Editor, The Record:
I read recently about attempts to make the downtown more inviting. Sounds like an awesome idea.
I moved to Mission from Victoria, and have lived in many other communities. One of the things I find remarkable here is the lack of bike trails and walking paths.
There are few, if any, places to lock one's bike, and no sidewalks or paths that would allow one to walk from downtown to the Junction. If you want to walk from downtown to the little walk way at Harbour Avenue, there is no sidewalk and no place to safely cross the road.
There are no bike paths either. Painting a bike on a road does not count.
Until you encourage people to get out of their cars, there will be no vibrant downtown. In Victoria they have successfully pushed street people, drug addicts, and prostitutes from areas they used to frequent. They also have a wonderful, world-class bike trail system. A lot of cities have, so it is very possible.
Sadly, I see shops open and then have to close in the downtown area. I don't plan to stop going downtown because I am not afraid of the people down there. I'll just keep riding and walking, waiting patiently for the day Mission catches up with the modern world.
AnneMarie Kenmare
Mission