Last night
the Southeast Vancouver Seniors Arts and Cultural Society held its AGM at
Killarney Community Centre. The SVSACS is the community organization pressing for a Seniors Centre attached to the Killarney Community Centre. With contributions from all 3 levels of government totalling close to 10 million dollars, the centre should be well on its way to being built.
What should have been a time of celebration turned
into a political spat between different levels of government and a he said/she
said squabble that simply alienated most members of the association in
attendance. Conservative MP Wai Young, BC Liberal MLA Susan Anton and Vision
Vancouver Counsellor Raymond Louie seemed more interested in scoring petty political points
off of each other than answering the real questions of the seniors. Questions
like why hasn’t there been real consultation with the community and the
stakeholders? When will the shovels be in the ground? And when will the doors
finally open?
In a truly
bizarre exchange with Keith Jacobs, former President of the Killarney Community
Centre Association, who asked for real consultation with the stakeholders, Cllr
Louie replied that consultation would take more time, but if the community
wanted to wait while they were consulted then that could be done.
This kind
of passive/aggressive answer has no place in the discussion of this important
amenity in the Southeast sector of the city. Of course there should be
consultation. There should have been consultation all along. But for Cllr Louie
to threaten a slowdown because the community wants input is a shameful abuse of
his authority.
The
Conservative MP and BC Liberal MLA were no better with their finger pointing
and holier-than-thou attitudes towards the City. Surely all levels of
government can put away their partisan politics to do some good for our seniors.
Surely for the sake of our elders we can work together and can all come out as
winners.
It’s time
to put politics aside and work for the common good.
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