Wednesday, April 1, 2009

HYPOCRISY


For years, the corner of Willingdon and Canada Way has housed one corrections or mental health facility or another. Without, as far as I can recollect, a single untoward incident.

Now the provincial government wants to build a prison there, a pre-trial holding joint.

There is little that I like about the Campbell Liberal administration, but this plan seemed perfectly reasonable to me.

Of course, I don't live in Burnaby.

Moreover, I am not the Mayor of Burnaby; nor do I have a wife who is running on May 12th for the NDP.

My name isn't Corrigan.

The good burghers of Burnaby have cried long and loud - just like you and me - about the current wave of gang violence and the felt need for some old fashioned Law and Order.

Like prisons for bad guys, for instance.

BUT...

Not in my neighbourhood.

We want lock-ups for pistol-packing mothers alright, but we want them somewhere on the left side of the moon...say, Lac La Hache.

The Good Mayor, knowing well the limits of his constituents thinking powers and tolerance and seeing a good opportunity to further the political aims of his spouse jumped all over this one.

There will be no pre-trail centre at Willingdon and Canada Way in the foreseeable future.

And all because of down and dirty politics.

11 comments:

Martino said...

When it comes down to it, it makes no sense to put a new pre-trial centre at the corner of Canada Way and Willingdon. There is no courthouse in Burnaby. The current correctional city was put there when Burnaby was sparsely populated, even before BCIT was there! A better use of the land would be a mixed residential/commercial use that would benefit those at BCIT and the nearby high tech industries.

There is a need for the pretrial centre, but much better places to do it...say the industrial area in South Burnaby near Marine Drive?

Anonymous said...

Why don't they put on the False Creek Flats, good place for and near the courts.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Martino. There is no good reason for a pre-trial centre at Willingdon and Canada Way -- it should be located away from residential areas. Yes, I guess this is an example of NIMBYism, but in this case it is warranted (no pun intended). When Burnaby’s Oakalla Prison Farm opened in 1912 the population was considerably less than it is today.

And welcome back David.

Mo.

Anonymous said...

No incidents in the area? I'm surprised that you would make that statement, or maybe I'm not. The area has been a nightmare for many years. Problem is that it involves youth and the govt spin is always in play. Can you say Gordon Hogg, Danny Perrault etc. Enough already.

Not Your Wife said...

I am sure that Mayor Corrigan's many friends on the Metro Vancouver board (cough, wheeze, splutter), who have had this thrown back in their laps, will make a sane and sound choice for where the remnd centre will go.

Umm...maybe Canada Way and Willingdon?

Gary said...

N.I.M.B.Y. has a close cousin.......... B.A.N.A.N.A. Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything.

Anonymous said...

When offenders are released from jail, they tend to stay in the community surrounding the prison. There are halfway houses and programs to deal with prisoners on the outside.
Unfortunately some return to their previous occupations, and up goes the crime rate within the community.
Abbotsford has the second highest crime rate in Canada, and guess what they have in their backyard.

blaffergassted said...

Right on David.
Glad to see you back in full form.

The politics of this case are indeed awful.
The Corrigans knew about the prison plan in early fall, and didn't say a word until after the Mrs. was nominated for the provincial election.

Nothing wrong or illegal about that - except it's partisan politics to advance a family dynasty, instead of promoting the good and welfare of the community - as she should be doing.

And there is another tragedy here.

The prison kerfuffle has squashed any debate over plans to rebuild Burnaby Hospital, a proposal that was put forward by the inept local Liberal MLA several years ago.

Sigh.

Anonymous said...

I got it, let's build it at 4th & Alma! What a trendy place for those poor poor prisoners waiting for trial.

Lot's of new jobs for job-poor Vancouver, near transit and ecco friendly too; yes 4th & alma is the place to put it.

Anonymous said...

Your all wrong on this one David.

Christie Clark had mayor Greg Moore from Poco on her show the other,they disccussed the poco remand center and.......
Mayor Moore conceded that there was lots of consultation(by a NDP goverment) with the community first.
Greg Moore was also asked about problems and escapes and......

Greg Moore conceded that there had been several escapees,well the poco remand center is in an industrial area,Burnaby site is accross the steet from students and daycares and a hostage situation could arise,also that area was proposed 18 months ago for a pyschiatric facility(what happened to that?)

The area should be used for expansion to either BCIT or Burnaby hospital.

But the biggest reason Burnaby is against it is......
Campbell has a major dislike of Corrigan over Translink and other items where Corrigan didn`t bend over........
So Campbell got even by trying to shove this prison down his throat/Campbell didn`t consult/ that`s why he invoked using bill 30 to over-ride local goverments!

The place for the prison is the site of THE CLOSED vancouver remand center!
And we wouldn`t have this problem if Campbell didn`t close 10 prisons and 25 courthouses(including Burnaby`s)
If you can`t figure out what is going on David,maybe you should have some more rest!

David Berner said...

You know, it is fair comment to disagree and provide other viewpoints. I have welcomed that my entire public life.

But to add that last line about geting more rest is so cruel and tasteless, I am ashamed that you would let yourself behave like that.