Letters to The Sun: Barriers at Swift concerts typical move by 'No fun city'

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The city argues there is too much going on (hockey games, Cirque de Soleil), but this is standard fare for any city, and somehow they manage.

Published Dec 06, 2024  •  Last updated 1 hour ago  •  4 minute read

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Re: No ticket, no entry: B.C. Place stadium district to become a Swiftie-only zone

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With the biggest concert tour in the history of music wrapping up in Vancouver this weekend, Vancouver once again is trying hard to hold on to its title of “No fun city.” This time on the international scene when Taylor Swift wraps up her Eras Tour at B.C. Place.

Instead of embracing the concerts and excitement like other cities (see Toronto’s Taylgate Party at their convention centre), the city and B.C. Place are putting up barricades and telling people to stay away. And there’s nothing that says you’re not welcome in Vancouver more than banning teens and pre-teens from bringing in friendship bracelets to the concert.

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The city argues there is too much going on (hockey games, Cirque de Soleil), but this is standard fare for any city, and somehow they manage.

Scott Lear, Vancouver

Rising sea levels could put Vancouver’s airport underwater

The Senate report Urgent: Building Climate Resilience Across Canada’s Critical Transportation Infrastructure identifies the growing vulnerability of our national, regional, and local infrastructure to climate and weather-related disruptions.

Reliable highways, railways, port facilities, public utilities, and communications systems are essential to our economy and our way of life.

Our infrastructure, such as our highways and airports, was built for a climate and range of weather extremes that no longer exists. Wildfires have destroyed communities, and atmospheric rivers have shut down highways and railways for weeks. Extreme weather events are growing in frequency and magnitude. Communities such as Merritt and Lytton struggle to rebuild.

Our infrastructure is vulnerable. Highway 1 was built on a former lakebed and our highways in the mountains are situated in river valleys and hillsides. Our municipal water and electricity supplies depend on rainfall assumptions that are no longer valid. Rivers, lakes and reservoirs are subject to droughts, shrinking ice fields and extreme precipitation events.

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Sea level rise is a fact — only the speed and magnitude are in question. Original estimates of sea level rise were optimistic, given what is happening in Greenland and Antarctica. Sea level rise, in combination with extreme precipitation events, places orphan dikes at risk. At some point, YVR will need to be relocated inland, a process that will take decades. Sea level rise of several metres is probable. How fast is unknown. What is known is that keeping global warming within 2 degrees C of pre-industrial levels is unlikely.

Canada has no FEMA to assist households and communities with the impact and aftermath of natural disasters. There is no national climate change infrastructure plan. There are no coordinated attempts, by the different levels of government, to develop the engineering plans and long-term funding programs to construct high-priority climate-related infrastructure projects.

John Shepherd, Richmond

Canada needs to stay in its own jurisdiction when it comes to the border

It seems to me the reaction to Donald Trump’s tariff threats is misplaced. It is not Canada’s job to screen people or goods entering the U.S. — that is the responsibility of the U.S. Customs and Border Service. I don’t see how beefing up Canada Border Services Agency screening staff at land ports can help.

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Our focus should be on better screening and security at marine ports (goods) and airports (people).

Patrolling the Canada-U.S. border beyond the controlled points of entry seems an impossible task. Thousands of kilometres, much of it remote, would require CBSA or RCMP resources way beyond any benefit that might be achieved. And, again, it is not our job to control entry into the U.S.

We need to take a breath, think through the issues, and take actions that are within our jurisdiction and more likely to lead to better outcomes. And keep the U.S. authorities advised of the plan.

Bill LeGrow, Coquitlam

Metro Vancouver needs an urban forest management program

Re: Opinion: Wildfires must be tamed for the economy’s sake

As well as avoiding economic disruption and loss of productive assets, we need to reduce the risk of urban interface wildfires to save lives and public property.

Most of the municipalities in the Lower Mainland have a forest interface.

As the opinion article writers advised, to reduce the risk of wildfires, we should be “managing forest landscapes through fuel reduction” and “creating fire-resistant landscapes.”

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Metro Vancouver, with financial support from the province, needs to implement an urban interface forest management program.

Municipalities should implement Fire Smart bylaws that require buildings within perhaps 100 metres of a forest interface to make Fire Smart choices when undertaking renovations (or new construction).

Derek Wilson, Port Moody

Letters to the editor should be sent to sunletters@vancouversun.com. Click here to report a typo.

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