Musings from the ever-changing, ever-amazing and occasionally ever-baffling Fort McMurray, Alberta.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Dunvegan Disturbance, Revisited

The post directly below this one is about the current controversy regarding Dunvegan Gardens. A reader of this blog has commented on that post, and I have decided to respond to that reader here...

Dear Mr. Smith,

Thank you for taking the time and effort to comment on my post regarding this issue. I too am a firm believer in free speech, which is why I chose to write this blog. That is also why I have chosen to allow your comments to remain to be seen by other readers. I could easily delete them and deny you this platform to express yourself, but I don't think that serves anyone well, and would be contrary to my personal belief in freedom of speech.

I am sorry you think my conclusion is mistaken but please note that the only conclusion I reached is that the loss of Dunvegan Gardens would be detrimental to the community. I stand by this conclusion as I firmly believe it to be true. I think they are important to the community for many reasons, and I suspect a large percentage of city residents would agree. I assure you that I am not an owner or employee of Dunvegan and have absolutely no vested interest in this issue other than as a citizen of this community.

Your response has also provided further evidence that compromise may never be reached on this issue as apparently compromise is not being sought. My true hope was that the residents of Draper Road and the owners of Dunvegan could find a way to mediate towards a solution that satisfied both parties, but it seems positions are deeply entrenched and this may well not occur. I continue to think that is deeply unfortunate for all parties involved, but especially so for the community which stands to lose a business that provides significant benefit.

Again, I thank you for taking the time and effort to write your response. I hope that you feel you were able to share your viewpoint and I appreciate that you did so while showing respect to me and my blog. As I commented in the original post I am not without sympathy for the residents of Draper Road, and I continue to have that sympathy. I also truly feel, though, that the loss of Dunvegan Gardens would be a blow to the community and my feelings on that conclusion will not change regardless of the eventual outcome of the current controversy.

McMurray Musings

2 comments:

  1. Finally, intelligent conversation on this issue… Although I agree that losing any local business would be a “blow to our community”, I believe you missed the point that Mr. Smith was trying to make. I don’t see this as the residents needing to find a compromise; this is about Dunvegan breaking the law. There is no compromise. Are our police officers expected to compromise when they pull us over for speeding? What about drug dealers? Should we compromise there too? Where do we draw the line and should we be free to move it when it suits our purpose? If so, then good news for the crack houses… you can stay as long as you mow your lawn, plant some pretty flowers and contribute in some way to the community. Drastic comparison I know but the underlying message is the same.

    Laws are made to give us some semblance of justice and fairness/equity and are meant to be followed, not broken or “compromised”. I know I would not be happy if someone moved into my neighborhood with dump trucks and such, broke the very laws that I was expected to live by, and then I was told to try and find a compromise because the law breaker benefits the city in some way.

    Also, I am not sure that “detrimental” is the right word for the potential loss of this business. Remember, we are not talking about a hospital or emergency service here; we are talking about a landscaping business. A very profitable landscaping business that should be required to live by the same rules as the other landscaping businesses in our community.

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  2. Ms. Doe,

    Thank you for your comment. A blog is a method by which someone shares their personal opinions and views and as such will not and can not appease everyone. I have not missed any points. I have simply chosen to not address and/or argue those points and as this is my blog I believe that is my prerogative. I have allowed you and Mr Smith to make comments and have also chosen to let those comments be read on my blog by others. As such I have given you the opportunity and platform to express yourselves. This does not mean I will change my thoughts or choose to argue the issue with you. I will continue to use the word "detrimental" as I see fit, and in this situation I do see the potential loss of this business adversely affecting quality of life in this community.

    Again, thank you for taking the time to comment.

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