To the editor,
I wish to thank The Coast for providing the opportunity for King's College journalism students to present their views on "Halifixes." May I note that as an octogenarian and life-long resident I was impressed with their suggestions and I congratulate them for this important work. I believe The Coast is on to a subject that may encourage citizens to question the many unsatisfactory and arcane situations that exist in our community and of which 14 have been covered. Please continue your efforts on this important subject.
One item in particular that caught my attention was the suggestion of year-round opening of the Public Gardens. This has been a concern of mine for many years and I am unimpressed with the usual bureaucratic response typified by Maureen Cullen's response as to all the reasons why the Gardens cannot be open.
Ms. Cullen, HRM's supervisor of horticulture, is obviously unaware that the late Jerry Karttunen, an enlightened former supervisor of the Public Gardens, supported the open-year-round concept and the Gardens were open in a limited way for at least one winter.
This past season the Gardens could easily have been open much earlier than they were and there are no existing conditions that would prevent them from being open at the time of writing. There are, in my opinion, no major reasons why several central pathways could not have weatherproof surfaces, maintained in the winter. I am disappointed that with the infusion of public donations and the reconstruction following Hurricane Juan, the planners were so shortsighted in this regard.
By Bill Phillips
