Dear Editor:
The District of West Vancouver should quite frankly be happy at how nice was Karol Traviss's Sept. 28 letter to the editor, Mini Billboards Invade W. Van. The majority of people around here are pretty upset at the atrocious corporate grossness that these ugly bus stops are bringing to West Vancouver.
While most of us could probably live with the urban look of the new metal structures, the signs are simply overkill. An entire generation of young West Vancouverites will now grow up thinking these advertisements are a part of what is West Vancouver, since the district signed a 20-year deal with the Pattison Outdoor Group without any community consultation.
Taken straight from the district's website, "Our community is known for its beaches, mountains, recreation facilities and cultural activities. The natural setting and proximity to downtown Vancouver completes our desirable setting." As clearly stated, West Vancouver is all about nature and small-town charm, which is why most of us are here in the first place. If I wanted to see celebrities and billboards on my morning commute everyday, I'd move to L.A. or New York, thank you. Obviously, Pamela Goldsmith-Jones and her "legacy"driven council have lost sight of what our community is about in a greedy corporate move to bring in minimally more revenue to the city, if any. They need to rectify this mistake immediately.
We are not particularly well known for our tuna fish industry or our love for country music, I've never seen Simon Cowell on our seawall, and I am fairly certain that babies cannot legally sell life insurance. Did council not see these advertisements before approving them? These signs not only misrepresent what we are about 100 per cent, they are downright hideous, and need to go immediately. Put up some nice pictures of West Vancouver's lovely scenery (hold a photo contest) and be done with it.
Daniel Merkins, West Vancouver
