LETTER: Open letter to Regional Director Bill Baird
By Contributor
Dear Mr. Baird;
We are writing to express our surprise and dismay at being left off of the voters’ list for the upcoming fire protection referendum to be held in Rock Creek.
Unfortunately we were not able to attend the public meeting held to clarify the issue. However, we have kept abreast of the issue with great interest.
The Boundary Creek Times reported on the meeting and described the area to be included, along with a map. Voters in that area would be able to vote on the referendum. From that description – which the regional district also has posted on its website — we assumed that we would eligible to vote on the referendum.
On Monday, Nov. 14, we contacted the registrar of voters in Greenwood about issues arising from the municipal elections three years ago. It was our first time voting in this area and there was a great deal of confusion about where we were supposed to vote.
We had been told we should vote in Greenwood which made no sense at all since we live about halfway between Midway and Rock Creek. That is why we wanted to clear it up before voting day on Saturday.
During that conversation (with Mr. Henke) we found out that indeed we cannot vote in the Greenwood municipal election – nor anywhere else as it turns out. We can only vote for the regional district director and school trustees.
The conversation turned to the referendum in Rock Creek. After doing a bit of research and calling your office, Mr. Henke called us back and said we would not be able to cast a vote in the referendum.
This was hard to believe so I (Sharon Fuller) called your office myself and spoke to Teresa Lenardon, and she confirmed that no, we cannot vote in the referendum.
This just didn’t make any sense, so we we looked at your website and map. The one published in the Boundary Creek Times was miniscule, and so is yours. But on close inspection we see that our land is represented by a tiny triangle that seemingly is cut from the map — it seems rather arbitrarily. To illustrate we are attaching this google image with our property — and dwelling — clearly visible.
We live here, we have lived here for more that five years.
Ms. Lenardon said that you and Mr. MacLean made this decision. We want to know why – in writing. This amounts to disenfranchisement. It is serious, and we are angry about it.
We understand that a previous referendum actually passed, but for some reason was not given the go-ahead by you, Mr. Baird. Every vote counts we are always told, and we feel we have the right to two of them.
Yours truly,
Sharon Dale Fuller
Fernando Portales
Rock Creek, B.C.
