To the Editor:
REBUTTAL TO LETTER IN LAST MONTH’S ISSUE OF THE LAKER: Letter to the Editor by Alan Joyce and the Fall River Seniors Housing Group.
I am a member of The Friendly Group of Seniors, covering Fall River and surrounding area – a registered non-profit society, active since 1984. As well, I was a member of the community Vision Group during its years of developing a plan for our community. Along with this, I am a senior and a life-long resident of the area and very familiar with the various seniors as an active volunteer here for the past 40+ years. I feel this qualifies me to speak on the proposed Fall River Seniors Development.
I am not going to comment on the questions about other development projects proposed for Fall River or development questions about the senior housing – that is information to be considered and solved by the developer, HRM staff and elected representatives of HRM Council. But, as a member of the Vision group, I can confirm that we considered all of the alternative sites mentioned in your letter and rejected all of them for various reasons. A Development Plan for the Carr property came up at a later date and was further supported by water being put through Fall River, thus the proposed Senior Development on the Fall River Road came into being.
I do however, take offense to your characterization of seniors.
You proclaim your group is very “excited” about having a senior development in the community so people are allowed to “age in place”. But, you follow those statements by making insulting suggestions that seniors will put vast amounts of pharmaceuticals into the sewage system. Really? I know many seniors who would love to be financial able to throw away their medication in such a dramatic fashion; however, our seniors use their medication and any extras are taken back to the many pharmacies we have in the community.
Seniors have lived their lives here and helped build this community into what it is today. We lived through dirt roads, out of community schools, party telephone lines, etc. Now, we have paved roads, sidewalks, community centers, great schools, street lights, shopping centers, restaurants, and more. All we are asking for is the right to have a seniors village facility built in our community
Your letter, which ironically was delivered during Senior’s Week in Nova Scotia, not only insults local seniors, but includes many dangerous leaps of logic which easily distort the facts around this critical housing project.
We should be recognizing and celebrating older residents in Fall River. They need support for housing in their own community to help them age in place and in recognition of the experience and expertise that built this neighborhood. This should be understood and supported by the residents of this area who themselves will one day be seniors looking for alternative housing options.
Sandra A. Carr
Fall River
