I took a tourist to lunch at the Red Apple last Tuesday. It was drawn out. Then we visited with one of the Laserich boys at the next table. He had flown in from Iqaluit.
After lunch we toured Jean Cadieux’s gift shop. I didn’t pay attention to the time. We had a very nice visit.
As we left the Red Apple I saw the parking ticket on my windshield.
I had not gotten a ticket for a long time. I couldn’t imagine how much it would be – $25 or maybe $10.
I studied it and could not figure out the cost until I saw, ‘warning only, no payment required.’
I was shocked; a nice shocked!
Something good is going on at city hall. Two weeks or so ago a visitor from Red Deer, Alta. told me he got stopped by a bylaw officer in a school zone in the evening. The officer asked what the hurry was and if he realized that he was speeding. He had not been paying attention.
The visitor who was driving a rental said the officer was half a step away, didn’t get in his face or space and was very professional and gave a warning.
“I was surprised and grateful,” said the visitor to the North.
I have heard similar stories from a couple of Yellowknifers. It sounds like our bylaw department has lightened. If this is true, this will help improve community spirit.
There were days when every time I turned a corner there was another police car with lights flashing and another Yellowknifer or tourist being taxed. An acquaintance of mine walks to work. It really irritated him to see this regular show of force made by our police.
He started photographing police being the law.
Fairly suddenly he saw a big reduction in police stopping citizens. He did not have any more police cars to take pictures of. He didn’t get his collage of bylaw cars in action. He stopped taking pictures.
Police, teachers and pretty well anyone who serves need to love their subjects. That makes the job infinitely easier. When one does not particularly care for a segment of the population then it becomes them against us.
That makes hard work, whether it is federally or with the RCMP or in the community with local police.
Community spirit can be made or ruined by the whys and hows of rule and law enforcement. I think we need truth and reconciliation between the RCMP and those who felt their prejudice in the past.
(I commend the commanding officers who have confirmed this to be a problem.)
I commend the Yellowknife bylaw department for treating the rest of us as neighbours, friends and family. God bless you guys and girls and Merry Christmas.
Article courtesy – Northern News Services Online