I have read the front page article (Gazette, May 25) on the bike race cancellation several times. I still can’t understand why the cancellation is being blamed on the St. Albert Singers Guild, of which I am a new member. What was done wrongly?
In the summer of 2017, I moved from Ontario to St. Albert. I like it here and once settled in I looked for a new choir. I attended their spring concert and was impressed by the calibre (based on a lifetime of singing in choirs from age 10 in the U.K., and in recent years in Ontario) and consider them to be a credit to the town. So I was pleased to be accepted as a new member in the fall last year.
In the late afternoon of Wednesday, May 15, I was informed of the conflicting events. On Thursday, May 16, I sent an email to council in the hope of recruiting their help in resolving the dilemma by possibly amending the route, or changing the time or date. At no time was cancellation an option in my mind. We spend months practising and fundraising, and I’m sure the bike athletes do too. Why would I wish for their race to be cancelled?
To my way of thinking, the blame lies in the grey area of authorisation. Prior to authorising the race, in the exercise of due diligence, was a search made to determine the existence of a possibly conflicting event in the vicinity at that time? Amendments could then have been made to suit all participants rather than last-minute cancellation.
In closing, I would like to make it clear that this is a personal letter expressing my feelings and opinion. It is done without the knowledge of SASG who are at present on a concert tour in Ireland.
Irene Walker, St. Albert
