seen.

I see a soapy substance coming down some of the creeks during run off up in the rails trails area. Someone is proposing a gondola in to the mountains? Ziplining?

The level of traffic in town with its exhaust (carbon) and noise level has continued to increase over very recent years which contributes to global warming.

We live in a bowl and some day we will see pollution in our skies! The Commons is a bigger monstrosity than I could ever imagine that includes no affordable housing and sticks out like a sore thumb having nothing in “common” with the Victorian theme in this town.

So what happened to the values Nelson used to hold about living simply without a concern for riches but rather a kind and gentle way of living? Why are we allowing our beautiful little town to be corrupted by those coming from outside with a view to exploit it to fill their pockets?

In 16 years of living in Uphill I have never seen improvements on a pothole filled portion of Ward Street.

What I do see is unmanageable traffic with aggressive drivers, no parking, campers in public parks where they drink alcohol and urinate openly into the lake, people smoking pot openly and with an attitude of defiance so that as I move down Baker St.

I am constantly having to hold my breath to avoid breathing in either cigarette or pot smoke, increase in folks (for whom I do feel compassion) begging on the streets.

Often when greeting others with a hello I am passed by quickly and ignored. There was a day when this would never have happened. Increasingly there is a disparity in the economical state of folks in this town.

Long time residents are being forced to move out because they can no longer afford to live here.

The same for artists. Nelson used to posses some of the positive elements of city living such as a good arts and music community without the negative elements of the city such as crime, over crowding and pollution.

We are succumbing now to the real estate issues of Vancouver.

Our medical, mental health, police and other services are being overwhelmed as the population increases.

It seems every year some magazine features Nelson as a great place to live and visit and this was true, but if we continue to invite more folks to come with little infrastructure to support it we will become victims of our popularity with a reduced quality of life!

I, for one, left the lower mainland in pursuit of a simpler way of being. I have tried to leave as little a footprint as I possibly can.

I have an attitude of preservation and stewardship not exploitation. Had I wanted a high traffic, developed, community with things like a gondola and condos

I would have stayed in the city or moved to the Okanagan. I believe there are many who feel as I do and it is time to speak out and stop this unbridled pursuit of money for a few.

We need to look carefully at who we are voting for in elections for city council.

We need to stop the attitude that we have no voice and cannot stop this continued development in this area.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to preserve this beautiful area. Development is not synonymous with progress and growth is not always a positive thing.

Didn’t most of us come here to pursue a simpler way of living NOT replicating what we left behind?

Dwyn Roberts, Nelson