Editor, The Times:
After over a year's sabbatical and a lot of pressure from people to start writing letters to the editor, I've decided the time has come!
This letter will be a "year in review". Because of the lack of space, I'll mention a few topics that will be elaborated on at a later date:
1) Our editor's bike ride to Kelowna with Jean Nelson. Keith, I really think you have to buy a side car for Jean's bike so you can make it all the way to some of these gigs!
2) The absurdly ridiculous salaries paid to TNRD and District of Clearwater management.
3) Dr. Karpiak's July 14 letter to the editor, titled "Bloated bureaucracy killing Canadian health care." In my opinion, his letter was probably the most important letter to the editor in 2016. I would like to plead with our editor to re-publish Dr. Karpiak's letter and have the public voice their opinions. This glut of bureaucracy is not only happening in health care but also in every department of government.
4) The recent spill advisory for the North Thompson River. In response to the spill, Mayor John Harwood (on NL Radio) said that the oil spill south of Avola only cements the fact that it is far safer to transport oil by pipeline than by truck or train. He also said that the valley has had a pipeline for 60 years and Kinder Morgan has been a very good corporate citizen.
Let's set the record straight. As far as the oil spill, that was fuel from the truck's fuel tank, not its load. I'm not sure what Mayor Harwood is thinking. Maybe he's following the lead of Vancouver's Mayor Robertson and wants to turn the #5 Highway into a bike lane until there is an alternate vehicle fuel rather than oil!
To solve this oil spill problem, all one has to do is take a few of the plow and sand trucks that are currently on snowflake patrol at the roundabout and maybe do a little road maintenance from Clearwater to Blue River!
As for Kinder Morgan, it is a new player here. Trans Mountain Pipeline had a very good track record in B.C. for over 50 years. They were taken over by Kinder Morgan, which is a USA company. Check out their record in the USA. Brace yourself! If you think pipelines are so much safer, tell that to the people of Stoughton, Sask., who are currently mopping up a 200,000 litre pipeline leak!
5) Dr. Bob Mckenzie's picture and article about aging, and the fact that in Canada, life expectancy has risen to 80 years of age. I must say that statement really scared the hell out of two of the Wells Grey coffee boys! You see, they are already in their eighties and rumor has it that they will no longer buy green bananas for fear of dying before the bananas ripen!
Jim Lamberton
The Rambling Man