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Niagara Falls
Monday, March 18, 2024
Letter: Just ‘ask why,’ when debating property rights in NOTL
Letter to the editor. File

Dear editor:

This letter is in response to the Jan. 12 letter to the editor from Michael Eagen, “Development needs to respect NOTL’s history and architecture,”

I recently rewatched the documentary, “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” and his letter reminded me of Enron’s tagline, “Ask why.”

I would ask of Mr. Eagen, “Why?”

“Why” does heritage negate individual rights?

“Why” does Niagara-on-the-Lake receive special treatment?

“Why” are houses of the 1800s protected over the contemporary?

I completely understand that people like Mr. Eagen cherish our history and architecture but that is no excuse for overriding our most basic and fundamental individual rights – “being able to choose what we can do with our own property.”

Property is sacrosanct because property rights are how we exercise all other rights.

NOTL, I’m not asking you to forget your history or to destroy the past.

What I’m trying to get you to the acknowledge is an injustice.

We are no different than any other Canadian citizen, be they from Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal. The same laws should apply to all.

Look, I’m honest enough to believe that most likely readers of The Lake Report agree with Mr. Eagen over myself, but please just “Ask why.”

Alexander Evans
NOTL

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