If Qualicum Beach, where I live as a 30-something-year-old, wants to limit itself to seniors only, by all means continue on with the age-restricted buildings and the unaffordable housing for families and younger generations.
But when all who remain in and around town are retirees, who will staff your care homes? Who will come to your rescue when you fall, when you’re sick? Who will make and serve you lunch in the restaurants and cafés? Who will fix your computer problems or teach you how to use your phone? Who will build your housing, fix your plumbing, and so on and so on, when fewer and fewer young people can afford to live here or even find housing here?
If you continue to push young people out of the community, you won’t have any young people in the community.
Businesses already struggle with staffing as there is nothing keeping young people here. We’re not accommodated; we’re not welcome. We’re not paid a living wage to stay here, though that blame can’t be put entirely on the businesses themselves.
We’re made out to be the enemy. We’re loud? We’re the ones who have to go to bed at a reasonable hour so we can go to work the next day. We’re messy? Then Qualicum Beach and Parksville should be pristine with how few young people live here, yet the towns are a mess.
People are people no matter their age. We all need each other.
Stephanie Lytle
Qualicum Beach