Silent no more
Dear Editor:
For too long I have turned a blind eye to murder and terror caused by the police and government-organized forces towards our brothers and sisters of colour.
I have never been afraid of the police and have always heard of problems within it. Enough is enough. I refuse to be a bystander any longer.
After seeing the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers, I cannot stay silent any longer. The police force and justice system must change now. The protest across Canada and the U.S. prove that this is not a choice. Peaceful protests, petitions, legislation and the white powers have not changed.
It’s time for black voices to stop being perceived as entertainment and finally be taken seriously. Peel’s Principles of Law Enforcement state that 15% of police will always do the right thing, 15% will always do the wrong thing, and 70% will swing either way depending on who they are stationed with.
There is no sense of accountability, no integrity, no peace and no justice. People of colour, queer citizens, mentally ill people, and women are in fear of police and I speak for them.
I hope police officers read this letter and know that the people are watching. We care about the injustices you have caused, the lies you’ve covered up, and your inability to stand for the citizens you swear to protect.
Regis Korchinski-Paquet died during an interaction with police at her Toronto apartment, just an hour away. This affects us here and now.
I stand with George, Regis and the rioters. These weeks will be remembered forever as a catalyst for change in this broken world.
James Weaver,
Elora
Be kind
Dear Editor:
Last weekend while picking up a takeout order of food from a restaurant in Elora, I was unfortunately able to hear an owner being verbally abused on the phone by a customer whose free delivery order was late.
I shuddered as I heard the owner finish the conversation with, “And I don’t appreciate being spoken to like that – I am doing the best that I can.”
I could tell that she was visibly shaken after leaving the main area and returning shortly thereafter.
I work with the public all the time and it always amazes me how some feel they need to berate others unnecessarily for many reasons. Why?
This business has just recently re-opened to “takeout only” after being closed for some six weeks and they, like many small businesses as well as many families everywhere, are struggling with their monthly payments.
Yes, my order was delayed too, but it eventually was ready and totally worth the wait. And, I left a healthy tip – did you when yours arrived at your door?
Please be kind to one another. We are all in this together.
Susan Harrop,
Fergus
Lower speed
Dear Editor:
RE: Grow up, May 28.
The recent letter regarding both noisy and speeding vehicles is not just because of COVID-19, but has been going on for quite some time.
I moved to Fergus just over a year ago and immediately noticed the phenomenon, mainly as I was so used to the relative peace and quiet of a side road. I am sure that most drivers are quite nice and respectable persons, but for some reason they do not seem to understand how disturbing and intrusive, and of course, sometimes dangerous, all this speed, noisy exhausts and radios, can be in residential areas.
Lowering the speed limit from 50 to 40km/h might be a good start – and an official actually out there monitoring for noisy vehicles.
Malcolm McCulloch,
Fergus
Police presence
Dear Editor:
RE: Grow up, May 28.
I write this letter in response and agreement to one written by JB Martin.
We live close to the Belsyde and Scotland Street intersection (back on to Scotland) in Fergus and we see drivers, cars and trucks speeding along Scotland heading towards and from the new high school.
I have previously called the OPP regarding speeders to no avail; if and when school resumes and we are free to visit parks and allow our children to visit them unattended, someone is going to be seriously injured or die.
Traffic lights, speed bumps or a police presence is definitely needed here.
Alex George,
Fergus
Hillsburgh speed issue
Dear Editor:
As COVID-19 restrictions have lifted, traffic through Hillsburgh has returned to its normal high volume and fast pace.
Gravel trucks, transport trailers and cars are all zooming by.
On a walk this morning down Trafalgar with my small children, it seemed like only a tiny minority of drivers were actually driving the posted 40 km/h speed limit. Drivers seem to have forgotten that children are not in school or day care, they are outside enjoying this warmer weather.
Play structures are still closed so for many families, walking or biking around town gets kids out of the house.
Drivers please remember that children live and play here so slow down.
Joanna Mullen,
Hillsburgh
More speeding
Dear Editor:
You were on Wellington Road 16 on May 29 at 8:45am driving a red jeep south bound.
You were speeding – or should I say, you were flying. Drivers like you should not be on the road. You should try slowing down before you kill someone or yourself (chances are, you did not stop on Highway 9 either.)
The OPP says to slow down – that means you.
Howard Shanks,
Holstein
Likes closures
Dear Editor:
Re: Elora clearing the way for pedestrians and safe distancing, May 28.
I’m happy to see the measure of closing the busiest block of downtown Elora to traffic on weekends. I’ve often thought that this area should be foot-traffic-only every weekend in the warmer months.
This safety measure is needed now more than ever as the mill project and many new shops and restaurants have created a lot of new visitors – luckily for the town. We’ve all seen tourists, clearly enjoying themselves, step into traffic without regard to cars. We don’t want a pedestrian tragedy here.
I understand that this measure would reduce available parking spots. But I find that street parking on Mill Street West and Metcalfe Street creates part of the concern. People step out between the shelter of cars, making it so drivers can’t see them until the last moment. I realize that lack of street parking will be an inconvenience to shop owners, but not more so than the bad press that a pedestrian fatality would cause.
This time period has created an opportunity for people to get used to driving through the downtown less. The rebuilding of the Badley bridge has necessitated that drivers get used to working around the downtown area. The need for physical distancing has created an opportunity for people to get used to foot-traffic-only in the downtown on weekends. Let’s keep it that way.
Jennifer Hewitt,
Elora
Kudos to councillor
Dear Editor:
On May 17 Centre Wellington councillor Ian MacRae emailed COVID-19 update #44.
Councillor MacRae has provided almost daily updates regarding developments on the township, county and provincial fronts. He’s also included words of encouragement, links to resources for such things as reading material and he’s promoted local business.
A friend once mentioned when they had gone to councillor MacRae with an issue he’d gone above and beyond what they’d expected. He continues to do so.
Teresa Gregg,
Fergus
Antagonizing ‘cronyism’
Dear Editor:
If Centre Wellington Mayor Kelly Linton thinks valuable time is spent addressing email exchanges he should stop antagonizing other members of council who are not in his posse.
He is supposed to be the team leader … it is not an “us and them” council.
This is about cronyism and the perks given to certain businesses, such as land swaps and tax relief in Elora.
If Linton thinks a councillor has no greater access to information than the general public he is totally wrong. Taxpayers voted the councillors in to represent us on how tax dollars are spent and how the township is run.
It is good we have Stephen Kitras, Bob Foster and Ian MacRae to keep an eye on what goes on at 1 MacDonald Square.
Jay Alexander,
Fergus
Extra precautions
Dear Editor:
The world as we know it has changed radically within the period of the last four months.
Our daily routines have changed; our attitudes have changed; and so has the way we greet friends, neighbours and family. The crisis has taken a simple trip grocery shopping with the family, to a scene resembling a low budget Alfred Hitchcock horror film.
A whole new vocabulary has emerged and words re-defined in light of the current world medical emergency. “Social-distancing”, “PPE”, “COVID-19”, “self-isolation”, “six-foot perimeter of safety”, “flattening the curve”, etc. are all now part of our everyday vocabulary.
The stay home strategy has certainly been effective in helping quell this horror, but even that has its limits. A person can only do so many word searches, jigsaw puzzles, crosswords and quizzes before the mind goes blank and disengages itself from the world. The body can only put up with so much before it becomes damaged from stagnation and inactivity.
We still must get out and do something, anything; but of course taking all the precautions. Like a medieval knight entering the fray, I decided to venture out into this new world. I knew that I couldn’t do proper social distancing with this adventure, so I had to take extra precautions.
First, the outwear. I chose a ¾ length waterproof coat, the longest and least permeable that I had. I exchanged my cloth loafers for my leather and rubber soled shoes as an extra precaution. Next, the most important feature of all, the N-95 mask I had from some re-finishing project years ago. I adjust the nose strap and ensure no air passage is open to the outside. I wear glasses, but know this is not good enough; so out come the safety goggles as well. I also have a plexiglass face shield, so on it goes. Then I notice a pair of ear protectors, so ‘why not?’ Then a baseball cap to cover the hair ( backward of course so as not to interfere with the face shield). Finally a pair of rubber gloves!
Checklist complete…… weatherproof coat, footwear, goggles, mask, face shield, ear protector, cap, and gloves! Sounds like I’m ready to do grocery shopping, but no, I’ll be in the garage working with my table saw!
Folks, all kidding aside, we still have a very beautiful world! By all means, take those precautions, but do get outside, and as the saying goes, “Take time to smell the roses!”
Stay safe.
Ron Johnson,
Mount Forest
Markets
Dear Editor:
On behalf of the National Farmers Union of Ontario, and the farmers of Waterloo and Wellington County, we urge our local MPs and MPPs to work with our local public health officials to develop safety protocols which will allow farmers markets to open and function as markets.
Farmers markets have, rightly so, been deemed an essential service by the provincial government, yet our local public health officials, so far, will only allow them to run as online markets (e-commerce) with a pick-up site.
They say that the reason for this is that they have not received specific direction from Health Canada on this issue, yet many other regions in Ontario are working with farmers markets and helping them find ways to open safely.
Spring is already a very busy and stressful time for farmers. Forcing those who attend farmers markets to move their businesses online will add another full-time job to the workload of people who already work from dawn to dusk every day of the week.
It will also be difficult, or impossible, for many of our local farmers as they have poor rural internet and some do not have internet at all (ie. Mennonites). It would also be difficult for many diversified farms, which offer a large variety of different products (produce, etc.) that change weekly or monthly as the seasons progress.
Farmers markets provide important access to locally produced foods, which many people rely on for their weekly groceries (some towns, such as Elora, do not have grocery stores), and they play an integral role in both promoting and maintaining local food security.
Closing these markets may be devastating to both our local farmers and the people who rely on them.
How is it, that large grocery stores and big box stores are allowed to operate while following safety protocols, yet small outdoor farmers markets cannot?
We ask that our elected politicians work with local public health officials to develop the necessary protocols to allow farmers markets to open safely and quickly, as this is important for both the mental health and financial well-being of our local farmers, who are working every day to provide the highest quality foods for the people of Waterloo and Wellington County.
Thomas Radliffe,
NFU Local 340
Waterloo-Wellington, Centre Wellington