Crystal Garden Conservation Centre

[Scales Zoo]

I've got 2 news links.

This is terrible news. A great place that had many endangered reptiles in Victoria, has been told it will be shut down Oct 31 2004 because of lack of government funding.

http://www.canada.com/national/story.asp?id=3C46D325-281A-405E-B516-A83222673EE0

http://vancouver.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=bc_garden20040123

The second article links ot the PCC's website.
http://www.bcpcc.com/

Maybe a few letters might help?

Ryan

[foman]

It's a shame. Victoria has become a city that lives for tourism and the second a business starts to lose a little money means it's time to close it down. I believe Victoria's tourism has been down the last couple years, but what do the pollitians expect with the way the world is, people are choosing to take vacations closer to home and not to mention the high dollar right now which is making all those americans stay home and wait for better days. But I think the real deal is they have seen the money being made at the casino just outta town in colwood and now they want some of that cash for the city of vic itself. I have come to the conclusion that the people running this town are out of touch with what people want in this town, Everything for the tourist and if the citizens don't like...ohwell. We are just now getting an arena that took forever to decide on (just a joke considering we are the capital of B.C. and the old arena was brutal).I would like to see the Crystal gardens stay open but now that the big idea of another casino leaves no hope for that. I've never even been to the other casino and I'm sure i won't go to the new one either especially knowing that it used to be the Gardens.

C.R.E.A.M.(cash rules evertyhing around me)

[norman]

Please don't tell me that they're making Crystal gardens into a casino. I love that place. My boyfriend and I both buy annual passes...I was very upset when I saw the paper.

[gonesnakee]

Obviously its all about the money. Screw the endangered species theres plenty of cash to be made in the Casino off of peoples addictions etc. & then even more off of treating those problems created as well. The world definitely needs more drinking & gambling establishments thats for sure. They will greatly help our youth & give them solid Moral values too boot! We all know theres no money in conservation. Since when is the government (especially BC's LOL) worried about running things at a profit anyway? Sad, the things we do for money & allow them to do on our behalfs. Mark

[Vanan]

Just another atrocity in Kaliyuga. *shakes head*

[Jeff McFadden]

That is really to bad. I go to the Crystal Gardens everytime I am in Victoria. Their displays have improved in the last few years. It goes to show how the politics of government funded displays can shut down important educational facilities in the importance of profits. That is why it is important to support private displays such as Reptile World in Drumheller and the Victoria Bug Zoo. Places like these run on admission costs as well as donations. Overhead for displays are extremly high, and I have heard people complain over paying $5 for an adult addmission. These are the same people that will willingly pay $14 for a new movie, but when it comes to supporting tourism,especially local tourism they become cheap as hell. Just my opinion.

[snakegal12345]

yeah i was crying like you wouldn't believe I've sent the goverment and other people e-mails and it's not over I know the staff pretty well since i go there every week and talked to them today and they got plans on saving the place. Here's a website to save Crystal gardens and you can send e-mails to people:
http://www.savecrystalgardens.com

[DNA Reptiles]

Yes, we should help John Creviston, the Curator of Animals, at the Crystal fight this closure and use the links Ryan has listed above.
We have just given our trio of Prenhensile tailed skinks to their breeding programme and they had build a spectaculaw new enclosure for them (oh well).
Just a bit of trivia now.....when we first came to Canada, that was David's first job helping with the opening of the gardens...even in those days they could never make ends meet and were threatening closures!
Anyway all the support we can muster will be greatly appreciated.

[Don Patterson]

Here are some email address to help them out. Please feel free to send a message to support the keeping of the Gardens. Many greedy politicians are behind this who want the building for their own uses and could care less about the animals or the public education the conservation centre provides.

email address:
mayor of victoria: mayor@citcy.victoria.bc.ca
victoria MLA jeff bray: jeff.bray.mla@leg.bc.ca
gordon" drunk" campbell premiere of B.C. : premier@gov.bc.ca
minister of community : CAWS.Minister@gems5.gov.bc.ca

[Linds]

:confused: Hrmph... I posted in this thread yesterday, but it seems to have disappeared :/ :confused:

Snakegal,
Thank you for posting the site! :)

Don,
Thanks for all the addresses! :)

[Katt]

I don't understand the government. What happened to public accountability?!

I'll be writing emails and making phone calls.

[Nicky]

the goverment is screwed up they all for the money who cares about the animals we can live on money its not like we need trees or animals or clean air, drinking water as long as we have money right. hopefully the building and all its animals can be saved.
kayla

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

That all sucks! I was there when i was 8 and i went to the crystal gardens and they were AWESOME! I also went to the undersea gardens and the wax museum. I cant believe they might be closing those too?!?! I hope they dont close the bug museum(if they havent already). I hope it changes.

Chris

[Nicky]

"the people united will never be defeated"- anti-flag

Maybe if everyone here(4000 plus) worte letters, e-mailed ,donated, held fundraisers, called in, made petitions, protested then something would be done but if not its as good as gone. If u joing the mailing list at the savecystalgardens site that snakegal12345 posted their making a petition and once their done they'll e-mail it to you for you to sign. Hopefully everyone here will at least sign the petition or e-mail in.

Don Patterson I tried your first e-mail link to the Mayor of Victoria and it said there was an error with the address are you sure it was the right one maybe it was just my com i'll try again later on.

just my thoughts
Kayla