The Folly Of “Heritage Fever”
Greg Beatty’s article on the fate of Connaught School [“To Hell With Heritage”, June 26] ignores one major factor in the decision to deny the building heritage status. Specifically, the engineer’s report on the building shows it to be in such disrepair that it can no longer be insured. No insurance means no students allowed on site. In the end, had heritage status been granted, the neighbourhood would have saved the building but lost their school and the Public School Board would have been stuck with an empty building.
City Council wisely decided to ignore the recommendation of the Heritage Committee. All one has to do to see the folly of overwrought heritage fever is to drive down Broad Street and gaze upon the derelict Traveller’s Building on the 1800 block.
The Traveller’s is an eyesore but because of its heritage status it stands there unoccupied and dilapidated, slowly deteriorating until the day when it mercifully collapses in on itself. An empty lot would look better.
Is this really what the “Save Connaught School” committee wanted?
Scott Cameron
Regina
Editor’s note: Thank you for the letter, Scott. Just to clarify, Prairie Dog has previously reported on the Board-commissioned engineering report used to justify the Connaught’s demolition. Members of Save Our Connaught repeatedly expressed concerns over the report and requested a second expert opinion. They also raised the money to pay for it. Unfortunately, the school board refused to allow them access to Connaught.
The Devil’s Work
Paul Constant: you are so ignorant and gullible [“My Tired, Bullet-Riddled Country”, June 26]. As a Canadian, I thank God there is a U.S.A. Without it the entire world would be communist by now. You might welcome such a thing considering your hatred of Christians, but certainly anyone who cherishes true freedom would not welcome Stalin’s murder of millions of Ukrainians, or Mao’s or Pol Pot’s killing of millions of their own citizens. Most Americans understand that freedom isn’t free and that the people are the government and therefore they are charged with defending democracy and that includes and necessitates the right to bear arms.
If all the devil needs to do is kill a few kids to get an entire nation under his control, he will do it. It is sad that an ignorant, godless commie like you with no sense of history helps pave the way for him.
Mark Leakos
Saskatoon
ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS
The following letters are in belated response to my May 27 Dog Blog post, ““Outlaw Divorce, Not Guns”: Bill Whatcott”. The post, about Bill Whatcott’s apparent belief that legal divorce is a greater threat to society than the guns used in mass shootings, received national attention after Canada’s conservative Sun News Network defended Whatcott’s gun ownership. For more on this topic, turn to page 8. /Stephen Whitworth
“…Violent, Drug-Addicted Criminal…”
Please read Mr. Whatcott’s book Born in a Graveyard: One man’s transformation from a violent drug addicted criminal into Canada’s most outspoken family values activist before ranting against him about target shooting or hunting. Reading his story would be more worthwhile than taking pictures of the tree outside your office window through the distortion of glass.
Irma DeVries
Harriston, Ontario
Defending The Right To Force Women To Bear Children
Just a note to let you know I am opposed to the slaughter of innocent human beings, especially those unborn. It would seem to me that I should be more fearful of you who sanction this bloody slaughter.
I uphold human life. And you?
Unsigned
Parts Unknown
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