While it is always refreshing to see children’s artwork, the pieces adorning the fencing of Abstract’s development at Bowker are somewhat misleading. The art is to depict a vision of a Grade 5 class at Willows school for the finished corner at Bowker. However, some of the pictures show trees and birds rather than a concrete building. Perhaps these pictures are depicting a memory of the trees that once stood on this property?
Other art pieces focus around traffic control changes which will be erected at this particular intersection. While much needed, I hardly think the mayor and council should be applauding this change as visionary. Rather it is extremely overdue at what has always been a busy and dangerous intersection, especially for children to be crossing. Abstract will take the credit for financially backing a structural improvement that’s been long neglected and that the condo development will only make more necessary.
As far as giving students the illusion that they have a say in our municipality’s decision-making progress, this was not my experience when the Bowker proposal went through. I, like many of the immediate neighbours in the vicinity, learned that those with the most money in our society end up with the greatest power and control. My wish is that perhaps this may change by the time these children become adults and those with a vision for a harmonious and healthy society have their voices heard.
Marilyn Lapointe
Oak Bay