There seems to be an odd reaction to the goings on of young adults and the recent altercation on the Rotary Pier. The pier is not to blame. To suggest the removal of a landmark on a beach that is, to all intents and purposes, a major attraction for many tourists, is akin to proposing the sidewalk be taken out on the corner of 29th Avenue and 29th Street. After all, sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
The problem is not the location, it is that a lot of youth are feeling frustrated and undervalued. Yes, we do “live in a different time,” and not one in which I would want to be a young adult.
While no doubt unintentional, 18 to 25-year-olds have been given the short end of the stick economically, nationwide. How much more agitating must it be to try to find a livelihood in a tourist hospitality city that offers low- paying service jobs with limited hours.
This by no means excuses violent behaviour but it is easier to understand. Granted, many young adults are making the choice to move out of the area or patiently hope for better days. However, just because they are not involved in public brawls does not mean they don’t feel the pressure just as keenly.
Removing the pier will just leave Kal Lake without a pier. It will not solve the very real angst of those who feel their day will never come.
Of course, this has to be addressed at the federal, provincial and lastly municipal level of government.
How? I frankly don’t know. But, in the mean time, give the offenders the full measure of the law and let the pier live.
Christina Roeters
Vernon