Dear Editor,
After reading the impassioned, reasonable letters of the residents of Boston Flats regarding the Eco-Depot (The Journal, May 9), I’ve changed my mind: not only about the location of the depot adjacent to prime agricultural land, but about the needs of the families living there.
Without consultation with the residents, it would seem the decision by the Thompson-Nicola Regional District is arbitrary, and certainly without regard for the area’s recent history.
We seemed to have had a perfectly convenient solution to the problem of recycling packaging, glass, tin cans, and paper at the recycling depots in Ashcroft and Cache Creek. Many people were aghast when the depots there were suddenly (it seemed, and without consultation with the communities) removed. Predictions that people would soon give up, and items like these would be abandoned beside roads and byways, were certainly not far-fetched.
The mayors of our towns who attended regular meetings of the TNRD were not heard to express concerns about this. Yet even a casual canvassing of opinions could have made the concerns public.
I was moved by Natalie Kellington’s letter. I was also impressed by the letter of Gord and Corry Fehr. Under the circumstances expressed so movingly and adequately, I think another, more appropriate location should be found as soon as possible.
Esther Darlington
Ashcroft, B.C.
Dear Editor,
On June 6, 1944, Toronto’s Allan Bacon was one of thousands of Canadians to arrive by boat on the shores of Juno Beach in Normandy, France. As this year marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day, 99-year-old Bacon is reflecting on that pivotal event.
Bacon enlisted with the Royal Regiment of Canada in 1940 and was later transferred to the Canadian Scottish Regiment. When his tour of duty took him to Normandy, his role was in the mortar platoon. On June 17, 1944, Bacon was based in a barn, anticipating an attack that never came. He went into a nearby shed to disarm the grenades when one exploded, resulting in the loss of his right arm.
When Bacon realized he’d lost his arm, his first thought was, “This will break my mother’s heart.” Bacon recovered at a hospital in England, where he learned to use his left arm through exercises like washing windows.
On returning to Canada, he became a member of The War Amps, an Association started by amputee veterans returning from WWI to help each other adapt to their new reality. Today, Bacon continues to be active with The War Amps Toronto Branch.
Through the years he, along with his fellow War Amps members, have made it a goal to remember and commemorate their fallen comrades, and to educate youth about the horrors of war. “In Normandy, many Canadians died or suffered wounds that they had to carry for the rest of their lives,” says Bacon. “On anniversaries like D-Day, it’s important that we never forget.”
Martine Lépine
Manager, Communications
The War Amps
editorial@accjournal.ca
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