I am writing to comment on the Oct 10, 2019 front page article, Weighing Options for East Pier Repairs, by Dominik Wisniewski.
I am troubled by the tone of the article. Building a whole newspaper article on 245 people seems somewhat irresponsible at best and misleading at worst.
The headline on P. 7 states – Majority Surveyed Want East Pier For Pedestrian Use. There is a large pie chart to support this assertion. The headline is technically true if the “surveyed” named are only those who used the new Bang the Table software; however, these 245 people (out of a population of around 19,000) don’t accurately reflect our whole population. They only reflect those who are computer literate and who have access to computers.
Many seniors still don’t use computers – so this methodology is not accessible for them. A year or two ago, the Encore Club at St. Peter’s still used a telephone tree if they needed to communicate schedule changes to their 165+ members. (And for those who don’t know the history, the Encore Club was formed as a direct backlash against the CCC because seniors felt they weren’t being heard).
Since being closed to cars more than a year ago, the east pier has been pedestrian-only by default – and yet, I haven’t seen it crowded with people. Actual statistics could easily be collected by putting one of the Town’s pedestrian counters on the pier.
Please note that the centre pier has been pedestrian only for over 8 years. It has shaded seating and flowers. I rarely see people on it other than boaters going to and fro.
Pedestrians have also had the whole west headland for their exclusive use. It isn’t crowded either.
In my view, Option 4 – Light Vehicle and Naturalization is a compromise to both groups. It is also a more reasonable economic solution at $719,180.xx.
Actions speak louder than words. I believe that a little observation of human behaviour around the 2 piers and the headland would provide a more well-rounded report than what we have seen presented in this article.
Sincerely
Lydia Smith
Cobourg ON
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