Recreation Passes for the Region

Recreation Passes for the Region

Recently eleven (11), not 13, municipalities have agreed to continue with a region wide recreation pass. This will allow someone to buy one pass usable in all our rec centres. Frank Leonard was quotes as saying that people look for opportunities and do not see a municipal border. Dean Fortin was noted as saying it recognizes that municipalities do work as a region.

It is hard to believe this took so long for the municipalities to realize that people do not see them as separate. It is sad that two municipalities are not involved. It is also clear that this issue had to take time from eleven different departments, to consider if they would participate, see if there was a benefit to them, decide how to share the revenue etc.

It may be considered that rec centres are a simple and identifiable service that, given this co-operation, do not reflect a need for amalgamation. However, rec centres are simply the easily observable service and the fact is that all the city services are similar in their scope. The need for amalgamation is reflected in the practicality of having a region wide pass.

We should all have a region wide pass for all municipal issues, to allow us to pay one tax, access one source of services and be managed by one set of politicians.

Letter to Editor in Times Colonist calls for Amalgamation

There is a Letter to the Editor today in the Times Colonist calling for amalgamation. It was written by Colin Nielson, who stated his support for amalgamation icluding:

The Blue Bridge is used by people from all over the Greater Victoria region. The city, with just over 24 per cent of the region's population, could be stuck with providing 100 per cent of the local contribution to costs.

This situation will never change unless the provincial government steps in and forces amalgamation upon, at the least, the core municipalities.

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There needs to be a people's movement to push for a merging of the region's municipalities.