update:
Mr. Mayor…P L E A S E,
Can we make Pickering great again?
Dear Mr. Mayor,
The words “Pickering Proud” on our City Hall are starting to feel empty. It seems our city is slipping away from the days when residents could truly feel a sense of pride. Is this the legacy you want to leave behind?
A Neighborhood in Neglect
Our once-beautiful Esplanade North is a prime example. What was once a source of pride has been abandoned to litter and neglect. A simple evening walk is no longer an opportunity to appreciate our surroundings; instead, it’s a sobering reminder of what we’ve lost. Is the beauty of our city to be relegated to the past, a relic of previous mayors and councils who actually cared?
A City’s Moral and Aesthetic Decline
The situation at Esplanade Park is even more offensive. The park has become an insult to any pride our city might have. The homeless crisis is a serious issue that demands attention, but the way it’s being handled—or not handled—is unacceptable. The makeshift encampments have created unsanitary and dangerous conditions for everyone, and with the central library’s washrooms closed, the health and safety of our public spaces have become deplorable. We are not addressing the problem; we are allowing it to fester, eroding both our city’s beauty and its compassion.
Excuses Instead of Action
Our city is visibly losing its aesthetic appeal, especially when compared to our neighbors. Other cities are a testament to civic pride, with meticulously maintained gardens, parks, and even flower baskets hanging from their street lamps. Why is Pickering falling behind? We pay our taxes, yet we are met with weak excuses, poor workmanship, and a lack of pride from those responsible for maintaining our city. We are told there are “inadequate maintenance schedules” and too often the work seems to have been done without care. This is a betrayal of the trust we place in you.
A Question of Leadership
This isn’t just one resident’s complaint. My neighbors and I are all voicing the same dissatisfaction, lamenting that we aren’t getting a fair return for our tax dollars.
So, I ask you, Mr. Mayor: Why?
Why is our City Council allowing our beautiful city to fall into disrepair? Why are we standing by as our reasons to be “Pickering Proud” fade away? The people of Pickering deserve better.
This is your watch. Is your legacy going to be one of a city that lost its way? Will “Pickering Proud” become a phrase that echoes with silence and emptiness?
Sincerely,
A Pickering Resident of Diminishing Pride
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Our City is looking tired and forgotten…
- unhealthy, unsanitary conditions in Esplanade Park need serious attention
- Homeless in Esplanade Park need relocation to caring facilities out of the park
- downtown core needs serious maintenance, improvement and enhancement
- roadways need repair, resurfacing, maintenance
- enhance beauty of downtown with flowers and hanging flower baskets
- litter and trash on downtown streets needs clean up and attention
Let’s make our downtown an area we are proud of AGAIN.
And now…
a fictional story (Click pages in the book to turn the pages)
FICTIONAL PICKERING
