‘Appalled at treatment’
Dear Editor:
RE: Bad lab experience, March 11.
As a lab technician for almost 25 years at our local hospital, I was appalled at the treatment this little girl received.
I am assuming it was a private lab and not at our hospital lab as everyone at our hospital lab is very professional and very capable of carrying out a simple venipuncture procedure and would never treat a child or anyone this way.
The lab technician in question maybe needs to step back and reevaluate her choice in careers. To the young girl who suffered this traumatic experience, I am so sorry and you should have never had to endure such pain and emotional trauma.
I can only hope this does not cause you to fear any future medical procedures.
Toni Rigo,
Fergus
’Pain in the neck’
Dear Editor:
Daylight savings time is a pain in the neck. It’s time to abolish it.
My proposal: next fall, let’s turn the clock back half an hour, splitting the difference, and then never adjust the time again.
Charles Small,
Guelph
‘Walkable, bikeable’
Dear Editor:
RE: “Reimagining misgivings” and “Lower limit, double fines,” March 11.
I felt Malcolm McCulloch’s frustration in his two letters last week. They both touched on the theme of having safe streets.
His concern I share but his solution I do not. He believes enforcement is the key to manage traffic flow/speed, but enforcement is extremely expensive because of the personnel needed to cover all our roads that need to be safe.
When we build infrastructure projects like St. David St. it will last 50 to 60 years. A bit of math will tell you the money to enforce speeds for that long of time would outstrip the cost of good design. A lot of research has been done on road design that influences positive behaviours such as reducing traffic speed, and increasing physical activity. Some of the research findings make common sense, and others do not, so we do have to at least do our due diligence by researching the latest information of street design, and be open minded when our planners (experts) share.
I think our township could have helped us be more open minded however, when presenting the four options for St. David St. reconstruction, by giving us additional information such as: plans for a safe bike route that travels to the downtown, the status of the truck bypass, parking usage, and the issue of increase through traffic on residential streets near the project.
For example, if I know that we have a planned bike route heading from the downtown up towards the businesses and residences in north Fergus then I’m not choosing the bike lane option on St. David Street but if no such option exists then we need some infrastructure for bikes and wheelchairs and I would choose the bike lane option.
I’m not sure of the facts of McCulloch’s claim that “most people just want to park”, but I am pretty certain that most people want to be healthy and happy, and the research is clear that a walkable, bikeable, tree-lined downtown makes people healthier and happier.
John Scott,
Elora
Fergus speeding
Dear Editor:
I would like to add to the growing numbers of posts from residents of Fergus; there seems to be more and more complaints concerning speeding on roads in town.
Have noticed Guelph is installing speed cushions, Cambridge is looking into reducing speed limits in four neighbourhoods, Waterloo is installing cameras. Myself and four close neighbors have sent an email to Centre Wellington Mayor Kelly Linton of our concerns on Hill St. E.
There are no stop signs or speed signs posted on this road, there is a large park and a school one block north. Both St. George St. E. and St. Patrick St. E. both running parallel south of us have stop signs at every cross street. It does not take long for full-sized truck and trailers, straight trucks, every known delivery company, driver training schools to learn that with no stop signs we can just fly down Hill St. E.
We have actually over the last two years stopped two different OPP officers, alerting them of our concerns, even to the point of advising them of two exact times a day that the same vehicles just race down the street. We have lived on this street for nine years and in Fergus for 16, and we have never seen an in-town radar position set up.
As the news has shown the OPP has had a drop in call outs. I would like to know just how many speeding and unnecessary noise violations have been given out in 2020.
Fergus is growing in leaps and bounds and seems the many complaints brought forward with the support of your newspaper are being ignored.
Am sure as major road work is being done this summer on Hill St. E. it would be a time to install stop signs also.
Alan Dunlop,
Fergus
Full of feces
Dear Editor:
The Elora Greenspace has developed into a wonderful part of our community for residents and visitors alike. I see however that some Elora residents do not respect this treasure in the heart of our village.
While waiting for popcorn pick up at the cinema recently, I was horrified when I looked around. Now that the snow is melting, it became obvious that the Greenspace has been turned into a dog park. The evidence of owners not picking up after their dogs over the winter months is everywhere.
Do these dog owners think it is acceptable to leave mounds of dog feces in this previously pristine location? Do they think it is “okay” to not pick up after their dog as the snow will cover it over? What about small children playing in the park? What about visitors, whose first impression of Elora is often the Greenspace, where many photos are taken?
I suggest that those dog owners who have used the park in this way over the winter, take a bag, go to the Greenspace, and do what is right.
Ian Evans,
Elora
‘Fantasy’ figures?
Dear Editor:
After doing much research and getting estimates in regards to my personal costs to hook up to a sewer main, I find I have ended up with quite a discrepancy with the numbers the Town of Erin has given us (Fantasy Island figures in my opinion).
There are so many variations of elevations throughout the town that a lot of situations are unique to other areas. Some areas will be gravity, other in the need of a sewage pump, and trust me, if you have a sewage pump, you need a backup generator. Unfortunately, I am one of them. These pumps obviously use power and need maintenance.
I have estimated my personal costs to connect to the system to my older (built in 1957) bungalow of 800 square feet to be $80,000 to $90,000.
I can only hope this covers the cost of the generator that will be needed as well as the uninterruptable supply of fuel and an automatic transfer switch in the event of the inevitable power failures that we endure.
A lot of my neighbors and friends have a very similar situation. Please keep in mind a check valve (backflow) would be most recommended. We have truly had the wool pulled over our eyes with this project, with not having actual costs and the purchase of the proposed lands not given.
I strongly suggest that residents do their homework. May I suggest you make sure your home owner’s insurance policy is covered for sewage backup, and again, I do also strongly suggest a backup generator for this proposed impending disaster to our wallets and the environment. Stay safe.
Ken Cowling,
Erin
‘No credibility’
Dear Editor:
Harjit Sajjan, Canada’s defence minister, has stated that Canadians have lost their trust in the military.
You are completely wrong in stating the above Lt-Col. Sajjan – Canadians have not lost their trust in the military!
The people of Canada will never lose faith in the men and women that get sent into harm’s way on our behalf. We have lost faith in your leadership!
You and your narcissistic leader have demonstrated complete incompetence in providing our troops with the equipment and direction needed for them to perform their primary role: our defence.
You cannot give me one realistic example of where the military has improved or even not deteriorated under your command since 2015. There is a challenge for you.
This latest case is a prime example. We have some instances where non-corroborated information has surfaced through social media and into the government sanctioned media, attacking senior officers, and what do you and the rest of the cabal do? You criticize the military instead of carrying out a full and impartial investigation.
I know that after the shameful affair with Vice Admiral Mark Norman your team has no credibility as regards any full and impartial investigation, but you could have left it to the military police, who do have credibility.
When the people of Canada lose faith in their leadership, the leaders should resign. You, the falsely proclaimed architect of Operation Medusa in Afghanistan, should resign.
Michael Lee,
Salem
Not the best
Dear Editor:
Politicians are continuously preaching how great our health service is, but recently my wife was in contact with a COVID-infected student (she teaches piano) … cutting to the chase, 18 days later she was declared negative.
Next, she developed an abscessed tooth; time to get it treated? Two weeks. My son-in-law from Lebanon said the total time for all of the above would have been a couple of days there. Stop being fooled, people. We are not at the top of the class when it comes to medical treatment in Canada.
Don MacKenzie,
Elora
Middlebrook decision
Dear Editor:
Saveourwater.ca has been working away for about six years. Saving water is also about conservation and so it is encouraging that Centre Wellington approved hiring a water conservation coordinator in the 2021 budget. This person will work to achieve more efficiency from our well system and educate us about conserving water.
Our ministry-funded Tier 3 study showed that uncertainty and significant risk here are related to lack of infrastructure coupled with pumping increases for future population growth. We know water is an issue and we do what we can to conserve. Over the decade, our per person water use went down about two per cent per year! This is better than most Ontario municipalities. We can do even more.
Our infrastructure staff works hard to find and fix leaks, and repair breaks quickly.
These efforts to conserve explain why Centre Wellington residents have been outraged by any proposal to truck away huge volumes of water to fill polluting plastic bottles. It takes 2 to 3 litres of water to make and fill a one-litre plastic water bottle. Simply a waste of water.
Our water comes from rain and snow falling locally. What we drink is 50 to 500 years old. It is precious.
The moratorium on commercial water bottling expires April 1 and a municipal veto is in place for amounts over 379,000 litres per day. But about two thirds of production from one well could be trucked away without municipal consent. This is not what conservation means.
We expect the province’s decision about Middlebrook to respect groundwater, conservation and our future water supply.
Donna McCaw,
Elora
Explosive problem
Dear Editor:
RE: Erin resident wants to ban fireworks in town after horse put down due to injuries, March 4.
After reading the problems caused by the use of fireworks to a horse, I wonder if your readers realize that in the 1960s there was a ban on the sale of fire crackers?
The Ontario police plus the Ontario Home and School organization together worked to ban these explosive devices for sale to children!
Some years later this ban was lifted, for fireworks were advertised in many stores again.
People don’t seem to regard firecrackers as the dangerous devices they are. It is not a toy, nor is it a harmless object for use by anyone!
On May 24, fireworks can be properly supervised in a community setting to be enjoyed by everyone – but not by individuals who do not realize fire crackers are explosives!
Sytske Drijber,
Rockwood
Two separate issues?
Dear Editor:
I will attempt over these next few weeks to review over 20 years of the Town of Erin wastewater proposals.
It really has never been a proposal, it has been an idea that has never been changed at all since the first report tying the new development into the existing homes.
This has been a mistake that has driven this ill-conceived agenda since day one.
The only true vote on this matter was done by then Reeve Terry Mundell just before the full amalgamation of the small village of Erin into the much larger Town of Erin. In that vote, the one where only the concerned homeowner that would be affected by this project and the cost were allowed to vote, the entire proposal was defeated by a massive margin.
Since that first vote the village became the much larger town and this issue has been kept alive for over 20 years. The two issues are completely separate and should have been separated years ago. Leave the people with existing septic systems alone, and get on with new development. Had this been done all the development would have long been done and all businesses in Erin would have thrived.
I moved here in May of 1987. I was on the Rails to Trails team in fundraising after being asked to lead this group by Mundell in 1996.
It was during these years of 1996 to 2000 that the original engineering plan was proposed tying these two separate issues together. Since the provincial and federal governments were giving away large sums of money in 1998 and 1999 for the new millennium, as they did for Centre 2000, and we in Erin were marked for development, well let the applications begin. This is when the nightmare was created. That is the problem in a nutshell; from that first thought the dye had been cast.
The expanded and amalgamated town needed development to expand government income and expenditures. It was the only way we will ever survive, all mayors have screamed from that day forward. What a lie.
The developers have all proposed that they could do their own mini systems from day one. Let me give you one example here. When Centre 2000 was built, including the new high school, the septic system was oversized to handle about 500 new homes proposed to be built along Dundas Street where the old Armstrong farm was and the developers had bought. That system is so little used they have had to reconfigure it and close off about 80% of it’s original capacity. Stay tuned folks, for part two of this ongoing saga.
Keith Hayward,
Erin
Positive and negative
Dear Editor:
[Dart]: What sneak changed the pick-up time on post boxes from 4pm to 8:30am?
[Laurel]: The new property signs posted in the country are great with the additional information needed by emergency vehicles etc.
Carol Turner,
Centre Wellington
‘Pure idiocy’
Dear Editor:
As I read the Feb. 18 issue of the Wellington Advertiser, I was struck by the two differing views of our pandemic lockdowns in your paper.
On the one hand, we have letters chastising and ridiculing Steven VanLeeuwen for suggesting that the lockdowns violate our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. And on the other hand, we have the heart breaking article written by Don Wildfong about seniors being denied visits by their loved ones.
VanLeeuwen is disparaged by the media and his colleagues for spreading misinformation. Mr. Wildfong exposes another side of the story in an extremely touching piece.
We are told we must obey our government emergency orders without question. Those same governments have been allowing infected workers to enter long-term care homes for almost a year.
Quick antigen COVID-19 tests have been sitting in warehouses in Ontario for months while COVID- positive workers were entering long-term care and congregate living homes untested.
A Canadian citizen returning to Canada needs proof of a negative COVID test before arrival. And another test upon arrival. And then you are forced to stay at a $2,000 hotel for three days.
Long term care homes? Where most of our loved ones are dying? I wish they had those same protocols. But they don’t even come close.
Stay at home people, the experts are demanding. Small businesses, sorry, suck it up, shut up and obey. Walmart and Amazon will take care of our citizens’ needs. We must protect our most vulnerable they say, but they have failed miserably. I can shop in person at Walmart during lockdown but not at my local Home Hardware? Pure idiocy.
Ron Weiler suffered, his family suffered. It is a travesty. And for no logical reason. Proper protocols would have allowed his family to visit safely.
This massive overreach through emergency orders by our provincial and federal governments needs to come to an end. I do not trust them anymore. And neither do many of my friends and family. We can’t wait to vote.
Peter Hopper,
Rockwood
‘Beautiful, rare thing’
Dear Editor:
RE: Logging with horses: heritage meets hard work, Feb. 25.
I certainly enjoyed the article about the Bartram horses logging in Puslinch last winter.
I spend a lot of time in Little’s Tract and one afternoon I managed to catch the team there. They were being loaded in the trailer at the end of the day. To say they disturbed the forest floor very little was certainly true; you could barely tell they had been in and around the trails at all.
The photo shows them moving past the felled trees they had skid out to the parking lot. Many times I saw people taking photos standing in front of that stacked wood.
Certainly it was an opportunity to capture the work of the woodsman and his horses. A beautiful and rare thing.
Elizabeth Hughes,
Puslinch
What’s ‘reasonable’?
Dear Editor:
It was most likely “reasonable” that Steven VanLeeuwen was cancelled as deputy mayor.
You see, VanLeeuwen didn’t know it was not “reasonable” to question or debate COVID-19 policies. Lockdowns do work, as long as you stay locked down, I guess.
From the John Hopkins University and Computer Science and Software Engineering study, as of Feb. 28, in Canada there were 867,000 cases of COVID-19 with 814,000 recovered, giving a 94% recovery rate so far. Number of deaths at that time were 21,994.
So, it must be “reasonable” to assume that lockdowns enable an impressive recovery rate, I guess.
The Canadian Patient Safety Institute and the University Health Network (Toronto) estimates that 28,000 people die from medical errors, many from medications, each year. That is six thousand more than have died from or with COVID-19 so far but the medical errors happen each year.
Medical errors in the U.S. are estimated at 250,000 or more each year, so, in two years the same amount of people die as the numbers recorded for those who have died from or with COVID in the U.S.
You can argue or debate the information I researched as suspect or selective, by all means.
Mr. VanLeeuwen made the mistake that on some narratives and issues, science must be the sword wielded, but in other sensitive topics, feelings and emotions are the rule of law.
Even though he felt that the lockdowns could be modified to support small business, the science says you can’t question or debate.
By the way, 97.9% of businesses are small, 1.8% are medium and .3% are large. Seventy percent of the private work force is from small business producing over 30% of the Gross Domestic Product for Canada.
These stats are from a “reasonable” source, Statistics Canada.
With enough public shame and government legislation, Mr. VanLeeuwen should come around.
Michael Thorp,
Mount Forest
‘Amazing’ remedy
Dear Editor:
A monstrous thank you to the lady who overheard my query for a pain remedy for my back and legs and recommended not only a product but instructions on how to get to the pharmacy that carried it.
It is as amazing as you told me. Thanks again.
Peter Dunning,
Fergus
‘Good luck’
Dear Editor:
Can anyone please explain to me why Canada is the only country deciding to have a four-month interval between the prescribed two-dose vaccines for COVID-19?
The suggested intervals are between two weeks to 21 days. Even the US. stretched the interval a bit but nothing like what is being suggested and done here.
Will it work? Will it be as effective? How does this affect the efficacy of the serum prescribed?
Made-in-Canada vaccines should have been procured and rolling out as we speak, never mind for July … possibly.
Making deals with China for a vaccine? Will this Government ever learn ?
The bumbling and bungling of how we, the people, have been treated and secured throughout all of this pandemic is pathetic and sad.
All that the government seems to do is constantly and consistently play catch-up; never being proactive and/or leading.
Does anybody know what the hell they are doing ?
I know many are satisfied receiving “free money”; I am fortunate enough to say, “not me”, because I know that nothing is free. We will pay for all of this one way or another. I am also old enough to know the biggest load of this out-of-control spending will be crippling to my children and grandchildren.
As I finish this letter, all I can say is, I honestly wish for success in winning this COVID-19 battle.
If the government fails us, we all lose. No party will be a “winner.” This, if for no other time and reason, should be to help all Canadians. We need our lives back.
Good luck to all of you and most of all, good luck to us because we need it!
Delsie Drover,
Belwood