Letters to The Vancouver Sun: Nobody says it better than Margaret Atwood on Steven Galloway case

Steven Galloway walks out of B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver on Oct. 5. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG

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Nobody could say it any better than Margaret Atwood on the Steven Galloway case. This is a long-overdue airing of the tragic loss of Steven Galloway as an active writer and teacher to the writing and education communities. As one of a three-generation sequence of UBC graduates, I feel sad and ashamed about how the university shows up considering this matter. I know from my frequent receipt of donation requests from UBC that the institution values the alumni as a source of support. I have donated regularly up to this point, establishing and supporting a bursary, a student wellness fund, and a substantial donation towards upgrading the dental faculty equipment at one time. I have been a proud volunteer mentoring students interested in pursuing education in health care. Philanthropic giving to UBC has been an honour for many donors, but this case will give cause for reconsideration unless UBC is transparent about the Galloway situation and makes appropriate amends.

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Mary Findlay, Gibsons

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Turning homes into investments destroys families and healthy communities

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Renaming ministries a waste of our hard-earned money

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I am writing this letter as a concerned citizen of B.C. We are all going through financial hardships, ranging from ordinary people to our governments. However, when a new government is elected, the first thing they do is to rename various ministries without realizing the financial burden that creates.

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The name of the Ministry of Forests has been changed 12 times, and the Ministry of Environment name has changed nine times. Each time the name of a ministry is changed, it costs big chunks of money. Previously, everything was done on paper and therefore all the letterheads, etc. needed to be changed. Nowadays, everything is done electronically, and every bit of change costs money. All the ministry’s webpages, websites, etc., are changed while sometimes only lasting for two years or maybe a little more. Then a new government is elected, or the same one is re-elected and they change the names of ministries.

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There is no accountability for this waste of money. No one is asking what the benefit to British Columbians is of changing the name of a ministry. My suggestion is for the new government that is going to be elected to pass laws to make the names of the ministries simple and permanent, and no change should be possible in the future. Any department can be added or deleted from any ministry without changing the name. Please stop the waste of our hard-earned money, which can be used for the benefit of residents. This is applicable to both provincial and federal governments.