Dear editor:

Niagara-on-the-Lake has so many opportunities to be inclusive to the point of being visionary, given its overall wealth and privilege. And yet …

So many simple actions that could be transformational get bogged down in bureaucracy and excuses.

I was thrilled to see your article about accessibility, (“‘A single step is a closed door’: NOTL woman raises concerns about accessibility to stores on Queen St., March 30), and even more so to see the simple and elegant solution of StopGap (a brilliant invention and organization) proposed.

So I was disappointed but not surprised to learn there are “talks” happening.

It’s a simple investment of about $15,000, for not just more tourism dollars (which seems to be the only measure of value to our leadership), but more importantly inclusion: making people of all stripes feel not just welcome but valued.

The PR alone would pay for the investment.

In the same issue and same vein, leaders can stop the hand-wringing and lip service about accessible housing in town and deal with the real issue: housing as a commodity.

When we were looking for a long-term rental property in town, there were only two available (both priced at over $3,000 per month), while there are always several hundred short-term/vacation rentals around.

Too many other properties are foreign- and/or corporate-owned investments, sitting empty.

“Inclusive” in NOTL seems to refer to what tourists can expect as part of their vacation package, rather than an ethical priority for our leadership.