Calgary 11°C

EXPLORE OUR PARTNER PUBLICATIONS

Explore

Parker’s Pen – May 2024

Written by 

share

David Parker

I love trees – we all love trees. There are people who believe they can communicate with trees, people who believe trees can feel pain. Certainly, a large tree can exude a pleasing feeling of strength and majesty and maturity and splendour. 

Hate to see them cut down – for any reason. 

Yet council members are once again delving into areas where they don’t belong. People buy a lot, build a house, landscape it with bushes and trees that they care for. But, if there is a need to chop one down, they shouldn’t have to get a city permit to axe it. 

In my former garden, at great expense I had to remove a couple that – planted too near the house as usual by the developer – had smashed though my garage eavestrough. At the same time the city came along and chopped down one near the sidewalk that threatened a power line. 

Dread to think that if city hall gets involved, they will have to hire more staff to process licenses to say yeah or nay to a homeowner pleading the case to remove a tree, send out inspectors and by-law officers to make sure nobody cheats the system, and write reports for council to mull over. 

Ridiculous! 

Better the city takes the time and care to look after their own as many seem to be in pretty rough shape. Not cared for like a homeowner does. 

+ 

And a tree control could just turn out like the federal firearm confiscation program that has spent $42 million and has 60 employees working with it, yet to date not a single gun has been turned in. 

+ 

As a book collector I take very good care of mine, and appreciate seeing how others handle any book. What happened to those places called public libraries that still offer books to be loaned out but have become more like community centres? A good place to study, but taking a book to one of the many available desks while eating a hamburger and slurping on a smoothie is asking for trouble. 

Good job most of the books are not classics, but even a Danielle Steel deserves being cared for. 

+ 

Space has to be given to applaud two ladies who have offered so much to this city. 

Carol Ryder has devoted the last 10 years as chair of the board of Alberta University of the Arts, following a lengthy involvement as chair of the board of governors of Bow Valley College. But she won’t rest as she has recently accepted role as co-chair of Contemporary Calgary. 

Christine McIvor has retired as founder and passionate leader of Kids Cancer Care foundation. An organization that has changed the course of children’s cancer, she records an amazing 30 years of service to children and families affected by childhood cancer. 

+ 

Another call for an industrial design engineer. 

I happen to like cleaning and polishing shoes, but no matter the brand of polish, the little metal twister always breaks after a couple of turns. And it’s so hard to open a tin from then on. 

+ 

Final Words: Nothing spoils a good story like the arrival of an eye witness. – Mark Twain 

Written by 

share