Unnecessary fatality
Dear Editor:
On Saturday afternoon, Aug. 6, under sunny weather conditions, William Irving of Guelph died in a car crash at the corner of Watson Road South and Maltby Road in Puslinch Township.
Sadly, this was not the first fatal accident to occur here. Additionally, on numerous occasions cars have ended up in the yards of the residents who live at this crossing. It is a dangerous intersection.
Please, Township of Puslinch, take actions to make this intersection safer for all. Some possibilities to consider:
1) Regularly cut back the vegetation along the margins of the roads. I have seen no evidence this has been done this year at this intersection. Visibility is currently impaired (and may have contributed to the Aug. 6 accident). This should be done immediately before there is another accident;
2) The un-posted speed limit on Watson Road is 80km/h. Post signs that indicate the speed limit at regular intervals along Watson Road;
3) Consider reducing the speed limit to 70km/h at this intersection;
4) Encourage the OPP to ticket speeders. I live north of the intersection and have witnessed vehicles travelling faster than 130km/hr, once while passing on a blind hill;
5) Install rumble strips and possibly gentle speed bumps on both Maltby and Watson Roads that will force drivers to notice the intersection and to slow down;
6) Install a traffic light (an expensive option and my least favourite).
If some of these actions had been taken after the last fatal crash at this corner, William Irving may be alive today.
Please, Puslinch, take actions now and prevent another fatality.
Gard Otis,
Puslinch
Opposes speed bumps
Dear Editor:
From Aug. 12 issue of the Advertiser it looks like some locals are clamouring for those wretched speed bumps again (Cedar Valley report on page 7 and Orton resident in the letter page).
As a local living right in the middle, virtually equidistant between the two villages, I have to say speed bumps are an outdated and loathsome idea.
Take a look at far better European solutions with planned chicanes and planters, which do a much better job of traffic calming and present an opportunity to make our streets more attractive.
Incidentally, there’s an anonymous speeder who‘s been laying down long snakes of tire rubber for years along Erin/East Garafraxa Townline.
Any driver with that kind of mentality would relish the challenge of speeding over bumps to see if he/she could get airborne!
Our roads are potholed and uncomfortable enough without our taxes being wasted on more bumps and discomfort. There is a far better solution to the problem than destroying our roads.
Roy Pegg,
5th Line, Orton
Business ‘obstacles’
Dear Editor:
No doubt, we’ve all heard the pleas of business owners to obtain new employees or even to get their former employees to return to work. The owners are met with several obstacles, including CERB and extended unemployment benefits.
Maybe we should look at this situation from a different perspective. The employees did not enact the legislation to get extended “leaves of absence” – Ottawa did this for their benefit and they are simply taking advantage of it; however, let’s give these potential employees a little credit. They are not required to work if they desire not to.
And there is the distinct possibility that with only 60% of the population fully vaccinated and the Delta variant cases rising every day, these workers are refusing to return to work for their health and that of their families.
Jim McClure,
Crieff
Kudos to Kelly
Dear Editor:
It is time for me to applaud Kelly Waterhouse for her column.
Every week I read the Advertiser backwards so I can save my favorite colour of M&M’s until the end.
Inevitably I will laugh out loud and think harder about something that hadn’t occurred to me on my own steam. I will grant you that I don’t get out much, unless you count being a designated driver to the dog park. That is only because I have hands and keys.
However, I somehow doubt that I am the only one who looks forward to her wisdom.
Although she is a young pup to my 55, the column on Paul Simon’s 50 ways had me nodding my head and considering that I can achieve the task of attaining the contented existence she so eloquently laid out for me.
It helps to know that I have the right ground to start on; even the horse knows that song. Thanks for the advice, Bryce. Now I feel free.
Sherri Moyer,
Centre Wellington
No permission
Dear Editor:
An election was called while I was on a three-day trip out of town. I arrived home Monday to find a sign for Michael Chong put up on my lawn. I’ve never voted Conservative in my life, and have no intention of doing so.
If there is a safe seat anywhere in the country for a Conservative candidate, it is in Wellington-Halton Hills. I have no idea why Mr. Chong’s workers would feel so insecure as to put up a sign without my consent. Then again, blue politicians (and red ones too, let’s not kid ourselves) in this country don’t think twice about abuse of power and begging forgiveness after. This sign is yet another example of how little regard non-1% taxpayers actually get from their politicians.
If politics is “the art of the possible,” I wonder if I could possibly garner a bit more respect from parties that need me at least once every four years. It’s the only time I seem to matter in the realm of politics, and now that is called into question. Couldn’t they at least help me maintain what little illusion of self determination remains?
What a bunch of (O’)Tooles.
John Wiens,
Fergus
Use all resources
Dear Editor:
It has been necessary to call out the COVID idiots, deniers, snake oil salespeople, the vaccine hesitant and face mask refusers – you are helping to spread a disease that is killing people.
There are even worse stories out there with a nurse in Germany apparently replacing COVID-19 vaccines with useless saline solutions. Even if you don’t want it yourself, how can you deny it for the people who do want it? It’s not your decision or your right to stop people protecting themselves.
COVID has killed many, over four million to date, so anyone who stops the people from being safe should be jailed, not just fined, and they should be shamed.
We have to face this pandemic with force and use all resources to defeat it.
Dennis Fitzgerald,
Melbourne, Australia