Mail bag: 04/23/26
‘Twenty-year sentence’
Dear Editor:
The Town of Erin recently changed a bylaw that will fundamentally alter the character of Hillsburgh for the next two decades. By green-lighting the pit infill project, the town has invited up to 150 dump trucks to thunder past our front doors, six days a week, for up to 20 years.
As a realtor, I am held to a strict fiduciary duty. I am legally and ethically required to disclose “material facts” – anything that could affect a property’s value or a person’s use and enjoyment of their home. If I sold a house on a haulage route and failed to mention 150 trucks a day, I would face severe professional consequences.
Yet, the town seems to believe that meeting the “bare minimum” legal requirement – notifying only those within a 120-metre radius of the pit – is sufficient.
Let’s be clear: the impact of 150 trucks doesn’t stop at 120 meters. It travels down the 8th Line and through the heart of our village. It carries with it noise, diesel fumes, road degradation and a significant risk to the safety of our children and neighbors.
To suggest that a resident living 150 meters away or directly on the truck route isn’t “impacted” enough to deserve a personal notice is an insult to our community.
If a private professional is expected to be transparent about how a project affects a home, why is our municipal government allowed to hide behind a technicality?
Our leaders have a moral duty to the people they represent that goes far beyond the minimum requirements of a provincial handbook. We deserve better than a 20-year sentence of industrial traffic without so much as a conversation.
Karen DeRooy,
Erin
‘Hard to watch’
Dear Editor:
RE: Town of Erin exceeded budget by $1 million, April 16.
Thank you for running the story about the Town of Erin exceeding its budget by 17% in the last quarter of 2025.
I think councillor John Brennan’s reaction of wanting to cry upon hearing the news was appropriate. I was saddened and angry when I read this article.
I don’t understand how this overspending got so out of hand and no true safeguards were put in place to make sure it didn’t happen. I have written to the CAO, mayor and councillors and have not received an email back from the CAO or mayor thus far.
It’s hard to watch the people who we elected and the CAO, who is hired by the mayor and councillors, not ensure we as a town are being financially responsible to its citizens. We watch helplessly.
This is a call to have bright, intelligent and motivated people put their name forward in the next election. People who have a wide breadth of knowledge and true interest in our town and can lead with financial responsibility.
Deney Delfosse,
Erin
‘Shameful’ spending
Dear Editor:
RE: Town of Erin exceeded budget by $1 million, April 16.
What the fudge!? Clearly the town didn’t use any of this money on the roads; driving my Subaru is like travelling on the surface of the moon.
If I ran my household like they run this town, I’d be living in that Subaru.
To add insult to injury, the Town of Erin roads department just graded my road (3rd Line) with sod and roadside organic debris! This does not help the issue.
The bridge over the Speed River is becoming impassable due to the craters.
This is shameful. It’s time for a forensic audit.
Tobey Deys,
Erin
‘Restoring public trust’
Dear Editor:
An open letter to Premier Doug Ford.
I am writing to express my deep concern regarding recent reports of government spending on executive travel, particularly the decision to allocate approximately $29 million dollars of public funds towards the purchase of a private jet.
At a time when many Ontarians are struggling with the rising cost of living, it is troubling to see significant expenditures directed towards your convenience rather than public need. This concern is made even more serious in light of your government’s decision to reduce Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) grants for post-secondary students.
Access to education is a cornerstone of a strong and equitable society. Reductions in student support place additional financial strain on young people who are already facing unprecedented economic challenges. For many, these cuts are not abstract policy decisions – they directly affect whether they can afford tuition, housing and basic necessities.
When viewed together, these choices suggest a troubling set of priorities: increased spending on government travel and reduced investment in students’ futures. Ontarians deserve reassurance that public funds are being managed responsibly and directed toward areas that provide the greatest public benefit.
Mr. Ford, you have consistently branded yourself as being “for the little guy.” Really? I urge you to reconsider your approach to both executive spending and student financial support. Cancel the luxury jet purchase and renew funding for accessible education. Doing this would go a long way toward restoring public trust in you and you government.
I look forward to your response outlining how these decisions align with your government’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and fairness.
Steve Shields,
Elora
*Editor’s note: Ford has since reversed course on the private plane and has stated the province will sell it “as quickly as possible.”
Public safety at risk
Dear Editor:
I recently spent a lot of time in the area of new construction on Highway 6 through Fergus and was totally dumfounded at the lack of manoeuvring space that now exists.
Whoever designed all this must have gone to silly school. I can’t put it any other way. It gives foolish people everywhere a bad name. The designers have put public safety seriously at risk, in my opinion.
The most notable problems are the total lack of space for vehicles to safely pass in opposite directions. Then the turn-in points to houses and businesses are way too narrow. Vehicles have to go on the wrong side of the road to get in and out, which means you have to wait for a gap in traffic both ways to do it safely.
Delivery vans have to just stop and block the road to deliver packages, as there is no space to pull over. There is no room whatsoever for vehicles to pull over and let emergency response vehicles pass.
If you do ever manage to park in the very few spaces, there is no room to open your door and get out. There have been a few accidents already, I was told. The same applies to trying to get back in your vehicle.
The only saving grace at the moment is the fact that the road surface is so rough in places that it is slowing vehicles down somewhat. It is not all quite finished yet, so there is a chance to alter things, but will “they” have the sense to do that?
Mac McCulloch,
Fergus
Funding ‘gone missing’
Dear Editor:
Any teaching staff member, former or current, must feel that the fearful inquisition of ancient times is being revisited by education minister Paul Calandra and his enforcers. Former clearly-defined roles and responsibilities within our education system are being diminished, destroyed and overruled.
Those with true understanding of how children actually learn, imagine and create are being fired, demoted and generally devalued. During our children’s early years, the crucial period when lifelong attitudes toward learning are formed, cuts in classroom supports are decided by a bean counter.
Crucial connections to each school community, those who understand the specific support that is required, are trustees who hear from parents and who respond by liaison with local educators. They are worthy of the small monetary compensation they earn. No school area is a cookie-cutter replica of any other.
Where, may I ask, is the $1,500 dollars per pupil that has gone missing under this government? Invest in what is really important, Mr. Ford.
Arlene Callaghan,
Fergus
*Editor’s note: Education spending has increased substantially since 2018, but critics say it has not kept pace with rising costs and inflation in order to maintain the per-student funding level of that year (which would require an additional $1,500 per student).
‘Impartial justice’
Dear Editor:
An open letter to Ontario judge Antonio Skarica, who recently sentenced a Nigerian university student who extorted a Canadian woman to 28 months in prison.
I wish to thank you for returning, in part at least, my trust in the Ontario Judicial system.
I read a National Post article on April 15 entitled “Judge takes justice system to task for failing Canadians.” I admit that I was amazed that a member of the Ontario Superior Court could agree with this mere mortal as regards to:
– the ongoing propagation of lenient sentences or absolute discharges for non Canadians convicted of crimes, because it put them at risk of deportation. This also seems to apply to those who are here illegally in the first place;
– the perception by many of the Canadian public, including me, that the Canadian justice system is soft on crime and prioritizes the rights of criminals over the rights of victims. How many examples do we need to read about every day before we confess to this truth?; and
– the justice system is a two-tier system that favours criminals with specified or apparent or possibly “disadvantaged backgrounds of themselves or their communities.” We see this all the time with the “discounted” sentences validated in section 718.2(e) of the Canadian Criminal Code. How many more of these examples do we need to read about every day before we confess to the truth?
Perhaps if enough senior members of the Canadian justice system step forward, as you have done, we might see some changes and get back to impartial justice.
Thank you once again,
Michael Lee,
Salem
‘Journalistic gift’
Dear Editor:
RE: Israeli soldiers turn Gaza-bound doctor back at border, April 9.
We are extremely grateful for the conscientious and courageous journalism repeatedly put forward by Robin George. Any number of Robin’s articles can be considered pertinent and impactful, but their recent article about Dr. Kapasi’s experience was masterful.
It brought voice to the Palestinian perspective that has, for far too long, been absent from dominant media discourse, and did so on an individual scale that was informative and accessible.
To be able to bring these urgent global issues close to home in the story of a local physician is a great journalistic gift to our community.
Many thanks as well to Dr. Kapasi for his courage and to the Advertiser for featuring this important story. May we continue to have such conversations and support those facing injustice.
Ana Maria and Graham Cummins,
Elora
‘Unfunded liability’
Dear Editor:
RE: Fanning the flames, April 9.
The response to my letter (Fiscal fire, April 2) relies on noble narratives while ignoring the mathematical reality facing all of Ontario.
First, the “319 acres a day” statistic is a gross simplification used to mislead the public. It fails to distinguish between “total farm area” and “workable land.”
By counting woodlots, wetlands and fallow ground as “lost farmland,” supporters use headline-grabbing numbers that don’t reflect actual productive reality. We cannot base 30-year provincial land-use policies on flawed data.
Second, the author highlights Ontario’s agri-food industry as a $51-billion powerhouse. If that is true, we must address the powerhouse paradox: why are one in four people in this province currently food insecure? A multi-billion-dollar GDP is a hollow victory if the citizens living in the heart of that industry cannot afford to eat. Food security is an affordability crisis, not a land-shortage crisis.
Third, an endorsement is not an economic model. The fact that various groups support Bill 21 does not exempt it from fiscal scrutiny. None of these groups have modeled the multi-million-dollar infrastructure deficit created by restricting local aggregate or the long-term tax burden of the “agricultural impact assessment” mandates. To paraphrase a common truth: just because millions of people eat at McDonald’s doesn’t mean the food is good for you.
Bill 21 is a “noble cause” that hasn’t been audited. Until we see a 30-year fiscal impact model that accounts for rising infrastructure costs and local food prices, this isn’t a “Protection Act” – it is a massive unfunded liability for every taxpayer in Ontario.
Gary De Bock,
Delhi
‘Deeply personal’
Dear Editor:
As the Hidden Quarry project near Rockwood moves closer to operation, many residents in the surrounding communities are once again asking an important question: who is ultimately accountable for protecting our communities?
Those of us who live in and around this area value the rural landscape, the water we depend on, and the sense of community that has long defined places like Rockwood and Guelph/Eramosa. The approval of this project has left many residents wondering whether those values were fully considered.
The quarry, located at the northeast corner of Highway 7 and 6th Line, was approved through the Ontario Land Tribunal despite years of opposition from local residents and the Township of Guelph/Eramosa. Now, as operations move toward becoming a reality, concerns that were raised years ago have not disappeared.
The project is expected to extract roughly 700,000 tonnes of dolostone annually for the next 20 years. With that comes increased truck traffic, dust, noise and regular blasting. More importantly, many residents remain worried about the long-term effects on groundwater and nearby wetlands. For rural communities that rely on well water, these concerns are not abstract – they are deeply personal.
While conditions were placed on the project, including monitoring and the creation of a community liaison committee, oversight must go beyond paperwork. Residents deserve transparency, clear communication and a government willing to step in if environmental or community impacts become a problem.
Development and economic growth are important, but they must never come at the expense of the people who live in these communities.
Progress should never mean sacrificing the very communities it claims to serve. If this project moves forward, government must prove that protecting our water, environment and residents is not negotiable.
Margherita Tabone,
Rockwood
‘Eroding of our rights’
Dear Editor:
Well we now have a manufactured majority in the House of Commons and no one can spin or deny that. Without the opposition party’s defections those by-elections would still represent the will of the people as expressed in the general election: a minority government with serious opposition control of rogue policies.
This signals that things are about to get worse and it is a serious eroding of our rights, to which I am amazed there is not more outrage.
The real test will begin for the Liberals this summer with negotiations on the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). If talks fail or we take a big hit, cracks will begin to appear.
More job losses will add to the lack of a pipeline, limiting of speech, the Supreme Court appeal over the government’s loss in the Emergencies Act case, a worsening economy and higher fuel and food prices ... perhaps then we shall see a shift.
Doak McCraney,
Guelph
*Editor’s note: Floor crossings (changing political parties in the middle of a term) have been part of the parliamentary system in Canada since Confederation.