Sir: I write this letter on behalf of concerned citizens of Bothwell. As you are well aware, our town will celebrate its 150th anniversary the same time Canada celebrates 150 years of confederation.
I have had previous conversations or e-mails with the mayor and some council members regarding bylaws. As I said in the past, if they cannot be enforced, get them off the books.
A few of us have been trying since 2013 to get things done. I invite the mayor and council to come to our town and have a look at the shantytown that is growing. There is no regard for zoning, scrapyards in residential areas, auto repairs, trees, bushes and steel posts installed on municipal property, no seen-foot high fencing around scrap yards, abandoned cars parked on the boulevards, properties with excessive cars and trailers, people not giving a darn on or which way they park their vehicles, goodwill boxes overflowing with junk greeting people coming into town – and this is just the tip of the iceberg. I guess that if this is not your next-door neighbour, then who cares?
As we expect many visitors at this time, we care. So I invite you, Mayor Hope and council, to come and look at your growing shantytown in Chatham-Kent. Should you wish a meeting of concerned citizens, I am sure this can be arranged.
Alvin Gehl
Bothwell
