This person not happy with town hall meeting minutes
Dear editor,
A public hearing convened on May 5, 2015. The meeting's stated purpose was to be a forum in which town residents would be abled to address the proposed development on Comox Ave.
The proposed project being a scheme to replace the Lorne pub’s former footprint in the way of harmony to acknowledge our town’s nautical theme with its historical antecedents.
The town residents who addressed the Comox council had very divergent viewpoints which are now ensconced into the public record and posted on the town’s website for all to read. Let us ask ourselves if this is in fact ‘the minutes’ about 100 or so of us heard debated in real time on May 5, 2015?
Each citizen who valiantly spoke at the public hearing that evening did so by duly exercising their respective freedom(s) of opinion and expression as set forth in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
“Political expression” and even the word “opinion” is one of the “fundamental rights” specifically mentioned as being enshrined by the Charter.
Each citizen’s “representation” entered into the now published minutes were rightfully reworded into accurate synopses with the notable exception of this person’s expression of careful thought and opinion. The Town of Comox choose to sum up my remarks in one short sentence. Namely, this 20-year-plus resident was in opposition to “the development.”
Amazingly, the Town of Comox choose to redact this person’s freedom of expression which in turn has now purportedly tainted the proceedings of the public hearing of May 5, 2015.
The net effect of this chill on free speech is to tamper down our constitutionally protected behaviours.
As “the development” (which sells real estate and liquor) is being promulgated by council, our collective political discourse has been breached.
In witness to the “omission from the minutes” there exists the citizens who listened intently to my representation, a heartfelt thank you. These folks know what they heard and applauded to on that evening the Rec Centre.
No one can erase their minds.
This person will begin to petition council to enact an amendment to the official minutes of “the public hearing” in an effort to resuscitate our collective political discourse as promised by the Charter.
The minutes are the medium.
Rick Davis
Comox