To the editor,
In the last 30 years, things have gone from bad to worse.
When people are moving, there are three factors they must look at when deciding between two communities. The most important factor is access to a medical facility, followed very closely by proximity to schools, and the third factor, ahead of shopping, is recreational opportunities.
Wingham can only tout two of the three factors.
Wingham has a terrific hospital and a variety of schools in the community.
The history of recreational opportunities has been on the skids for 30 years and is getting worse by the day. Some of the recreational opportunities that have gone the way of the dinosaur include:
– two pool halls a bowling alley;
– a movie theatre;
– a lawn bowling club;
– a museum;
– a beautiful pond for swimming, canoeing, paddle boarding, fishing and home of the Muskrat Festival; and
– most recently, council has successfully squashed the Homecoming Committee.
Our councillors have taken our communities to a new low. In case you didn’t know, Blyth Ward Coun. Kevin Falconer initiated the idea to reduce recreational opportunities, such as closing the Blyth arena, closing the fitness centre in Wingham and closing the swimming pool during the summer in Wingham.
Council then had the audacity to propose a $450,000 budget item for a new council chamber. The new proposed budget will cost all the homeowners in Blyth, East Wawanosh and Wingham about $800 to $1,000 more per household.
I wonder how many people will be enticed to move to Wingham knowing that the town has a new council chamber and a drained pond?
Rennie Alexander
Wingham
