Mail bag: 02/12/26
Buy Canadian
Dear Editor:
While Prime Minister Mark Carney may not have gotten the best end of the deal with China for the soy bean/electric car agreement, I do understand his reasoning.
We are being forced by acting President Donald Trump to redirect more of our trade away from the United States, so we have to encourage investment in Canadian products by other countries.
Keep in mind, for those condemning the import of Chinese EVs because of the negative impact they “could” have on the Canadian auto industry, we are under no obligation to buy them. Besides, take a look around. The market here is saturated with overseas vehicles, representing over 34% of the market stake compared to 12% produced domestically, with no apparent concern about that.
Just take a clipboard and walk down the sidewalk, or through any parking lot. Put a tick on the page for each Mercedes, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, BMW, Kia, Audi, Volvo, Jaguar, Mazda, Tesla, Land Rover, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru and VW (I’m sure there’s more). Those owners are far more to blame for the demise of the Canadian auto industry than Carney’s China deal ever could be. We need to buy domestically, at least until the Canadian auto industry is strong enough to sustain itself again.
And 50% of vehicles purchased here are imported from the U.S.’s big-three automakers (Ford, GM and Dodge) – a “Trump” card to play during the free trade agreement negotiations. Those companies should be forced to produce a significant share of them here.
That has little to do with government intervention though; it all falls on the responsibility of the Canadian consumer. If the big-three continue pulling out, rather than retooling for other lines, then we should stop buying what they don’t make here until they reinvest in Canadian industry.
We have options. Toyota and Honda are the largest auto manufacturing employers in Canada now, and they are maintaining their commitment, so we should be encouraging them to invest here further, increasing their production into other popular lines that are currently held by import companies.
In order to do that, we need to show them that there is interest here in supporting Canadian-made vehicles. We provide a market, they provide employment.
Good paying jobs are diminishing in Canada. If you want your fancy German-made vehicle, or economy import, don’t complain when you no longer have your job to afford another one. Because every job here, in one way or another, supports everyone else’s.
If we don’t build it, we don’t buy it.
Paul Dunnill,
Fergus
Not yet finished
Dear Editor:
RE: ‘Crappy work,’ Feb. 5.
Keep in mind that the St. David Street North (Highway 6) project in Fergus was created by the township rather than by the construction company, and there are real concerns with the project.
For example, narrowed roads could prevent emergency vehicles from passing safely, the minimal parking spots barely allow cars to access the spaces, and putting bike lanes on a steep hill may not increase use, since I have witnessed only a dozen people biking the hill in 20 years.
Despite these flaws, I have observed first-hand over the past two years the difficulties of the road construction. A township site manager daily instructed the construction crews to follow the plans. For example, the township approved of homeowners losing parts of their front lawns or access to their driveways to make room for aesthetics (e.g., trees and grass) between the bike lanes and sidewalks. The construction crews followed their orders but were apologetic to homeowners.
Also, major problems stemmed from outdated water and sewer systems, water mains bursting when they were about to pave the road in the fall, and water pipes freezing, causing the construction team to scramble to provide water to homeowners. The construction company was courteous to homeowners and made sure the road was safe each evening for homeowners to get into their drive ways.
Finally, heavy snowfall prevented the road from being paved in a timely manner and the first opportunity of clear skies was between Dec. 19 and 23.
Although the road is bumpy, the town can access the north without driving around, and the entire street will be repaved this year to give everyone the much anticipated “finished” feeling of tax dollars spent. Before measuring its quality it is important to see the finished product, and ensure that the frustration is directed to the right organization.
Carol O’Neil,
Fergus
‘Wasting our money’
Dear Editor:
On Feb. 9, I received a letter from the Township of Centre Wellington about booking an appointment to replace my water meter.
This is the third letter I have received from the township asking me to book the appointment. What a waste of taxpayers’ money. One letter would have sufficed.
Here is why I say it is a waste of taxpayers’ money. There is the postage cost, $1.24 per letter, the cost of the envelope, the cost of the paper the letters were printed on, the cost to print each letter, the cost to mail each letter (fold the letter, insert the letter in the envelope, etc).
It is sad to see our government wasting our money in such a way.
Anthony Martins,
Elora
‘Dangerous intersection’
Dear Editor:
I cross daily at Wellington Road 124 (Main Street) and Wellington Road 52 in Erin and have come to realize how tricky this dangerous intersection can be for pedestrians.
Guelph-bound drivers are looking for either a green light or an advanced green to get on with their west-bound journeys. East-bound drivers sometimes treat the right lane as a merge lane when their light is red. Drivers do not seem to be on the lookout for pedestrians.
It seems that Wellington County has done all they can to make this area safe for pedestrians. It seems to be a regular event in the GTA to have a pedestrian hit and killed by a vehicle. I hope that a tragedy like that does not happen here.
Dave Dorman,
Erin
Troubling ‘dynamics’
Dear Editor:
RE: Wage theft a problem, Jan. 29.
In this letter a reader highlighted the hypocrisy of publicly humiliating people for petty crimes while protecting the reputations of wealthy and corporate actors who systematically exploit working people.
This points to a broader tendency present in many societies, but one that takes a particularly corrosive and covert form in Canada: stress, risk and reputational damage flow downward to precarious workers, while profits, protection and prestige flow upward to those who control institutions and narratives.
I have seen this dynamic firsthand in Ontario government institutions, where even attempting to do one’s job – by asking basic questions about millions in public subsidies flowing to corporations and executives – was met not with answers, but with character attacks.
Similarly, while working in an international development non-profit tasked with addressing the “root causes” of poverty, I witnessed donors react with hostility when issues like Canadian tax evasion and wealth inequality were raised.
Even in civic life, people experience public shaming from those with connections and power, while far more serious misconduct by elites is quietly overlooked. When I volunteered on a federal MP’s campaign as a teenager, a minor disagreement over tone resulted in humiliation and belittling by a donor or “biggest supporter,” while far more serious professional boundary-crossing by those higher up was ignored.
Canada’s self-image of politeness allows this hypocrisy to persist under the language of “concern,” “responsibility” and respectability, while undermining often occurs through gossip and triangulation rather than productive discussion or resolution.
That is why it was refreshing to read the earlier letter. It suggests more people are beginning to see through these dynamics and are willing to name them.
Craig Frayne,
Fergus
Stands with Greenland
Dear Editor:
An open letter to U.S. President Donald Trump.
I stand with the citizens of Greenland to determine their own destiny. Interference by the U.S. not only contravenes the democratic rights of the people of Greenland but of all people.
If Americans were actually being asked by the citizens of this country to aid them with political and economic hardships, then it would give credibility to the U.S., serve as a means of empathy and kindness in est for a possible solution to this disturbing and possibly caustic situation.
Rather than a fist, the sacred open hand is extended and shaken.
Jacobus de Bock,
Alma
‘Get what you pay for’
Dear Editor:
RE: Township says contractor on hook for warped roads in Fergus, Elora, Jan. 29.
Cheap is not always the best. You get what you pay for. How many cars have been damaged by driving over both of these roads? Both roads should be closed until they are brought up to standards.
Township infrastructure manager Colin Baker says township inspectors were present at both jobs; were they just sitting in their vehicles with the air on?
Drexler Construction should not be allowed to bid on any other jobs in this township.
Someone more senior in the Ministry of Transportation should be contacted.
J. Alexander,
Fergus
Re-do the whole thing
Dear Editor:
RE: Builder sees beautiful infill project; neighbours see tree removal, high density, ‘parking Armageddon,’ Feb. 5.
People on the way to the Elora Municipal Cemetery graveyard need calm and coolness on their journey. Burying someone is stressful enough without having to deal with heat, sun and sunburns from looking for a parking spot near the grave, carrying the coffin and the sadness involved with the day. Oh look, trees are decimated, the land is overheated and there is not enough parking.
The article says this development has 25 units and 10 visitor parking spots.
How are parking spots allotted? That is half a visitor parking spot for 20 units, if each unit has a visitor. What are the other five units to do? Where are visitors to park? One spot looks like it is for handicap. What if you have more visitors? What about the traffic at David Street and Wellington Road 7? That street was horrendous in October during Monster Month, just imagine adding at least 24 cars.
Why are we building such dense, crowded homes? Why do we need to overrun the area with crowds?
The whole proposal needs to be re-done.
Lucy Dyment,
Fergus
‘Stupidity’
Dear Editor:
RE: ICE ‘viciousness,’ Feb. 5.
First off, who are we to judge the bullying tactics of the American administration? Four years ago, our Canadian government declared – now proven illegally – the Emergencies Act to deal with peacefully protesting citizens in Ottawa. All this was done with absolutely no remorse, and the full support of state-run and state-financed propaganda – oops – media.
The comparison of the current American administration to Nazi Germany obviously shows Ron Svaty’s desperate attempt to further a narrative and philosophy that is proving highly self destructive to the well being of nations worldwide, whether we view it from the standpoint of morality, financial well-being, national security or individual rights.
Where Svaty seriously misses the mark: 1) The Nazis were elected initially with about 40% of the popular vote, giving the equivalent of a minority parliament, not an overwhelming majority mandate. 2) Hitler/Nazis did not respect any semblance of a constitution Germany might have had at that time. 3) Hitler/Nazis forced into concentration camps their own citizens not foreign nationals who chose to outstay their welcome. 4) Once in power, Hitler/Nazis turned on their own citizens, closed their borders and would not allow anyone to flee the country.
Last time I checked, the illegal foreign nationals are free to leave any time they wish.
I can go on, but time and space will not allow it. I would like to point out a biblical analogy where we are called not to judge the speck in our neighbour’s eye, when we have a log in our own. Like the Auschwitz survivor, how many of us can trust our neighbours like we could prior to 2020?
Bonhoeffer in his writings came to a conclusion (I paraphrase here) that stupidity is not a function of intelligence, but rather a function of moral integrity.
How many readers can say they have enough moral integrity to overcome “stupidity?”
Wayne Baker,
Wellington North
*Editor’s note: Many U.S. citizens have been arrested and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. And legal experts say many ICE arrests have violated the U.S. constitution, notably the fourth (unreasonable searches and seizures) and fifth (due process) amendments.