The Editor,
Re. “Mental health facility, commercial district are in works for Riverview” (The Tri-City News, Dec. 18).
The Riverview Hospital lands have been designated as a haven for people with mental health issues for more than 100 years. Acres of this land have already been developed by market housing over the past 40 years (think Riverview Heights). Only the central core of what was once Riverview hospital lands remains.
This site is also a remarkable arboretum that contains trees and plants brought from many places in the world for study here, and they must be nurtured and retained as park land. Where else can you find such treasures?
Maybe people need to be of a certain age to remember the grassy lawns, flowers and fields of Riverview.
Wake up, people. When any more of this land becomes market housing, it is gone forever. We need spaces for hospitals, we need parks, but we don’t need to hand our precious spaces over to developers. They have already had their share of Riverview land.
We need to protect what we have for future generations and not give in to the whims of this provincial government. The dollar value it is looking at is short-term gain for it and a huge loss for the people of British Columbia.
Linda Lebrun, Coquitlam
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THANKS, ELVES
The Editor,
A special thank you to the elves of Bert Flinn Park in Port Moody for making the beautiful trail more magical over the holiday season. You put a smile on my face. A belated Merry Christmas to you and best wishes for the New Year.
Rob Wygand,
Port Moody
