To the Editor,
Two unsuccessful council candidates, one official—Paul Pley—and one ghost candidate—Stacey Gaiga—have been postulating on the election referring negatively to certain councillors and potential development initiatives as well as existing services.
Other social media sites have continued with the post-election vitriol and misinformation peddling, especially regarding a second highway connection to the East Coast.
It is time to bury the hatchet and put all the negative rhetoric behind us and get on building a positive future for Alberni.
It is too bad that Paul takes pot shots at some very good people who the public voted into office as well as some of the initiatives that, clearly, the electorate support.
Neither Paul nor Stacey have been involved (nor chose to) with the regional district/port authority transportation committee or Alberni First so they criticize from an uninformed position.
The transportation committee and its many and varied participants has been working and doing due diligence on routes and alternatives for another connector to the Inland Island Highway for the past four years now.
Alberni First did not promote a second crossing, an aquatic center, airport expansion, district municipality, etc.
They did, however, find and support open minded candidates who promised to investigate the viability and practicality of these and other potential initiatives and not rule them out, off hand. These candidates also committed to being diligent with the local taxpayer and look at all possible funding sources for such projects, if viable.
We have a newly elected council and a lot of potential. Let’s get behind them and leave the sour grapes behind.
Bob Cole,
Port Alberni
Editor’s note: Bob Cole was part of the organizing group of Alberni First electoral party.