Dear editor,
Regarding Mack Lang’s Historical Home: Our heritage is made up of a number of components of which our history is a major one (my guess 70 per cent). In my view, our history has been covered thoroughly by members of pioneer families, professional historians like Richard Mackie, anthropologists and industrial leaders in such fields as mining, forestry, fishing, pulp and paper/transportation, shipping and trucking, flying and the military, etc.
Our history is fully recorded in at least four museums; Cumberland, Courtenay, Comox and the air base, as well as in two or three libraries, as well as First Nation sources. Another major component of our heritage is the geography and environment of our location (my guess minimum 25 per cent). Mild climate, ocean, mountains, rivers, fish and wildlife, a “mecca” for First Nation people, immigrants and retirees from other parts of Canada.
Mack Lang’s history, though interesting, is minuscule, relative to the “Big Picture”.
Surely, contributions to our heritage must be considered relative to the needs of the community. We don’t need another museum that wishes to focus on a minor celebrity and that could negatively impact on an important component of our heritage. The advocate for the Heritage Society has an all-consuming desire to honour Mack’s will.
Unfortunately, he did not have a family to leave his financial funds to.
On reflection, better to have left the funds for scholarships for local students interested in ornithology, marine biology, fish and wildlife studies or environmental sciences. All this raises the question; what happens if the Society fails in its endeavours?
Surely, the trustees would be open to consider the preferred solution offered above. The advocate for honouring his will could be rest assured that Mack is in no state to chastise her for failing.
I am confident the town’s administrator is well aware of the needs of the community and prioritized them accordingly.
A.Farrell
Comox