To the Editor:

I read the editorial entitled "Waiting for the water (meter) wars" in the Aug. 25 edition of the Thompson Citizen and thought I would wade into the topic.

  Having said, "How much metered water will cost local residents and businesses is still unknown," unfortunately the editorial went on to fuel speculation about costs, showering the reader with nothing much in the way of hard data to support the editorial headline.

  So, phew! This opinion fairly soaked me with lack of argument for headline!

  Instead, readers were given a pouring of "Luke Robinson... owned the (water meter) issue during the byelection last Dec. 9," although how Mr. Robinson "owned" this issue wasn’t explained. And we were bathed again with a chunk of rhetoric reprinted from a letter to the editor in July from a reader who complained that the installation of water meters would "steal" millions from Thompson families, although how many millions and how they would be "stolen" wasn’t articulated.

  As I understand it, water meters are being installed in all residential and commercial properties so that each of us will pay a fair rate for water usage and infrastructure maintenance. The Public Utilities Board of Manitoba, which is charged with the responsibility of regulating water and sewer utility rates in all municipalities outside Winnipeg, will set rates based on many factors, including administration, water distribution, sewage disposal and collection costs, water hydrant usage (e.g. for firefighting), as well as sewage and water pipe flushing costs.

  In the past 20 years or more, our community infrastructure (including maintenance of water delivery) has been allowed to deteriorate because there haven’t been sufficient monies coming in from taxpayers or other sources for reasonable upkeep. I believe this was primarily because there was a mindset among many residents and elected representatives that Thompson wouldn’t last much more than 50 years, with mining as its main economic driver.

  But guess what? It’s 50 years and more since Thompson was established, and there’s every reason to believe that our city has nowhere to go but confidently forward, with steady and solid economic diversification, and deepening roots as "The Hub of the North."

  As Thompsonites we have to believe either that this community has a future worth investing in (and yes, that means pay-as-you-use for metered water!) or we can sit back and allow ourselves to be taken over by those from what I call of the "School of Whatever" - "whatever" by my reckoning meaning individuals who take a "who cares" view about anything progressive to the benefit of our community, but have no informed research or specificity to bolster their conviction as to why we should stay where we are.

  I urge readers to set aside the editor’s watered down "wars" editorial of Aug. 25, and instead wait until the Public Utilities Board sets its hearing date to take information on what Thompson water rates should be (and that includes public participation – lot of opportunity to bring opinions forward!)

I also suggest to readers, while we await the Public Utilities Board decision on rates, to adhere to the message "Keep Calm and Carry On" – used in a morale-building poster by the British government during the Second World War – a real war.

  Compared to the Second World War, or any other real wars for that matter, the "Waiting for the water (meter) wars" issues raised in Aug. 25th’s editorial are simply a drop in the bucket.

Margaret Allan 

Thompson