email to PRRD chair and directors

I am concerned about what the PRRD board might be contemplating a decision on the Lasqueti 911 service.  I do not know what legal advice the board received, and more importantly, I do not know what question or questions were asked of the lawyer who provided the legal advice.

Reading the "press release" sent out by Al Radke shortly before noon today (apparently sent only to PRRD board members) I fear that the board might believe that they might need to mitigate libility for "any alleged negligence charged against the Powell River Regional District."

I do not believe that Mr. Radke has been giving you proper information. There is nothing in the Lasqueti Fire Service bylaw that could be seen to require 911 dispatch service. Our current dispatch service is compatible with 911 service, as they both use VHF radios to communicate. There is no obvious liability or reasonable perception of negligence if the board does not immediately institute 911 service, as is alleged by Mr. Radke and Mr. Thoms. They are either mistaken, or purposefully misleading the board.

The opinion of most Lasqueti residents and landowners, in my opinion, is not opposed to 911 being selected. It is simply against the board selecting and imposing 911 wihtout any consultation with the community, and without our assurance that all other viable options have been researched and considered.

We insist that consultation with the community take place before any decision to institute 911 and house numbering, or any other service, on Lasquetti Island. This consultation is part of ordinary procedures that local government is supposed to carry out. In this case, there was no notice that there was anything being considered until the letter of January 27 was mailed, and received by most of us in early February.

The process of instituting 911 was begun before Telus announced the ending of its pager service. This end of pager service is a red herring, used to make the issue appear simple and straighforward, but it is not relevant, as equivalent service, or better, is available and easy to institute, at least for a few months until consultation and community discussion has taken place.

If PRRD carries forward with the plan to institute 911, without any consultation with the community, it will cause a great rift between the community and PRRD, and much hard feeling towards Powell River Regional Board. I think that the anger and non-cooperation that you will get from the community will be substantial and long-lasting.

The very least you must do is to come to Lasqueti and hold a community meeting here on the island before the board has any further discussion or makes any more decisions as to what is wanted and needed here.  It is something that was planned, and we (and the public of BC, via Al Radke's CBC Victoria radio interview) were told would happen. It would be best if the entire board came and met with us, but at a minimum the chair must come to represent the board and hear our points of view and concern, and carry them back to the full board.

I would like to speak with you about these matters. Is the telephone contact number given in the press release your home or business number?  Is there a time that it would be most convenient for me to telephone you?    My phone number is 250-333-8785.  Tomorrow (Saturday) is forecast to be rainy,  so I am likely to be indoors much of the day. I have to attend a community meeting sponsored by the Lasqueti Trust Committee from 11am til 6pm, but will be home before and after then.  I am usually awake and up from 7am, and until 10pm, if you would like to call me. I expect to be home most of Sunday before 1pm and after 6pm.

Thank you very much for your consideration of this, and doing whatever you can to let Lasqueti have as much consultation, or at least direct communication, with you and the PRRD board.

Peter Johnston
Lasqueti Island
250-333-8785