Pietà boat house

I was delighted to receive a reply to my letter in The Times regarding the fate of the Pieta boat house. However, the Pieta Mayor, Malcolm Mifsud, seemed rather affronted. The point I would like to make is that should Mr Mifsud prefer to see the Verandah become a restaurant, he will undoubtedly end up with a restaurant that merely looks like a boat house. Although I agree to differ on the point, I fear that Mr Mifsud is confusing architecture with culture.

In fact I must thank the good mayor for highlighting the difficulty that non-profit sporting organisations have in obtaining waterside premises. We would for instance like to tender, but is it fair to expect a non-profit NGO to have to pay for a tender document it already knows is destined, well ahead of the tender, for such a prime-site commercial enterprise? (Sunday Circle, February 6).

I can hardly be blamed for lamenting the existence of too few true sports facilities and far too many that seem to be obsessed with making money on their restaurant or bar. The canoe federation, I am proud to say, is about making canoeists. Some champions, some coaches or youth workers, some happy weekend paddlers, but all fitter, more independent, somewhat less rotund citizens... but I digress.

I can understand that restoring such a building equates with a sizable investment, however there are funding opportunities available to sporting organisations that are not available to commercial concerns. I feel quite certain which of the two offers the greatest benefit to the community as well as Malta. Combining cultural maritime tradition with the benefits of a positive lifestyle this outdoor sport can bring to his locality, I would respectfully ask the Pieta local council and mayor to reassess their opportunities.