A New Westminster woman is upset about a flyer posted in the building’s common areas promoting hate against young people.
Olga Savchuk lives at 74 Richmond Street, one of three buildings that make up Governor’s Court. The complex is restricted to residents 45 years old or older. Savchuk said she finds the age restriction problematic. She believes the restriction unfairly affects the resale value of units in the complex compared to units in other complexes that have lower age restrictions or none at all.
She is proposing the strata lower the age restriction to 19 years and over, a matter she hoped to bring up at the annual general meeting planned for June 14 (after press deadlines). Her request was published in the minutes of the council’s last meeting in May. The minutes outlined her proposal and noted it could be brought up during the discussion portion of the annual general meeting.
That’s when a red and yellow flyer appeared on the building’s notice board warning residents about the dangers of lowering the age restriction.
In bright red letters reads: “Do you want a young couple living over you especially if the suite above you has hardwood floors?”
Also included on the flyer is an excerpt from the minutes outlining Savchuk’s proposal. Below that, it reads: “It is impossible to screen potential young people who would be buyer’s (sic), some continually party – are loud & have no respect for laws – are drug users – & completely disregard the rights of others.”
“And now everybody who comes into the building, it’s so public,” Savchuk said, adding the poster promotes the opinion of one person.
Savchuk said the whole thing has made her rethink her proposal. She’s not even sure she wants to attend the annual general meeting, she said, adding emotions have been running high among residents since the flyer was posted. She’s confused why the strata council would approve such a flyer – a flyer she believes promotes hate, she said.
“Everybody now worried, everybody now emotional. Whole complex now talking about it,” she said about the backlash over the poster.
“We should make our community the better place without hate and wrongful judgments.”
Strata manager Daniela Damoc told the Record she had no knowledge of the poster’s existence and wouldn’t comment on the strata’s policy for posting flyers on the notice board.
“I am not aware of any of the situation. There have been no proposals. The agenda packages for the annual general meeting have been already mailed. There is nowhere in that agenda package any reference to council proposing changes to the age restriction. So I believe this has no base in reality,” she said.
She said the matter should be dealt with by the council.
Calls to the strata council president have not been returned.
