‘Do the math’
Dear Editor:
Canada’s population: 37 million, with about 35,000 COVID-19 deaths; U.S. population: 332 million, with about 918,000 COVID-19 deaths.
Do the math; we did a fair job thanks to most Canadians smartly and unselfishly getting vaxxed and following the mandates. Also I would like to thank the health care workers for tirelessly and bravely doing your jobs in spite of the abuse by some people.
Brian Paleczny,
Centre Wellington
‘Stranger at the door’
Dear Editor:
Protesters against lockdowns and mandates bring to mind an old episode from the Alfred Hitchcock Hour television series. Briefly, a man comes to the door and a lady answers. The stranger offers her $10 million but with one condition: if she takes the money one person, somewhere in the world, will die. She thinks about this, reasons that people die in volcanoes and earthquakes and other catastrophes every day and decides she will go ahead and take the offer.
When the man returns the next day, she says yes to the money and the donor hands over the cash. “Now you have your $10 million,” the stranger says, “But I have bad news for you. Your husband has died in a car accident.” The horrible realization then hits the woman that her own spouse has paid the price for her newfound riches.
This story is analogous to the situation where lockdown and mandate protesters insist that we must all set aside the masks, the vaccinations, the mandates and the lockdowns and just let nature take its course. If people get sick and die then so be it. The world must go on. We will finally gain herd immunity and begin to live our lives again, the way we used to. But at what price?
The stranger might say to them “we will stop all the requirements for this pandemic but only if you agree that someone somewhere will die.” The protestor might say “that is understandable – people die every day,” and they might insist that this is the best way to get back to normal. But in their hearts are the protestors saying, “But do not take my child. Do not take my parent. Do not take my grandmother.” Those who die must come from somewhere else.
But those who die do not come only from “somewhere else”. They come from our own communities and from within our own families. They fill our local hospitals. They are someone’s grandmother or a sister’s five-year-old son. That is why the safeguards against this virus are put in place.
The virus is the enemy, not the citizens and leaders around us who are forced to make terribly difficult and unpopular decisions every day. Our leaders and scientists communicate to us daily about how to best control, confront and discourage this COVID horror that we are living through.
I ask nothing of the protestors who have come to some of our cities to stand against mandates. But I pray that before they decide not to comply with what our society has put in place to fight this virus they ask themselves with total honesty whether they themselves are willing to pay the awful price that is demanded by the stranger at the door.
Jennifer Trott,
Braeside
Pulling support for party
Dear Editor:
I am fully confused. Why does the federal Conservative Party support and endorse these protesters and consider them as “hard working Canadians,” as the party leader has stated.
The protesters have openly waved fascist logos, burned our national flag, disrespected national memorials, continue to break the laws of the country, and ignore how democracy works. They are not working, but able to sit or drive around, trying to disrupt Canadian commerce and people trying to go to work. They have stated over and over their goal is to remove the federal government and replace it. There are many other offences they have committed and continue to do so. These are the people the federal Conservative Party has supported and called “hard working Canadians.”
Fascism, other non-democratic idealistic logic and racism have no place in Canada!
You and your party are fully delusional about what a “hard working Canadian” is. As a Canadian I go to work every day to support my family and my country and am proud to do so. I pay my taxes and respect the laws of the country. I respect and support democracy, even if the party I voted for does not win the election. Just like so many of our fallen country people have done before us, and ones who have and still serving us today. We do our best to make Canada a better place to live in. This is what I consider a “hard working Canadian!”
So far the federal Liberal Party has helped Canadians/business affected by COVID-19 with emergency cash funds, brought in medical supplies and made vaccines available to every Canadian that wishes to get one. It has also brought in mandates and restrictions to help protect everyone in Canada. These mandates/restrictions have changed and will continue to change with the understandings of the virus.
I was a federal Conservative supporter for my voting time. I can no longer support the views and true colours of this party.
Please contact your local MP’s office as they are the voice for you.
Brian Kennedy,
Harriston
‘Wanted the truth’
Dear Editor:
My wife and I took our children to see the insurrection and racism on display in Ottawa. We figured this would be the one time in our life we could see such events in person.
After watching the protestors in America toppling statutes and looting and burning police cars, we were quite curious. So imagine our disappointment after three days, of being unable to figure out where all the trouble was hiding.
We followed the media as they walked around trying to find an camera angle that could maybe support their story. After a few hours of that we tired and realized they couldn’t find it either. We watched BBC reporters desecrate the Terry Fox statute as a table for their equipment.
We watched the police for a while, encouraging them and thanking them for staying calm. No fighting or excitement there either, they just chatted with the truckers and shook their hands.
After three days we began to realize that unfortunately we had been duped. There was no rabble rousing, no flaming police cars, no toppled statutes, no charge on parliament. What kind of pitiful excuse for an violent, racist insurrection was this anyway? A free barbecue? A prayer circle and crowds singing O Canada? People giving my children flags and asking for pictures?
Shame on those who failed to deliver the stories I had been told to expect. How can they think it’s okay to peacefully protest after reading in the news what they are supposed to be doing? They did manage to hold a few back from their livelihood for a few weeks, mostly the city workers as the truckers swept the streets and took away the garbage. But seriously, two weeks? Amateurs. I’ve seen others manage to withhold and attack our livelihoods for two years – now that’s impressive.
I wish the news had managed to capture the truckers forcing out the man with the nasty flag. The truckers placing endless flowers at the monument and statute a few jerks had defiled. The truckers singing our anthem and praying. It would have saved me a trip, and a lot of gas. Why did those reporters have to be on lunch at that precise time?
All joking aside, the closest we got to violence was when a reporter pushed my son off a snow bank so they could have a better shot of the crowd from higher.
Welcome to Canada, folks. I wanted the truth and I went to see it. If you want the truth you might have to do the same.
Joseph VanGrootheest,
Centre Wellington
‘Proud’ to attend convoy
Dear Editor:
My children and I spent five days in Ottawa attending the Freedom Convoy. We had stood at an overpass when the convoy was heading to Ottawa to cheer them on.
However, after reading the news reports of what was going on in Ottawa once they got there, I became concerned that maybe the convoy wasn’t worth supporting. Yet, when I watched videos on the Freedom Convoy’s Facebook page, it seemed completely different than what the media was portraying. I like to know exactly what I support, so off to Ottawa we went.
For five days we walked around chatting with people and handing out thank-you cards to both the truckers and the police. For five days we read reports by the media of the destruction and the angry atmosphere regarding this convoy. For five days I was dismayed by the outright lies by our mainstream media to Canadians.
Trudeau and the media are presenting this event as racist, misogynistic, white supremacist, homophobic and violent. I saw many different ethnicities represented; there were endless women, many of them without a man near her, including tons of moms with their children; I saw many white men, but no swastikas, no Confederate flags, nothing to indicate they were white-supremacists; I saw people thoughout the week waving the Pride flag; I saw many hugs, endless high-fives, singing, dancing – no violence.
This event has even been referred to as an insurrection. There has been a constant presence of protesters in Ottawa for two weeks now, yet there have been no burning vehicles, no statues torn down and, most importantly, nobody has been hurt. Instead, the protesters have been cleaning the streets, doing snow removal, and cooking food for whoever wants it. Insurrection? Just another blatant lie by the media.
Please do not only get your information about the Freedom Convoy from the mainstream media. Be open minded enough to watch the videos coming out of Ottawa from the protesters; you’ll see thousands of peaceful people who just want their freedoms back.
And Mr. Trudeau? You say you will not speak to the protesters because you support Canadians. The fact that we disagree with you does not make us any less Canadian. I am proud to be Canadian, and I am proud that I was able to attend the Freedom Convoy 2022.
Kristin Swaving,
Fergus
‘Real reasons’
Dear Editor:
Have readers become aware that the truckers’ protests have been funded by an outside far-right group?
Truckers have been asked to include their children since these clever funders know Canadian police won’t force strong action if children may be hurt. They can blithely break the law and even create chaos!
It is no longer about wearing masks.
It is causing layoffs in auto manufacturing jobs. It even means we lose fresh vegetables!
Look for the real reasons.
Sytske Drijber,
Rockwood
‘Answer the call’
Dear Editor:
Our government has a responsibility to protect all its citizens. It has reviewed all available data and has determined that the best way to do that is to vaccinate everyone. When your country is attacked, most people will volunteer to defend it. Doing this involves some degree of danger, risk of injury and even possible death.
We have been attacked by a virus and the government is asking all of us (who can) to defend all of us, by taking the risk of getting the vaccine. Our friends, our families and our communities need us. The sooner we answer the call, the sooner we can get back to normal.
Steve Johnson,
Rockwood
‘Thespian’
Dear Editor:
Possibly, a fellow cabinet minster could inform our prime minister that vermin begin to breed as the weather gets warmer.
Prime Minster Justin Trudeau can’t be faulted for this. After all, he’s a thespian.
Jim McClure,
Crieff
‘Need for choice’
Dear Editor:
When vaccines first became available during the COVID-19 pandemic, I wrote a letter in support of them.
I’m a certified (retired) homeopath and I recognize the concerns about vaccines. But I also recognize that a pandemic is when vaccines can be invaluable. They reduce the number of cases reaching the hospitals and ICU. They provide protection against death and serious symptomatic response for individuals. And they ease anxiety.
Having said that, I’m not in favour of mandatory vaccines. Especially not after the pandemic has subsided. The only thing you can count on from a vaccine is that, if you contract the disease, your symptoms may be less severe and you won’t be likely to end up in the hospital. The only reason for their use during the pandemic is to reduce the death rate and ease the load on hospitals.
But when the death rate and hospitalizations are no longer concerns, then COVID vaccines should not be needed. It should be at the discretion of the individual to choose what protection they want.
During the pandemic, I have chosen to vaccinate. But my focus has been on using other measures to minimize the chance of contracting or spreading COVID, including masking, but especially social isolation. I will not choose to vaccinate when the pandemic subsides.
Vaccines can be beneficial, especially when dying is such a real possibility, but there are issues associated with them and therein lies the need for choice.
Marg Gollinger,
Mapleton
‘Issues mounting’
Dear Editor:
Why is Mr. Trudeau and/ or Chrystia Freeland not meeting with the trucker Canadians to hear their issues? In 2015, Trudeau was running to constituents to present a listening, caring, leader. Remember, “sunny days”? Was this just a political ploy or show?
The voice of Canadians in a democracy is worthy of a meeting and compromise. Trudeau needs to give serious consideration to lifting mandates on truckers now. This arrogance on the part of our PM is 100% preventing settlement with the truckers.
This arrogance is also evident in Trudeau’s unkind and hateful comments he has made stating the unvaccinated are racists and misogynists.
Secondly, the provincial leaders are requesting transfer payment from the federal government to provinces to increase emergency bed space at hospitals now, which is reported very low in Canada compared to other nations, and a major reason that we read that hospitals have been at capacity during a pandemic surge. This provision should have been a first step long ago by Health Canada and Trudeau to ensure good health care for all Canadians long ago. Why are provincial transfer payments for health care on hold? Yet Canadian revenue is still flowing to other Trudeau agenda items.
Thirdly, family doctors must be front runners to help their patients with early intervention and care at the onset of early symptoms during a pandemic and they need to be able to write any prescription they feel would provide that care for their patients’ needs, including repurposed drugs.
In addition, the family doctors must have authority and a system to report any adverse effects of vaccines and have guidance in a timely manner to address these immediately. To do otherwise is a disservice to all Canadians.
Fourth, immigration lawyers are backlogged as reported recently, and asking for a halt to immigration until the backlog is cleared. This seems logical and sensible. We have gone through unusual circumstances. We can’t welcome more people into Canada until we have taken care of the people already in Canada properly with sufficient doctors and adequate emergency beds and other provisions.
Canadians must see and understand how these issues are mounting and not being corrected by our Trudeau-led liberal government. It is hurting our nation.
Carolann Krusky,
Fergus
A familiar path
Dear Editor:
The media, Tories, and Premiers Kenny and Moe created a Frankenstein monster and now attempt to make like they don’t own it.
Since when does freedom give anyone the right to spread a deadly illness among the 90% hardworking, law abiding citizens of Canada? Or to prevent hardworking Canadians from getting to work to earn a living, or to destroy the Canadian economy or to take critical hospital beds from other citizens?
Call these people for what they are: the same rabble that on Jan. 6 attempted to overthrow the legally-elected government of the U.S. It’s a group that believes in anarchy and chaos – the exact opposite of freedom.
Stop trying to compromise with them, otherwise Canada will go the same road that the U.S. is going down.
Jim Trautman,
Ontario, California
‘Touched a nerve’?
Dear Editor:
Clearly my letter questioning the bias of publisher David Adsett’s editorial about the protest convoy touched a nerve and he chose to double down and say that my response was fictitious, contorted, make believe and eliminated context to come to my opinion. Really?!
The same dismissive, divisive approach that our prime minister used at the beginning of protest that now has criticism directed at him from all parties including his own at the handling of this situation.
Let me state emphatically that I’m for free, peaceful protest and do not condone blockades or disrespectful discourse. This has not garnered much good will for protestors that may have started with good intentions. As far as being a free country, we have every right to keep our politicians and government in check to make sure those freedoms are not abused.
Adsett only reinforced my argument about people’s right to a livelihood without impediment such as those affected by blockades and equally by those that lose their job for not allowing a vaccine to be injected into their bodies. There are many options to protecting the public besides vaccines.
The truckers were exempt from vaccines and had to submit to testing in lieu of vaccination at the beginning of this pandemic because of them being essential. What changed? What science identifies their risk to others? Not one level of government or public health unit has answered that question.
Our prime minister continues to evade providing any definitive plan about removing restrictions or what benchmarks will be used to lift those restrictions. All other parties have unanimously requested this from his government. Is it any wonder people are questioning his competence or motives?
Speaking of freedoms, it’s interesting to note the government’s attempts to investigate origins of and freeze donations to this protest. Did they investigate and attempt to freeze donations to pipeline and rail line blockades and a myriad of other protests in this country? I think not.
I agree, Mr. Adsett, that we are currently a free country and a great deal of us have been more than patient and respectful. I can’t say that same respect was shared by our government and some segments of the media.
Steve Charbonneau,
Erin
‘For the good of all’
Dear Editor:
A letter writer (Totalitarian control, Feb. 10) made the preposterous statement that we “are falling into totalitarian control over our lives.” If he were to spend just a few days in any country that is under totalitarian control, he would not make such a foolish statement.
It did bring a smile to the lips of this old, irreverent, leftist “small-L” liberal to see a member of the conservative branch of the family accused in another letter (‘Same narrative’ as PM, Feb. 10) of blindly repeating the Liberal government’s talking points.
However, the accusation was baseless. The well-balanced editorial (Freedom for all or free-for-all, Feb. 3) was an example of objective journalism that the letter writer apparently neither understands nor appreciates. Politicians, both federal and provincial, on both sides of the aisle, have made exemplary statements about the best way to combat the pandemic.
Unfortunately other politicians of all stripes have at times politicized the debate without properly thinking through the consequences. The ones that have politicized the issues have done so from a lack of good judgement, not with some evil intent.
All of our health care professionals are near the breaking point. They are true heroes.
Those that tarnish the flag by using it for clothing, decoration and political purposes and those who desecrate the flag with obscene slogans are not.
Wearing a mask and providing proof of vaccination is, at most, an inconvenience. It is simply a public health measure put in place for the good of all.
Bob Adsett,
Moncton, NB
Why no ATVs?
Dear Editor:
I used to really enjoy ice fishing in years gone by but due to my 75 trips around the sun and a deteriorating lower spine condition I am not able to tolerate the four-hour drive (two each way) plus the rigours of being on the ice all day. I reluctantly gave up this pastime for the most part.
Then one day I found the solution to my problems. Lake Belwood is a mere 15-minute drive from home and it now has fish species worth seeking. I promptly went out and purchased a season’s pass to the Grand River Conservation Parks.
Well, my first trip out I decided to take my son along (who also has a seasonal pass) and was very much looking forward to it. I have a spinal condition that greatly limits the amount of walking I can do. It’s all I can do to get myself about let alone carry a bunch of fishing gear. I have an ATV and a swamp buggy that I can use to get myself and equipment out to a glory hole on the lake.
I pull up to the main gate kiosk to show my seasonal pass and the young fellow promptly says “you can go fishing but you can’t use your ATV”. Well in my case that is the same as saying “You can’t go fishing.” I felt sorry for him because he looked like he really didn’t want to say it, and he knew the impact his words really had.
To say the least I was a little crest fallen but decided to drive into the parking lot to have a look at all the fish huts and activity on the ice. What dismayed me the most was the sight of several snowmobiles flogging about amongst the fishermen doing at least 50 to 60km/h.
It was obvious most of these had come past the kiosk as the trailers were in the parking lot. This leaves me wondering why an ATV that is not particularly designed for snow and can only be safely driven at a speed of about 20km/h at best in those conditions has been centred out as unfavourable. Maybe some of the readers here can shed some light onto the logic that was used by the conservation authority when they made this policy.
In my way of thinking, ATVs don’t pollute, are less noisy, and are less of a danger to the people on and around them. I may be biased but for the life of me cannot figure this out, and I will have plenty of time to think about it while sitting back in front of the TV staring out the window!
Ken Holmes,
Elora
Heritage survey
Dear Editor:
Heritage Day will be Feb. 23 this year. The Wellington Branch of the Architectural Conservancy Ontario (ACO) will celebrate our Township of Centre Wellington’s cultural and natural heritage resources with an online public awareness survey.
This survey, with simple yes/no answers, is designed to obtain information as to public awareness of land use planning as it relates to the protection of built-up areas and heritage areas of our historic small towns of Elora, Salem and Fergus.
Your answers to this survey will be anonymous. We seek public input not only from citizens who live in our historic small-town heritage communities of Elora-Salem and Fergus, but from the many people outside of our communities for whom our almost intact 19th century stone structures and neighbourhoods and our Elora Gorge are places they love to visit.
In fact, many visitors will appreciate that the historic towns of Elora-Salem and Fergus contain the highest concentration of municipally-identified cultural heritage resources in Wellington County.
We urge you to take this short public awareness survey by going to the ACO Guelph/Wellington Branch website at www.guelphaco.ca. There, on the homepage, you will find a link to this short but informative survey that will be available until March 17.
In further celebration of the provincially designated Heritage Day, and extending it, we will have window displays of crucial and informative maps in prominent main street windows of Elora and Fergus, alternating in the months of February and March, and further fulfilling the mandate of the non-profit Architectural Conservancy Ontario for education and advocacy, whose motto is: The past. Our present. Your future.
Beverley Cairns,
Wellington ACO representative,
Elora
Making amends
Dear Editor:
Valentine’s day is when we apologize for spending all of the previous day watching the super bowl.
Chris Woode,
Fergus