Downtown music festival demeaning to the city’s marginalized
By Lethbridge Herald on August 11, 2023.
Editor:
I stood outside the Park-N-Ride for five hours protesting the Wide Skies festival.
I had no choice. Geomatic Attic booked three nights of paid music on the roof of the bus terminal.
I co-habit this same neighbourhood with many vulnerable and marginalized people, including many unhoused people.
Many people in Lethbridge barely afford to take the bus, if at all. The festival was shameful and gentrifying.
“Not in my neighbourhood” applies only to white, affluent neighbourhoods apparently.
The rich in Lethbridge can do whatever they want.
Debora Simon
Lethbridge
10-9
Does this letter make any sense? Music events happen downtown all summer. As do other types of events. They help keep the core a vibrant destination in the city. How that is ‘gentrifying’ is anybody’s guess.
This is one of the most assinine comments I have ever read on this site.
So we, the hard-working, tax-paying citizens of Lethbridge are not allowed to enjoy our city because of a tiny group of drugged-out lowlifes.
Get real lady. It is this kind of attitude that just encourages these ner-do-wells to carry on with their lifestyle.
Not only should we have been able to have a concert on the roof of the bus barn but if any of these derelicts were in the way they should have been locked up.
Time for the citizens of Lethbridge to take back our city and stop coddling these miscreants.
I can’t seem to think of anything nice to say or for that matter “not nice”, I am amazed, so will keep my thoughts to myself.
Can you imagine how upset Debra would have been if that event has taken place in Galt Gardens !
Marginalized? Unhoused? Haha you mean the people who choose to do drugs, steal and destroy our downtown all while giving zero back to our city? You have got to be nuts to think we owe these people anything.
While this person’s criticisms may not concern the majority of people who enjoy these events, responding harshly does little to cause behavioral changes. Has it ocurred to you that there are those who have long since lost the ability to exercise choice over their addictions? Perhaps it’s time we started to address the underlying issues instead of lobbing criticism at those who are drowning in the consequences of their pasts. Instead, if we are to do better than everywhere else, we need to find a better way than addressing symptoms of the problems rather than.wallow in public angst.
Lear, bring about behavioral change ? In who? Debora’s behaviour isnt going to change. Five hours protesting? Protesting what…citizens enjoying thier city and music and briefly liberating the bus terminal from the scum that have destroyed it. Spend those 5 hrs cleaning up Galt Gardens, scooping crap off business entry ways or doing something useful to help your “vulnerable and marginalized” neighbors [ nice use of the bs buzzwords by the way ].
Debora, if you think a bit of music is demeaning to a drugged out zombie unable to stand, pants around his.her knees having soiled themselves , wondering when/where the next fix will come from and what they will steal to get it, you are the problem…not the cure.
“We started”? Where have you been,Learjet? What about the at least 14 mil annually the city throws at this? Never mind the provincial and federal pockets.
Sadly it’s easier to hate and blame than to accept that often bad luck is the only difference between me in my comfortable house and the guy sleeping in Galt Gardens.
quite right. seems a good many firmly believe they are god’s chosen special one.