Letters like Chris and Karleena Perrys’ are good in that they elicit discussion about who we really are.
The April 7 'Our View' hit the nail on the head when it stated “ ... if we are an inclusive community for all people we have done very little to show it." Instead of everyone getting up in arms about comments made by the Perrys, perhaps we should see if there is some merit to what was said. Just two weeks ago my son came home from school and told me a 'friend' told him that he lived in the 'slums' of St. Albert (Old Braeside). After a good chuckle, instead of inviting the friend over to prove him wrong, I suggested to my son that he pick better friends.
I think it's a compliment to St. Albert that people choose to live here for the quality of life they get — it doesn't have to be a bad thing. However, we do need to address how we serve the lower-income individuals who want to make (or keep) St. Albert home. My son has Down Syndrome and I worry about how he will be able to sustain a life in the community he was born and raised in. Quite frankly from what I know about the Akinsdale housing proposal, I would not want my son to end up there. We can do better.
I love the idea of having Habitat homes throughout the community instead of congregated in one area. However my son would not even qualify to live in a Habitat home. So what can we do to really address the needs of the true poor among us? How can we be a responsive community to those needs? Grand Prairie's mayor announced that they were offering free transit to all disabled adults — what a great start that would be for St. Albert. We need to keep going until we have a community where food banks are not even needed. I can tell you without hesitation, that I would never want my son to have to rely on the food bank to meet his basic needs.
I'm sure with the passion that is so evident in the recent letter to the editor that we can collectively come up with some fantastic solutions to support everyone who is looking to call St. Albert home.
W. King, St. Albert
