BradfordToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected] or via the website. Please include your full name, daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). This letter was sent in response to Bradford council's decision to nix plans to host a massive Muslim conference.
I read BradfordToday each day and find it amusing reading the letters to your news media with regards to the Muslim community wanting to host a weekend event on their own property in Bradford West Gwillimbury.
The population of Prince Edward Island in 2024 is 178,000 residents. The population of Cavendish P.E.I. is approximately 7,500 residents in July and August when people from all over the world come to their summer homes.
The population of Bradford is estimated to be 48,168 in 2024.
In 2024 the Cavendish Music Festive had an estimated attendance of 60,000 people in a three-day event (Friday, July 5 to Sunday, July 7). To finish off the summer they also held the Sommo Festival Sept. 13 and 14. About 20,000 people attended Friday night alone! The attendees of the two festivals came from all over The Maritimes for the weekend events.
We have two points of entry to P.E.I,:. The Northumberland Ferry System and the Confederation Bridge, a two-lane bridge. Unfortunately, due to mechanical problems, the ferry system was shut down that weekend.
RCMP brought officers from P.E.I., Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to meet the needs of small-town Cavendish. They were all over Cavendish, on foot, in cars, with traffic stops and mandatory screening checkpoints keeping impaired drivers off the roads.
I would point out to the readers that this is an annual event welcomed by the province and PEI Tourism as there is a lot of money and tax dollars spent on the weekends of the two events.
Every night at closing, our little two-lane Route 6 was shut down to one-way traffic. Officers and Department of Transport employees separated pedestrians and motorists to prevent accidents and restricted direction of travel for motorists.
I understand the Bradford Islamic community of Bradford expect to draw 18,000 to 25,000 people to their event. In order to present the conference, there would be many preparations of all things needed to make it successful. Hardware stores, lumber yards, grocery stores, to name a few, will certainly see their tills ringing up merchandise in preparation of the event, let alone the tax dollars coming into the community.
Many people travel each day to points north or south for work. Every weekend in summer months many travel north on Friday and home on Sunday night. I read of the many accidents on 400 that has to have the traffic diverted to roads such as Sideroad 5 and 10 and Yonge Street. Do I see letters to editor about the inconvenience to people living on those roads have to put up with many times in the summer months?
The Bradford Islamic community of Bradford West Gwillimbury are only asking to host one weekend event in 2025. One weekend!
Surely BWG residents can stay off the roads for one weekend. BWG likes to think they are multi-cultural and a multi-religious community, so why not quit complaining and let the conference go ahead.
Bradford West Gwillimbury: grow up!
James Culbert
PEI (Formerly of Bradford)
