Dear Editor
When I first read "City pushes for downtown professional services" (Regional Optimist, May 6) reporting city council's rejection of the doctors' discretionary use application to set up a medical clinic in the Wilson and Zehner building for as many as nine doctors, I thought it was a late April Fool's joke. Then I re-read the article and I came to the regrettable but incomprehensible conclusion that the report of the rejection, although laughable, is no joke. As I considered the decision, adjectives such as stupid, absurd and inane came to mind along with other non-printable thoughts. I even wondered if the four who can't see beyond tomorrow might have all just fallen on their heads. Unfortunately, such was not the case and the four must bear the full blame.
Then I considered the three reported reasons for the rejection: not close to amenities (whatever that means), not serviced by public transportation and council is going to require (not encourage) professionals to locate downtown. I wonder what viable public transportation system is being referred to, but what do I know? Then I came to the inescapable conclusion that all of Saskatchewan is open for business except the city of North Battleford.
Except for North Battleford, there is not likely a community in Saskatchewan (and maybe in all of Canada), which would not do cartwheels to accommodate a medical clinic such as this. However, not North Battleford. But then, I forgot that we have such a surplus of medical doctors in the Battlefords that four members of council are prepared to risk the departure and/or non-recruiment of up to nine doctors in order to satisfy some "pie in the sky" plan to "reinvigorate" the downtown. I also forgot the theoreticians believe they can cure the social ills which reflect themselves in the downtown core at the financial risk of businesses that have no interest in being part to this social experiment
One must wonder why four members of council think that they know better than the applicants what is best for their business. Of course, these four persons are comfortable in their economic and business circumstances and have no compunction to require others to take the financial and business risks associated with their decision.
It is a sad day indeed for the City of North Battleford and the Battlefords and district. One can only hope that upon intelligent reflection members of council will revisit and reverse this decision and that such occurs forthwith and not after it is too late.
Harvey Walker
Battleford
