It’s shameful and sad to see the public, and in particular a nonprofit group like Blood Ties Four Directions, banned from using the patio and foyer of the Elijah Smith Building to raise public awareness for important public causes like hepatitis C and AIDS.
What’s our world coming to?
Wasn’t this building built for and paid for by the public? Are not our tax dollars used to pay the property taxes? Is this not our building, in the strictest sense of the word? Were we ever told it would stop being a “public” building once SNC Lavalin O&M got the contract to run it? And is this maintenance contract not being paid for by the public?
I am not easily shocked, but I find it shocking that one of the nicest, biggest and most centrally located buildings in the entire downtown core is now off limits to nonprofit groups that want to promote worthy causes, and members of the public in dire need of a washroom.
This is not right. This is not fair. And I want to thank Blood Ties, and the media, for bringing this to our attention.
It’s just one more good reason to not vote for the Harper government the next time we get the chance. Or maybe encourage the other levels of government in Yukon to avoid doing business with SNC Lavalin.
Publicly owned buildings should be open to the public without red tape, like paying a token user fee or getting special insurance.
Elijah Smith must be turning in his grave right now.
Peter Lesniak
Whitehorse