In response to “Higher-earning families part of St. Albert's appeal,” Gazette, April 3:
I don’t know if this letter was written to spark debate or just by a very ignorant human being. St. Albert is not my home, it is however my workplace, the city I played most of my junior hockey in, the community whose sports teams I support and play for and where a lot of my friends live and grew up. It is a great city! Hard working people, very friendly people, gorgeous surroundings (large trees, beautiful parks and a lot of green spaces) and yes, a very sports driven community. It does have its downfalls though, just like every city. People like Chris Perry are few and far between.
If you do not see the crime in St. Albert, you need to open your eyes. Edmonton may have a much higher major crime rate but per capita St. Albert has a higher minor crime rate. Vandalism and graffiti are visible throughout this town. Drugs are present no matter where you look, St. Albert is no different. Eighty per cent of kids in high school dabble with drugs and do it on a regular basis. Drug dealers have penetrated the high schools, junior highs and even some elementary schools, drug dealers who live in all areas of town, even your precious Kingswood. You really think that this will get worse with a Habitat for Humanity home? Lower income housing is already present all over this city — Akinsdale Gardens, Ridgewood Terrace, Grandin Woods, Grandin Village, Pine Ridge Grove (Kingswood), etc. Should we shut down these households because these people don’t make $100 K a year and drive an Escalade? I will tell you what I know about most of the people that do not make over $100 K a year, with honest hard working jobs. We are hard workers, we do not look at people who are less fortunate than us and belittle them, we strive to help others that need that little bit of help and encouragement, we help others that are in a more difficult situation than our own and we pinch our pennies to put our significant others in more reliable vehicles, through college or university, buy them a house, pay for a wedding or a trip, etc. Where do most young couples start out? In lower income housing so they can build up equity and a savings account so they can one day purchase a bigger, better, newer home.
This letter has sparked so much disgust through the community, it’s the topic of the city. Since you are so 'well off,' maybe you should triple my last donation to charity. I do not make the amount of money you obviously do but yet every year I donate to charities all over the city. Maybe I should keep the money and buy my wife a new necklace for Christmas. My wife gets more enjoyment seeing the faces of the kids at the Stollery and Santas Anonymous receive Christmas gifts, rather than a new piece of shiny metal to hang around her neck.
Lastly, gang members live in every city and town in our province. St. Albert is not encased in a bubble. It is not perfect; it has its flaws. I hope you teach your children that there are more important things in life than money. Teach your children that good morals and being a good person are what make you successful in life, not the type of car you drive or the size of the home you live in. Do you really think that growing up with your parents being 'well off' makes you a better person? I would hate for you to see the true reality of what your children are going through in their lives. If kids have to make friends by showing their possessions or that their parents own an Escalade or have the biggest house, I don’t think I would want my kids being friends with those kind of people. People should befriend people because they are caring, trustworthy, kind, have similar interests and have fun together.
Trevor Bosma, Edmonton
