‘Silent no more’
Dear Editor:
I have been silent thus far on Bill 5. I have let others sound the alarm, stand up and against this dangerous legislation that threatens our democracy, our environment and consultation with our Indigenous nations. I have hoped against hope that Conservative MPPs would have learned from the debacle of the Greenbelt scandal.
Bill 5 raises the stakes to a whole new consequential level under the guise of “special economic zones.”
Bill 5 is high-handed opportunism, reactionary and disrespectful.
This bill gives Ontario unrestricted ability to create regulation-free zones where it can exempt any business or project from any provincial or municipal law or by-law. Doug Ford is essentially saying, “Trust me, folks.”
The “seeing Ontario is supporting Ontario” commercial is a beautiful visual reminder of how much we have to lose. See Northern Ontario. It is yours to discover but, for how long?
Silent no more.
Cinda Richardson,
Fergus
Why remove pond?
Dear Editor:
The Greenspace pond in Elora will be gone soon. Why?
This was a pleasant place to sit and hear the bubbling of the water. When there is so much traffic, rumbling from trucks, squeal of brakes and more noise, it was very nice to sit and quietly think.
Now soon that will all be gone.
Once again, why?
Lucy Dyment,
Fergus
‘Wrong direction’
Dear Editor:
Paid parking in downtown Elora?! How disappointing.
I live in the vicinity – but not in Centre Wellington – and have enjoyed frequenting Elora’s businesses. Now I’m going to think twice before popping into a shop or restaurant if I have to pay $3/hour.
Is this really the best way to support local business or is the Fergus BIA right in fearing that people will avoid their downtown if they have to pay for parking?
Other communities – Guelph for example – have abandoned paid parking in an effort to revitalize their downtowns. Charging for parking could be a big and expensive step in the wrong direction.
Ruth Robinson,
Ariss
Tourist tickets
Dear Editor:
I am writing to express my deep concern and frustration with a policy that is doing real harm to Elora’s reputation as a tourist-friendly destination.
Recently, I’ve become aware that tourists visiting our beautiful town are being fined for parking over three hours – often without clear signage or warning. These are not habitual offenders or people ignoring rules; they are guests coming to enjoy our shops, restaurants and scenery, only to return to their cars and find a ticket.
Naturally, their impression of Elora is soured, and many are telling friends and family to avoid coming here. Is this how we treat visitors who contribute to our local economy?
What adds insult to injury is the fact that while tourists are penalized for trying to support our community, a single restaurant has been permitted to occupy three public parking spaces around the clock. That’s three prime spots, unavailable to the public 24/7, granted for private business use.
Where is the logic or fairness in this? On one hand, we’re pushing away visitors with fines and on the other, we’re giving away parking real estate to a single commercial interest. This double standard undermines both local businesses and public trust.
I urge township council to reconsider these policies. Elora should be a welcoming place, not a town where we greet tourists with tickets and contradictions.
Dushan Divjak,
Elora
‘Look deeper’
Dear Editor:
RE: Rockwood man celebrates 100th blood donation, June 12.
Last week the Advertiser ran a front page story congratulating Rockwood resident Andrew Vince for donating his 100th blood donation to Canadian Blood Services in Guelph.
I would like to celebrate Vince’s donation and encourage others to follow his lead. It is an important contribution to the health of our fellow citizens.
I would, however, encourage the Advertiser to look deeper into the story. There are many citizens in the Guelph area who have donated more than 200 times to Canadian Blood Services and they deserve as much or more coverage.
I would expect a front page story about those donors in the next few weeks. In addition, the story should deal with the number of blood donor clinics closed by Blood Service Canada since the pandemic, including Erin.
Jay Mowat,
Erin
Tree of the Year
Dear Editor:
RE: Maclean Hann named Citizen of the Year at Awards of Excellence, June 5.
We always enjoy reading the Wellington Advertiser and appreciated your recent article on the Centre Wellington Awards of Excellence.
We were surprised that Tree Trust’s 2024 Tree of the Year wasn’t listed as an award winner. This cherished red oak on Provost Lane in Fergus is a beloved part of our community and is lovingly cared for by the Wilson family who live there.
Tree Trust is now accepting nominations for the 2025 Tree of the Year. Perhaps your tree could be the next to gain this distinguished honour.
Paige Palmer,
Coordinator, Tree Trust
Bad advice?
Dear Editor:
Pattie Lovett-Reid, a formerly respected financial adviser who has been a popular guest on talk shows as a financial expert, has gone over to the other side.
An ad appearing regularly on CBC TV has Lovett-Reid promoting the “Chip” reverse mortgage program to homeowners, citing up to 55 per cent of a home’s value in cash for those owners over age 55.
She makes no mention, however, of the accumulating 7.9% interest that, over time, can decimate the value of a property.
Those years will inevitably involve aging into retirement and beyond 65. Seniors are vulnerable to costly accommodation and medical requirements. Home ownership provides a way to secure finances that ensure stability through our final years.
Where will Lovett-Reid be in her future? Enjoying the monster commission she has earned from the fruits of our labour.
Arlene Callaghan,
Fergus
Familiar ‘narrative’
Dear Editor:
I don’t consent to the conspiracy that Iran is a rogue country, with a mission to build nuclear weapons for immediate use against its enemies, that must be pre-emptively defeated.
I’ve seen this narrative used to justify the invasion and destruction of Iraq in 2003. President George W. Bush and his cabinet faced no legal consequences for lying about how the Iraqi leadership was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction and/or directly sponsoring al-Qaeda terrorists.
Canada, under the premiership of Jean Chrétien, managed to save a little dignity by refusing the call to arms against Iraq.
But we the citizens were transfixed by the American media that showed us all the buildup to the eventual “conquest” that many people to this day still feel proud of supporting directly or rhetorically.
I’m concerned that our federal government, which had once made a bold choice to not follow along with every military action the U.S. initiated, is now making decisions that would never dare to be too contrary to America’s generally antagonistic foreign policy.
I’m not leaving Canada just because I feel that the government is developing a morally wrong policy toward Iran. I’ve lived here my entire life, and I’m allowed to criticize the government without being afraid that I’ll be arrested shortly after.
Dylan Clarke,
Centre Wellington
Despises drunk driving
Dear Editor:
I’m a Grade 7 student at John Black Public School and I am going to write about drinking and driving, which is a very scary thing.
It causes many problems like deaths, injuries and even property damage. One time my sister and my mom were driving down the highway and a driver lost control and came across the road and could have killed them. My mom had to slam on her brakes real fast, and if she didn’t they would possibly be dead.
Drinking and driving killed over 450 people in Canada in the year 2021. In the U.S it’s a whole different story; in 2023 a whopping 12,429 people were killed by people that were drunk while driving a vehicle! That’s not okay, we need to put a stop to this.
If you were to drink and drive there would be a big fine of $1,000 and there could possibly be some jail time. But say you did a large amount of property damage then the fine could reach over $1,000 and potential 10 years of jail time.
If it’s not your car and there’s a drunk person or people, try to get out of it whenever you can.
Don’t drink and drive, please, you’re doing everyone a favour.
Braeden McFarlane,
Fergus
Needless ‘worrying’?
Dear Editor:
There seems to be a lot of letters from students lately who seem to be worrying about things they ought not to be.
Some of the topics can be addressed quite easily by getting some good advice, so why are they not seemingly getting some advice on things?
For example, school days are too long? Get more sleep at night. Unsafe traffic and speeding issues are reported to the OPP non-emergency centre and problems at school can be discussed with the principal. Understanding diplomacy at work is a good skill to learn.
Finally, the shot put girl seems to be taking a very personal view of not being allowed to use the eight-pound ball. A simple enquiry would reveal that the ball size is mandated by a series of rules and regulations.
All sports are regulated in a lot of ways, mainly to control the action and for safety. In this case, the ball size is based mainly on the age of the student. They don’t want anybody damaging themselves or anybody else, as the teacher or school could be held liable for their injuries.
I hope this helps explain some things.
Malcolm McCulloch,
Fergus
*Editor’s note: Most, if not all, of the letters to the editor submitted by students recently are part of a classroom exercise involving civic engagement. Writing the letters does not preclude the students from “getting advice” or taking other actions to address their issues or topics of interest.