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LETTERS: Over-development causing problems in Langley

Walnut Grove Secondary Writing 11 students have written opinions about topics of concern to them
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Walnut Grove Secondary Writing 11 students were assigned opinion writing. (Langley Advance Times graphic/Pixaby image)

Dear Editor,

Over-development is currently a problem in the Lower Mainland. The cities are more concerned about building more apartment blocks than focusing on the children, and building parks and schools.

For example, Langley has become the land of construction. Each corner has an apartment block or townhomes being made. Soon, there will be families moving in and where will their children go?

Perhaps they’ll go play at one of the three new dog parks on the block, or maybe they’ll just stay at home watching Netflix and ruin their childhood. We no longer have outdoor parks that kids believe are wonderful castles. The parks provided to them are a part of their apartment block and all that is provided is a small slide and a swing to fight over – and what about their older siblings?

With all this development and already over-capacity schools, where will they go? Langley, just this school year, built a new high school and it’s already at full capacity.

Rather than building portables as a solution to this, the answer is quite honestly really simple. Think about the people who don’t have a voice, because in our society today, our voices arem’t heard nor considered. Even dogs get priority before us and that says a lot. These cities are no longer our home, but a place to eat, sleep, and feel trapped in.

Brianna P.

Editor’s note: Writing 11 students of Walnut Grove Secondary teacher Vince Rahn were tasked with opinion writing, finding it’s more difficult to put down reasoned arguments than simply tossing out cliches or venting.

“They were able to choose any current relevant topic,” Rahn explained.

Students were graded based on how they presented their information and arguments. The assignment also included having to hand write the pieces and send them to the Langley Advance Times via snail mail, an experience fewer and fewer young people have nowadays. It mirrors an assignment he gave to his students many years ago, before the internet and social media.

“Yes, I have done this quite some time ago, but this time I insisted that they go ‘old school’ and put into an envelope with a cover letter, etc.,” he explained.

Please keep any feedback respectful and age appropriate.