Mail bag: 07/30/26
‘Just plain wrong’
Dear Editor:
It is appalling that the future of a cherished (and essential) local institution is being threatened by our very own post office (and our very own tax dollars)!
I am, of course, speaking of the Wellington Advertiser, which has just lost a major source of revenue to Canada Post’s deal with Transcontinental, Canada’s largest printing company, to deliver flyer packages throughout the country.
According to News Media Canada, this revenue loss will threaten the closure of local papers and leave us all less informed about what’s happening in our communities. Furthermore, it is expected to cause the loss of 800 part-time jobs!
I know Canada Post is struggling to find new revenue sources to offset staggering annual losses, but doing this on the backs of our local small businesses is just plain wrong.
Mike Kieley,
Fergus
‘Unsightly, oversized’
Dear Editor:
Well, I received my new “XXL blue box” bin today. As I pulled in my driveway, there it was in its enormity, big enough for a family of 20, I guess.
I’m assuming the design and size is to accommodate the robotic apparatus attached to the trucks, that most waste removal and recycling companies are utilizing now. They will definitely need something with super human strength to lift these babies, empty or full.
Seriously, does anyone involved in the decision making for waste removal/disposal in our communities go through any kind of thought process before we just accept what we’re paying for?
What happens during those winter months after a significant snow fall and there’s 6 to 8 inches of snow in a driveway and another 12 to 24 inches at the end of the driveway that the snow plow has just deposited, do we call CAA to tow our blue box out to the road? What about the rural residents, some with driveways the length of a football field? Did anyone making this decision consider that with more volume comes a considerable increase in weight?
I envision these unsightly and oversized repositories being left at the ends of driveways, only to be used when the need arises and during the winter months, to become cannon fodder for the snow plow operators.
To our elected officials who are supposed to be considering the impact of decisions they make on behalf of the community they serve, you can do better.
Ron Welsh,
Belwood
New bin ‘a struggle’
Dear Editor:
We recently received a gift at the end of the driveway: a giant blue bin. Not as thoughtful a gift as one might imagine for a short old lady.
Getting it up to the garage was a struggle, so what will it be like to move when full?
My husband and I prefer the small blue ones that we’ve been using for ages, and speculate that other seniors feel the same way. Give us a break (I mean small bins, not broken legs)!
Elizabeth Litch,
Elora
Make it happen
Dear Editor:
RE: Fifty per cent, July 16.
In response to the big question of how we could get at least 50% of voters out to vote, I wanted to share a few thoughts.
In Ontario, voter turnout has been on a downward trend for years – from an average of 41% in 1996 to 32% in 2022. That’s just one third of the population making decisions about who will lead their local government!
At the same time, the number of acclamations has increased from 390 in 2014 to 553 in 2022. And in 2022, a total of 32 councils were fully acclaimed across Ontario. This is not healthy for democracy.
These trends are all related; fewer candidates running means that there are fewer people being brought into the political discussions that shape our community. And if those discussions are not happening, voters stay away from the polls. For a great resource on voter turnout in Ontario, and to see the stats mentioned above, check out the Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s Healthy Democracy Project.
In Centre Wellington, voter turnout in 2022 was a bit better than the provincial average at just under 39%. So, I did some math – in CW we would only need about another 2,600 people to vote this October to get to a 50% turnout!
That’s not that many people. If even a third of us who voted in the last election, talked to our neighbours, friends, and family and encouraged just one more person each to vote, we could hit 50% no problem here in Centre Wellington!
I know the Town of Erin is already on board with this challenge and I would love to see all of the other lower-tier municipalities across Wellington County join in as well. Let’s make 50% happen!
Bronwynne Wilton,
Fergus
Seniors deserve support
Dear Editor:
Growing older in a rural community comes with unique challenges that often go unnoticed.
Many seniors choose to remain in the communities where they raised their families, but doing so is becoming increasingly difficult. Access to health care, transportation, home care and even everyday services can require long drives or lengthy wait times. For those who no longer drive, simple errands or medical appointments can become overwhelming obstacles.
At the same time, the cost of living continues to rise. Groceries, utilities, property taxes and home maintenance place a heavy burden on seniors living on fixed incomes. Many quietly make difficult choices between necessities, rarely asking for help.
Equally important is the issue of loneliness. Rural communities are known for their strong sense of neighbourliness, yet many older adults still spend days without meaningful social contact. A friendly visit, reliable transportation or expanded community programs can make a tremendous difference.
Our seniors have spent their lives contributing to our towns and villages. They volunteered, worked hard, raised families and helped build the communities we cherish today. They deserve the opportunity to remain in those communities with dignity, independence and the support they need.
How we care for our seniors reflects the values we hold as a society. They should never become invisible simply because they have grown older.
Margherita Tabone,
Rockwood
‘Good times’
Dear Editor:
Thank you Fergus
On July 17, the Fergus Legion celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Legion with a Community Street Party.
Our Legion members worked hard to make the event a success, but we needed you, the folks of Fergus, to make it memorable. And you came. Good food, good music and good times. Fun for everyone. With your participation we truly did celebrate our community, making it a “remember when” moment.
The Fergus Legion will continue to celebrate this historic year with more events leading up to Remembrance Day. So please keep watch as they unfold because you are all invited.
Thank you, Fergus.
Robert Stubbings,
President, Fergus Legion
‘Dangerous’ patios?
Dear Editor:
Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) protects workers who believe a physical condition of the workplace is likely to endanger them.
Recently, Elora and the broader Wellington County area were impacted by an orange-level air quality warning due to northwestern Ontario wildfire smoke.
Under the OHSA, an employer must “take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker.”
If air quality indices reach dangerous levels, this clause requires employers to actively mitigate the risk (e.g., by providing N95 respirators, modifying work shifts or moving operations indoors).
Those who did not close their patios on July 15, you know who you are.
Courtney Pamela,
Elora
‘No tipping’
Dear Editor:
RE: Why do we tip some workers and not others? (July 16).
I absolutely agree with Pete Mohr regarding tipping. It has been a subject of conversation in many of my social circles.
There is an added “pressure” to tip. Whether you want to or not, you don’t feel like you have a choice and often it makes you feel less of yourself if you don’t!
It brings to mind years ago when I was raising my children. I had quit a very good office job to be a stay-at-home mother. However, once my children were both in school I decided I would drive a school bus (which was a far cry from running an office). My years of driving and engaging with all the students who were under my care was amazing! I loved those years.
And if I were to choose (I won’t) I could write a book about the beautiful people who rode back and forth each day on the bus with me. At the end of each school year I certainly did not expect little gifts or thank-you cards, although, sometimes I did receive those.
But to tip me? Why? That would not be acceptable by the company that hired me. They paid me every second week for the hours I drove and that was that. And I fully understood and accepted that. I was truly thankful for my job. It allowed me to have a little income and, frankly, that was good enough for me.
Oh, I mustn’t forget all those summers off, which were nice – you know, like the teachers (we don’t tip them either by the way).
And here is my bonus so many years late: when I meet former students as young adults working and raising their own children and they still remember me, we laugh together, and sometimes we hug too.
Oh, and in case you are wondering, yes, I did eventually return to my former office job. And again, no tipping allowed there either (smile).
Elizabeth Hughes,
Puslinch