Fergus is a city?
Dear Editor:
RE: Entrance signs welcoming people to the “City of Fergus.”
So now we are a city?
Well that was quite the surprise – is this a “turn of phrase” or just another political decision without town consensus? It’s frustrating enough to have a densification agenda downloaded from the province, to which it appears the developers are in control of, but coupled with a council seemingly unwilling to halt the rapidity of progress and say “no” to putting the proverbial cart before the horse is disturbing
There is no blame to be laid, no individual to be single out, but why, when the majority of constituents oppose a proposal or initiative, does it seem our voices are never heard, and certainly not acted upon? The apparent lack of respect is more than frustrating.
We are placated with empty words only to see no visible action in favour of the constituents – from the ridiculous notion of bike lanes on a busy truck route, to contentious allowances favouring over-height buildings with insufficient parking, to parking bylaws that penalize residents’ parking privileges in favour of growth and tourism … and now we are a city?
What the heck happened? How does a growing town all of the sudden become a designated “city” overnight? When were we, the constituents, the residents, the taxpayers consulted about such a terminal decision to rebrand our town? Is Elora still a “quaint village” or is it now a burgeoning metropolis?
For goodness sake, give your heads a shake, take a moment of pause and consider what is being destroyed in the process … under the guise of “progress”.
Deb DePasquale,
Fergus
*Editor’s note: An official with Centre Wellington Township told the Advertiser the sign on Highway 6 at the southern entrance to town stating “City of Fergus” was made in error and installed by the provincial Ministry of Transportation. The township expects it to be replaced soon.
What about Hwy. 7?
Dear Editor:
Well, here we go again. Premier Doug Ford gets the federal government to drop environmental reviews and gets his pet roadway built, which no one wants, goes through environmental sensitive areas, and removes good, necessary farmland.
But what about the planned Highway 7 between Kitchener and Guelph that has been in the planning for over 20 years? Hardly any thing has happened in the 20 years except for some highway realignment in Kitchener, and every time construction is announced, it gets delayed, or has no available funding.
As far as I can see, Highway 7 is not high on Mr. Ford’s list and we apparently don’t have congestion on the existing Highway 7.
Any person over the age of 70 will have no hope of ever travelling on a new Highway 7 at the current rate of congestion and construction.
Paul Roberts,
Fergus
Barn door left open
Dear Editor:
RE: Province ‘cracking down’ on phone use, vaping at school: Lecce, May 2.
There is an old saying: it’s like shutting the barn door after the horse has gotten out.
The barn door has been left wide open and all the horses have galloped off for a long time already. I sincerely hope this new approach can work for the future of all of our students and the teachers.
I do believe change is needed.
Liz Hughes,
Puslinch
The gift we all need
Dear Editor:
Think of a time someone made space for you. Or a time you needed a second chance: when a person offered you the gift of a fresh start.
Can I suggest that it’s time we, as a community, consider offering spaces and second chances to some of the people among us who need it the most right now? As I write this, young, well-intentioned men are sleeping outside in our town and young families with newborn babies are preparing to move away from Wellington County to find the only housing options that will receive them.
In both cases (and many more like them), these citizens have tried daily and weekly to find a place to call home in our community. I can personally attest to their efforts, coupled with hundreds of hours of social service efforts and resources, to achieve stable lives here.
Of course, there is a shortage of affordable rent for individuals and families making a modest income or requiring social assistance. Most of us know that and that problem must be addressed.
But what actually makes me lose sleep at night is the explicit, outspoken stance of some of our housing management companies who pre-judge suitable tenants based on letters like “OW” and “ODSP” on their application forms.
Words like, “They might be drug users,” “We just don’t want any problems, here,” and “Working professionals only” are not uncommon when I accompany our most vulnerable citizens through their housing search. Even when my accompaniment comes with guaranteed rent payments and a team of fellow service workers partnering to help re-stabilize those who are giving their best effort at starting again, putting their feet and head on a bed rather than the ground, and receiving the gift of a mailing address so new employment and health services can apply to them.
Ontario’s Human Rights Code states “Every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to the occupancy of accommodation, without discrimination because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability or the receipt of public assistance.”
I attest that this is not always upheld by some of our ever-expanding housing management companies in Wellington County.
This must change. Or else, alternate options must be presented for the most vulnerable among us to receive the gift we’ve all needed in life: a little space and a fresh start.
Corey Parish,
Fergus
‘Not unreasonable’
Dear Editor:
RE: “Canada not that bad” and “Ignoring energy facts,” April 25.
Every week I am glad to read the Wellington Advertiser, including the editorial and letters.
There were two letters against the carbon tax April 25. One reason stated by a car driver was that China is the highest emitter, and does little to improve! That reason is confounding. One reason our emissions are less is that our population is much less than China’s.
For decades it has been written by scientists and others that we’ve caused serious global warming, mostly because of our lifestyle. A carbon tax is not unreasonable. I don’t pay the tax because I don’t have a motor vehicle.
Carbon tax revenue should be used by our government to finance more mass transit. The 1995 Report of the Ontario Task Force on the Primary Prevention of Cancer says, in part: the negative environmental impacts of vehicle emissions, including global warming and acid rain, may be causing irreparable damage to our ecosystem and threatening our health. It suggests taxing car use to subsidize less polluting forms of travel.
Electric vehicles are not the answer. Car use causes congestion and fatal collisions, such as the April 29 one on 401 near Whitby with four people killed.
We’re safer and more comfortable in a bus or a train.
Helen Hansen,
Guelph
*Editor’s note: The federal government’s price on carbon does not apply solely to gasoline for vehicles.
Too much plastic waste
Dear Editor:
If you are waiting for the government to do anything, call me in the year 2100.
Only you can stop this garbage. Turn back the clock 60 years when soda pop came in glass bottles that were returnable. Laundry detergent came in cardboard boxes, ice cream came in cardboard boxes. All this and more came in cardboard or glass.
If you want to help save the planet, stop buying products that are in plastic containers; make the companies put them back in glass bottles, cardboard boxes. That will go a long way in helping save the planet. One more thing: my water tap works fine with no plastic waste.
Robert Kay,
Palmerston
‘We can only hope’
Dear Editor:
RE: ‘Simple solution,’ April 25.
I received my card which made me eligible for the dental care plan beginning May 1.
In response to the letter in your editorial section, I called Sun Life. I would like to inform others you cannot apply directly to Sun Life for reimbursement. This dental plan was not well thought out by the “specialists” who created it. Millions of dollars were wasted on consultations to create a plan that at this point is useless. It’s very frustrating for the card holders.
If you could apply directly to Sun Life, it would certainly alleviate a lot of the frustration. However, that is not the case. Sun Life will only accept claims made by the dentist who did the work, I was told.
I spoke to a “specialist” who said they are working on something that may come into effect in July. We can only hope.
Juanita Pero,
Fergus
Definitely ‘rural’
Dear Editor:
RE: ‘Hypocrisy,’ May 2.
As I look out my back window, I enjoy seeing the crescent moon on the door of my outhouse.
At night, when I look out my front window, it is totally dark. There are no street lights on our gravel road. My well water is good and once a week I take my garbage to the dump.
If Wellington-Halton Hills MP Michael Chong would like more proof that I live in a rural area, tell him to wander by.
Jim McClure,
Crieff
Asphalt manners
Dear Editor:
People of all ages ride bikes for recreation and transportation. I, and many others who enjoy this sport, have noticed we are encountering increasing issues with some people with whom we share the road.
There are laws which all of us need to follow for the safety and enjoyment of everyone. On all sides of this issue there are people who follow the rules, skim the edges, or just plain don’t follow the rules – and flat out don’t care. Those of us on bikes need to follow the rules, wear appropriate safety equipment, be visible, pay attention, be considerate and respectful of those we share the roads with.
We who drive vehicles, at an average weight of two tonnes or greater, have those similar responsibilities to follow the rules, be visible, be considerate and respectful of those we share the road with. People are imperfect, cyclists included, but this is not a valid reason to intimidate with your vehicle by intentionally driving within inches of a cyclist, pulling alongside and revving your engine, or turning aggressively toward someone.
That’s a person on a bike that weighs very little in comparison to your vehicle. You can kill them. You can cause great harm.
We might frustrate you, or slow you down, in what you consider your space – but realize it’s our shared space. We are allowed to be there too. We do not anticipate, nor do we deserve, your rage, your momentary frustration that we are in the way and can just be run off the road.
We are your grandparent, mother, father, son, daughter, sister and brother. Your person. Have a care – don’t hurt us.
Cheryl Chambers,
Fergus
‘Lack of respect’?
Dear Editor:
Do you know that Members of Parliament can vote with their riding and represent the people that voted them in if they choose to do the right thing?
If the MP does not agree with the Liberal or NDP leader and they wanted to refuse the carbon tax, any of those MPs could have decided to be a representative of the people in their riding on the carbon tax and become an independent MP. They would have sacrificed their Liberal or NDP status, but these days, I think they would have gained the respect of their constituents, knowing they stood for what was right and what the people who voted for them wanted.
Wouldn’t it have been refreshing to have Liberal or NDP MPs ask their riding what they wanted regarding the carbon tax and vote according to the wishes of the people?
I am totally disturbed by the lack of respect the Liberals and NDPs have shown for the democratic process and the wishes of the people in their respective ridings. The prime minister didn’t vote for the MPs; their constituents in the ridings did and they deserve better than MPs sitting in parliament ignoring the wishes of the people, as they did when they voted in the carbon tax.
The NDP leader continues to prop up the Liberals so that despite the call for a new prime minister in polls, the NDP Leader has ensured Mr. Trudeau remains our prime minister.
The NDP leader might as well be a Liberal. We should understand that our Members of Parliament have choices and the Members of Parliament should remember they have obligations to their constituents who voted them in and also to the country. That is an MP’s job!
Carolann Krusky,
Fergus
‘Immense gratitude’
Dear Editor:
We write this letter with immense gratitude and a heart full of appreciation for our wonderful community and dedicated volunteers who made our annual book sale a tremendous success this year.
Our community came together May 3 to 5 in a remarkable way.
The efforts of our volunteers, from organizing and sorting books to assisting patrons and managing logistics, were invaluable. Their hard work and dedication ensured a seamless and enjoyable experience for all. The generosity of businesses and donors of materials were essential and much appreciated.
The success of our book sale not only speaks to the generosity and support of our community but also highlights the importance of promoting literacy and access to literature. The funds raised will go a long way in supporting the Elora Festival.
There is a lost and found at the festival office in the Elora Centre for the Arts. A few items of value were found on the floor of the sale.
The book shed at the foot of Maiden Lane will reopen in June for donations to next year’s sale.
Jan Durban,
For the steering committee of the Elora Giant Book Sale
Supports police
Dear Editor:
On March 5 I was riding my bicycle when I noticed someone had dumped garbage not far from our house.
As I approached the bag it wasn’t garbage at all. It was warm and soft. It was a beautiful, large-breed female dog. She was severely injured from very unnatural causes. She had succumbed to her injuries.
After calling the appropriate animal services with no success, I then called the OPP. In a very short time, a police officer arrived on the scene. Shortly after a second officer arrived. They were so caring and as disturbed as I was.
I want the police to know I appreciate you and support you every day.
Wendy Martin,
Rockwood
‘Easy way out of life’
Dear Editor:
We have become a culture that neglects it’s elderly, disabled and other vulnerable citizens.
Rarely do we offer them our time. Leaving their needs unattended, we do not show these people that they are loved, and their mental health declines.
Without love they see no reason to live, and eventually they consider suicide.
Offering doctor-assisted suicide tells these people that their lives are not worth our time or energy. Medical assistance in dying (MAID)offers them an easy way out of life, rather than a loving way to live life.
Our vulnerable family members, friends, and neighbors, must be loved, and protected from euthanasia.
Elisha Holwerda,
Arthur