Dear Editor:
As a 10-year resident of our Quayside community, I have enjoyed getting my local events, news and happenings from The Record and find it usually well-balanced and informative.
I was glad to read a recent letter to the editor by John Ashdown (Council decision makes no sense, The Record, Feb. 28) seriously questioning the treatment of the venerable organization called "Hyack." The way I understand it, hundreds of well-respected New Westminster citizens and business leaders gave generously of their time, monetary support and expertise with no expectation of monetary returns to themselves or their businesses for over 40 years.
Now, it seems, many of us are questioning why a handful of uptown people, who are very negative about Hyack and their successful festivals, parades, ambassador programs and other ventures promoting our beautiful city, are being handed loads of money, including $18,000 for themselves in management fees, mostly because they asked council for the money. And this for one single event, which success for the past two years was mostly due to the crowds supporting the wonderful parades put on by Hyack without any management fees for a couple of individuals or their companies.
Reminiscing a couple short years ago in The Record: Is this uptown group the same people who created such havoc on our city's planning department, our mayor and councillors, not to mention our thousands of tax dollars, by pulling out of their contract to support the new superb Anvil Centre and building their own uptown commercial building?
How quickly our mayor and most councillors at their last council meeting appear to be changing their loyalties with their abject support of whatever this group does as they, over the past few months, target the leadership and the valuable assets and resources of one of our most respected and altruistic local organizations.
Please, show more respect for our venerable institutions and, yes, our tax dollars.
John Lalonde, New Westminster
