‘A bridge too far’?
Dear Editor:
RE: Council says no to cannabis stores, May 30.
I’m writing in to share my thoughts and opinion of the travesty that took place during the Centre Wellington council meeting on May 27.
We saw council shoot down a motion to legalize cannabis shops in CW, citing a “bad cannabis market” and the desire of keeping the small-town charm and not have stores on every corner.
I understand the hesitation about opening the market and having cannabis shops on every corner of “Main Street.” It’s a valid concern, especially considering the saturation of stores in various parts of the province, which has left some residents dissatisfied.
Centre Wellington has some of the lowest retail store vacancy rates in the province. If you doubt this, just ask anyone who has attempted to open a store in town. Finding a vacant storefront is nearly impossible.
Furthermore, there is a 150-metre buffer zone from schools, ensuring that children are not exposed to these stores. The shops are completely opaque from the outside, and they check IDs at the entrance to ensure compliance with regulations.
Additionally, the limited number of plazas in town, many of which have lease clauses prohibiting competing businesses, means there are few spaces available for cannabis shops.
The president of Pearle Hospitality, famously known for their Elora Mill waterfront condos, penned a letter to CW council imploring them to vote “no” on cannabis retail in town. This letter was made public in the 11th hour, when the meeting agenda for vote day was released.
The claim that cannabis shops are destroying neighborhoods across the province is unfounded. It’s surprising to hear this from Mr. Ciancone considering the impact the Elora Mill and Pearle Hospitality has had on downtown Elora – arguably more disruptive than any cannabis retail presence ever could. You have destroyed the idea of our “model village” more than 100 cannabis stores ever could.
The Elora Mill and Pearle Hospitality prioritize tourist dollars over the interests of residents, and our mayor and council seem to side with them, despite nearly 80% of voters expressing their concerns in a survey – eight times the usual response rate.
The ultimate hypocrisy of Centre Wellington is our mayor and council voting against cannabis while approving more alcohol and event permits. Adding to it, beer, wine and cocktails will be for sale at every corner store and gas station come September.
We even have a casino in our quaint little town. But cannabis is a bridge too far?
John Mifsud,
Fergus
What’s the issue?
Dear Editor:
RE: Council says no to cannabis stores, May 30.
The main concern of the members who voted no seems to be that the municipality can control the location and number of retail stores. I fail to see why this is so important.
A cannabis store is like any other store: people go in, buy what they want and leave. They do not hang around outside and “party” if that is what concerns the council members.
There are regulations in place that prohibit smoking in public and the Cannabis License Act already mandates that cannabis stores cannot be located within 150 metres of a school.
So why is location an issue?
Concerning the number of retail stores there may be: this would be controlled by our time-honoured system of supply and demand. This is the accepted way for legal business to operate and how could the council take issue with that?
Peter Kocal,
Guelph
Guelph over Groves
Dear Editor:
Having worked at Groves hospital for over 20 years, I recently retired due to family circumstances. I loved working there and have always been very proud of that, and the service provided.
After recently having some health issues of my own, I am dismayed by the difficulty in getting appointments. When you call it seems impossible to speak with a person, and you have to leave messages, and are called back a day or two later and given an appointment that is months away.
I have to have an x-ray, and on the 29th of May was told the earliest I can have one is July. This is quite ridiculous. Also a mammogram, and that would be in October. I called Guelph, I can have a mammogram next week, and a walk-in chest x-ray today.
I am not complaining about the quality of care. The people that work there are amazing. There is an obvious problem with the management of the booking system.
I also asked about a cancellation list. And there is not one. So when people don’t show up, the opening is wasted. I have heard more and more people in our community are going to Guelph, and this seems not right.
Georgina McCulloch,
Fergus
The ‘gift of service’
Dear Editor:
Here’s the thing…
Service clubs in small towns have been bringing people together for generations. They are the soul of our communities. Through service clubs, arenas are built and hospitals are able to purchase life saving equipment. Members and volunteers show up to clean parks and highways, they organize and run Santa Claus parades and Easter egg hunts and Home Shows. They organize duck races and they sell raffle tickets.
All sorts of sports teams are sponsored, free skating and swimming provided at our sportsplex through roast beef dinners and bottle drives. Funds go to our neighbourhood schools for lunch and snack programs and books for their libraries.
Most of all, clubs and service groups bring people together working for causes that are important to all of us. People who might never have met otherwise start working on projects and events that make a difference in our communities. Our strength comes from the people who choose to give of their time and talents to improve society a little bit at a time.
Here’s the rub…
Local service clubs are all having difficulty finding new members to continue events that are the lifeblood of our organizations. Without new members and their contributions of time, their ideas and their expertise, many service clubs will be forced to disband from a simple lack of people to run all of the above events, the very events that bring us all together and help strengthen our communities.
Here’s the proposal…
We understand that the most carefully measured resource families and individuals have is time. You don’t need to attend every meeting, you don’t have to help out at every event. You might be willing to help decorate boats at the Steampunk Festival or flip burgers at a fundraising barbecue, volunteer at the Santa Claus Parade, collect electronic waste or help out at a Bike Safety Rodeo with any of the participating clubs in Centre Wellington.
You will learn that anything is possible if enough of us get together and make it happen. You can introduce the important gift of service to your families. You will meet new people, raise funds for worthy causes and you will have fun! I can guarantee you will receive way more than you will give.
“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth.” – Muhammad Ali
Pierrette Grondin,
President, CW Optimist Club, Fergus
‘Destroying our nation’
Dear Editor:
As we all know the Liberals think they are brilliant by not going against Canadian parents who are suing the government, yes, suing the taxpayers, to have their adult children brought in from the other country they were born in and live in, to now be automatic Canadians – and their child too.
It is a privilege in most nations to become a citizen, but in Canada, the Liberal government has decided to make our citizenship devalued too. Then, to add insult to injury, they are going to let illegal immigrants have a way to get citizenship. Then, they are going to allow the temporary students to get citizenship and stay in Canada. I wonder if our university and high school students can get jobs this summer?
Then, they are going to bring in 5,000 immigrants from Palestine where the Hamas terrorist group is their government. By giving citizenship like this, Canada is setting itself up for Sharia Law and many demands from newcomers.
We need to make citizenship more difficult to attain and include deportation as part of citizenship passageway should a person being considered break our laws.
It is shameful that the Liberals/NDP will work at proceeding with such reckless policies to ensure that they get some votes rather than what is best for our nation. Just like the fiasco with foreign Chinese interference, this government pursues its own selfish ambitions over the good of the nation and its people.
Please educate those around you especially new voters (your kids) to see what is happening to our nation. If we don’t value our freedom and take an interest in what is happening, we will be walked all over.
The sad part is that this Liberal/NDP coalition is trampling the rights and freedoms of Canadians. All Canadians need to educate and work to inform and speak out to your MP and MPP and let them know, you are not happy with Liberal immigration.
The Liberal party, supported by the NDP party, are personally responsible for destroying our nation and our citizenship with these unjust moves. No one else is to blame!
Carolann Krusky,
Fergus
*Editor’s note: A new bill recently tabled in the House of Commons will allow Canadians to pass citizenship down to children born outside the country. A similar law was in place until 2009, when the Conservative government at the time made changes to it. Last year, the Ontario Superior Court determined the Conservative changes are unconstitutional and ruled the current federal government must fix them.
Canada is not “giving citizenship” to 5,000 Palestinians. It has allotted 5,000 temporary visas for those affected by the war. So far several dozen Gazans have made it to Canada under the special program.
The federal Liberal and NDP parties are in a confidence-and-supply agreement, which is not the same as a coalition.
Chicken chuckle
Dear Editor:
RE: “Feathers” column on May 23 by Kelly Waterhouse.
Kelly’s story about the lost chickens was hilarious. It made my day.
She has such a way with words and a great sense of humour. I always read her column, but this one topped them all. Keep it up.
Nick Ammerlaan,
Kenilworth
Hammer time?
Dear Editor:
As the summer holidays approach for Ontario students, our provincial minister of education will have ample time to institute his new plans for our schools.
Stephen Lecce stated he wants to get back to the ‘basics” of reading, writing and arithmetic. Regardless of the fact that cursive writing has not been taught in Ontario schools for several years, Mr. Lecce should consider a few mandatory courses in morality.
Another curriculum inclusion would be “order and discipline”.
Finally, Mr. Lecce wants to eliminate vaping and cell phone use in our schools . Without great expense, the solution to the elimination of these devices can be found in aisle four of every Home Hardware store in our province – it’s called a hammer .
Jim McClure,
Crieff
Make it optional
Dear Editor:
I’m a student at John Black Public School. I think homework should be optional.
The normative idea that we are required to work at home is in my opinion inconvenient and non-logical. The idea that you are required to do school work at home puts so much pressure on a student, and they can end up putting less effort into their grades.
I think that aspiring students have effort to give, but they only have so much and it can be overwhelming for most. Home is a safe place for a lot of students and it can feel like you can’t escape school work even in your own home.
Studies have shown that if a task feels involuntary you are less keen on doing it. Studying is optional so why shouldn’t homework be? It’s just about the choice. The people that need to do homework still can. It’s not cancelled, just optional.
The point of homework is to learn on your own – but shouldn’t that be the teacher’s job? And good for travellers so they won’t have the hassle when they get back.
In conclusion, I think homework should be optional.
Arabella Macari,
Fergus
More nets, please
Dear Editor:
I am a Grade 8 student from John Black Public school and I think that there should be another set of proper or bigger set of soccer nets at the school so that more people can play soccer during recess or after school.
This is important so kids can get the benefits of playing soccer, like understanding patterns better because they memorize the patterns the other kids use when they play.
Another reason we should have another pair of nets is when you play soccer it improves your stamina and lowers body fat from running to get the ball. Also it increases your muscle strength from kicking the ball; soccer increases your reflexes from guarding or knowing where the ball will go if you are playing goalie.
A really big reason that there should be another pair of nets is that soccer can grow teamwork skills; it also makes you think on the spot; soccer is also a safe sport for kids because it is a non-contact sport and soccer is the sport with one of the least amount of equipment to play because all you need are nets and a ball.
Also, a lot of kids play soccer during recess so if there is another set of nets the games won’t have too many people and get crowded. These are some of the reasons I think there should be another pair of soccer nets at John Black PS.
Gabriel Hill,
Fergus
‘Liberators of France’
Dear Editor:
Death struck deeply into those who waded ashore on June 6, 1944. Struggling to quickly move from their landing craft to the sand of Normandy beach. Burdened by the heavy weight of their equipment, and the sights and sounds around them.
Before them lay a terrifying array of obstacles waiting to trap, maim and destroy anyone who attempted to challenge the terrible might of the Nazi occupation of France.
Service men and women came from all across Canada. Local militia units like the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Machine Gun) and the Essex Scottish Regiment were mobilized for active war service.
These part-time “Saturday Night” soldiers were busy in their armouries and drill halls, recruiting and training new members. Some would find themselves “storming Juno beach” on June 6, while others arrived sometime later, joining the 3rd Canadian Division as they consolidated their foothold on the Normandy coast.
The liberation campaign slowly progressed mile by bloody mile across France until Paris was freed on Aug. 25, 1944. In its wake were left countless dead and injured, destroyed towns and cities. Names of places became etched into the memories of the soldiers who fought in battles like Bourguébus Ridge, Carpiquet Airport, Caen, the Falaise “Gap”, Vaucelles, and Verrières Ridge. The campaign to liberate France from its occupiers would end up taking the lives of 5,021 Canadian soldiers.
The number of war veterans who fought in the liberation campaign have steadily declined as the years have passed.
Fortunately, some of these remarkable old soldiers are still living. They are resilient people who followed a path of duty, endured hardship, faced danger and experienced things we could never imagine.
They are proudly known as the liberators of France.
Guy Black,
Coquitlam, BC