Re: “What’s next for Royal Athletic Park and Centennial Square?,” commentary, July 15.

Victoria councillors Jeremy Caradonna and Matt Dell had a truly amazing sales pitch to taxpayers in their commentary regarding Centennial Square.

Where in their campaigns did they reveal the destruction of the square and the removal of the sequoia tree?

Why are they ramming through the pricey and unnecessary expenditure of tax dollars on this vanity project?

These two councillors and a few of their cohorts have not listened to their constituents.

Time to back up and respect ­democracy. Taxpayers have that right to know how decisions are made.

Enough of the “private” closed-door meetings; shine some light on how ­decisions are made.

Joan Pink

Victoria property taxpayer

Oak Bay

The retention of the tree in Centennial Square is a no-brainer.

I’m pleased that city council has decided the money is better spent on other community support measures.

We need all the tree coverage we can get for oxygen and temperature ­mitigation.

The splash park? I’m truly offended at the attitude towards yesterday’s art.

The fountain pillars are handsome to my eyes, and were a gift from other municipalities.

Ungracious and uncouth to decide they are ­­— what, too old? Outdated? Yes, the Sistine Chapel could do with a make-over, eh?

I don’t even mind the Corolla, though it’s amusing about them as an attempt to get rid of hippies in the 1960s.

Playing annoying sounds or classical music outside shop doorways hasn’t worked for the unhoused, and put off customers as well. Benches around would be OK.

The argument that the square is not used enough doesn’t hold water (excuse the reference) as there are lots of ­functions there during good weather.

The Festival of Lights in winter gets lots of visitors. I see many families attending festivals there, and the (smallish) stage and bench seating seems to work pretty well.

The biggest drawback to use is the lack of decent-sized washrooms, and ­changerooms would be needed too if a splash park was contemplated.

Others I’ve seen have grassy areas as retreats from the sprays, for picnics, etc.

My preference would be to build install one at the foot of Pandora, near the Northern Junk buildings that could be saved and re-purposed as wash/change rooms.

There are grassy areas, we’d maintain the lovely sightlines of the bridge, the entrance to the Inner Harbour, etc. and no private highrises stealing our open areas.

There will be a continuous path around the harbour just below it that will ­connect nicely with the parking areas west of ­Bastion Square and the greater Ship Point area.

Sharon Hazelwood

Victoria

Re: “Raucous Saanich council ­meeting not true gauge of public opinion,” ­commentary, July 14.

The commentary expresses dismay at the recent raucous meeting of Saanich ­council.

It does not, however, give full credit to the background of the event.

The mayor recently said there was little backlash opposition to the Quadra-McKenzie Plan.

The thousands of residents who strongly oppose it (as evidenced by the strong support for Save our Saanich) clearly felt there was a need to correct this view with many of them attending the meeting.

The central part of Saanich has always been a family-oriented suburb with ­adequate recreational space.

The proposed plan aims to convert that milieu........

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