I see 23-year-old Saanich Coun. Zac de Vries wants the provincial government to retroactively force stratas to allow rental units to solve the housing crisis.
This is a novel approach from a young man but he is missing a big part of this picture. I got married, bought a house and worked for 40 years while raising a family. When I retired, I sold the house and bought a condo for a less challenging lifestyle with no yard work or major upkeep projects.
My building is mostly seniors who love the quiet we have to go about our lives. While I love children, (a child’s laughter is heaven and a child’s crying and screaming can be hell) I am not comfortable having someone tell me I could end up with young families above, below or beside me so my quiet life is gone.
I think a large number of stratas are mostly senior occupied and our chosen way of life is important to us. I have no issues with all new strata construction allowing rentals, as knowing this allows a person to at least make an informed choice to live there. If he and other like-minded councillors push for retroactive changes, please identify your stance on this issue so the “senior power” can show our displeasure at the ballot box in November.
Wayne Messer
Saanich