LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

@JamesBayBeacon

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Music not from the cruise ships

I think you need to clarify something for the residents of James Bay before there is any more tension with the cruise ships.

I've heard a lot of complaints about the noise from the cruise ship on May 14th. That music was actually coming from Buccaneer Days in Esquimalt. I was at the Coast Guard at the time and it was clearly coming from across the water and not the cruise ships beside me. This was confirmed when I called the police to inquire. Unfortunately, they had a permit to operate quite late and there was nothing that could be done.

It was too loud; however, it was not the cruise ship.

T. Silveira

Church thieves

On my way to work at 10:30 one evening, (mid-June) I walked past James Bay United Church on Michigan St, as I usually do. Signs are prominently displayed (at the church) asking people not to leave donations at the side or front doors at night. I glanced over to see four young adults 'trying on' the various articles of donated clothing, as if they were giveaways. I realize that they are 'needy' of the articles, but what amazed me even more was noticing a security guard across the street sitting in his vehicle texting or surfing...He was completely oblivious to these four clothing thieves. There is no chance that he could not have seen them, so it also makes me wonder how well the new Capital Park Complex is secured?

Barry Tateham

A cruise ship full of Kiwis and Aussies

Most cruise ships that call at Ogden Point have come here from Alaska and are heading to either Seattle or San Francisco. Almost all of these passengers are American. On August 6 our cruise ship terminal will see an unusual ship-load, when Sun Princess calls on our shores. Sun Princess set sail from Sydney, Australia on June 21^st. All the passengers call Australia, or New Zealand home, and they will take in many countries on their 75 day Circle of the Pacific cruise. The ship will make stops in Indonesia, China, and Japan before crossing the Bering Strait. After calls in Alaska she will stop in Vancouver and Victoria before heading to California, Hawaii, and Tahiti before returning to Auckland and Sydney. The cruise sold out very quickly, and Sun Princess has now scheduled another for 2018.

Don’t be surprised to see many locals on the dock waving the familiar blue flags of those distant countries while waiting for visiting friends and relatives. Why not join them and welcome this ship-load to our shores.

V Adams

Letter As the crow flies

I enjoyed the article from the Southern Californians driving up from San Diego for some reason trying to make it as quickly as possible.  Slow down and enjoy the trip. There are so many beautiful and historic places to see, visit and stop along the way.  One thing I didn't understand was why they went so far out of their way through such heavily trafficked areas to get to James Bay when they apparently were in ‘such a hurry’.  After leaving Portland Oregon, the next town should be Tumwater, Washington then the clearly marked turn-off straight up the peninsula to Port Angeles.  Why the troubles going through Tacoma, the traffic nightmare of Seattle, and then having to take a ferry from near Vancouver all the way down to Sydney, and then another long drive here? The drive to the Port Angeles ferry is beautiful with lovely winding roads,  very little traffic and lots of scenic little towns along the route.  There are three ferries per day on the very comfy Coho, situated on a lovely street with pretty shops, an art gallery, and a nature walk while your vehicle waits in queue for the next boat.  In 90 minutes you're arriving right in James Bay.  Next trip: save time, petrol, aggravation, and enjoy the car trip by taking the common sense as-the-crow-flies route on the Olympic peninsula.  

Meg Hoffman

Dangerous Intersection

photo by Linda Peterson

I am a resident of James Bay and live by the intersection of Oswego and Simcoe Streets. I am concerned about the safety of this intersection for pedestrians and vehicles. James Bay Community School is located on this corner. Each weekday it is a major crossing for children walking to school. It is a school zone but there is not a crosswalk going across Oswego. There is no stop sign to allow pedestrians to safely cross Oswego but there is a stop sign to cross Simcoe. This is a busy pedestrian intersection for children, elderly folks (with walkers, wheelchairs and scooters) and young families with strollers, children on tricycles, etc. It also has regular vehicle traffic, including city buses, which can be busy at certain times of the day. Drivers who are familiar with the area know there is no stop sign on Oswego at this intersection, but drivers who are unfamiliar with the street assume there is one since it looks like a school crossing. This situation creates confusion and many near accidents since drivers assuming there is a stop sign on Oswego… stop. Other times, drivers will stop for pedestrians standing at the curb. Another issue at this intersection is the lack of driver awareness regarding the stop signs on Simcoe. Some drivers neglect to observe the stop signs and drive into oncoming traffic on Oswego. It seems that making this a four-way stop and crosswalk would alleviate some of the confusion and provide a safer environment for all.

Linda Peterson