‘Colourful messages’
Dear Editor:
We would like to sincerely thank the community of Centre Wellington for their enthusiastic embrace of the Renegade Rainbows project!
There were over 150 residential and business addresses chalked by more than two dozen renegades, creating colourful messages of celebration and inclusion to kick off Pride Month.
Special thanks to Shoppers Drug Mart and District 18 OSSTF Teachers Bargaining Unit for their generous donations of snacks and drinks for the renegades.
Healthy communities are inclusive and when some groups are more marginalized than others, it’s our responsibility to ensure everyone feels seen, valued and celebrated.
Centre Wellington stepped up to this plate in a big way!
Diane Ballantyne and Rev. Ann Turner,
Fergus
Not a fan of bridge art
Dear Editor:
Beauty may include elements such as form, symmetry, proportion and harmony.
The new art installation at the Badley Bridge is sadly lacking in these qualities.
It is unfortunate that a prominent entry point to Elora is now marked by a structure which detracts from the aesthetic of the community.
Bernie Wallace,
Fergus
Consultation lacking?
Dear Editor:
RE: Fergus resident opens Little Free Pantry, May 27.
In regards to the “little pantry,” it would have been respectful if neighbors were consulted and in agreement with your project!
I understand your concept but it is an eyesore and what’s going to happen when intoxicated teens think it’s fun to throw the contents into the street? Also, there is a concern about raccoons and mice to take into consideration.
Maybe you should have put more thought into the location or at least contacted your neighbors on your idea?
Walter Michalcewicz,
Fergus
Might vs. right
Dear Editor:
RE: What of Palestinians, May 27.
T. Patrick Doyle’s letter is rather simplistic in view and does not show an understanding of history. Both situations, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) versus the Uyghur Muslims and Israel versus the Palestinians involve intractable religious conflict. Each person has to decide whether he will support freedom of religion or might-makes-right.
In the Uyghur Muslim situation the CCP has the religious view that materialistic atheism is right and they rule by might. The CCP also persecutes Christians and Falun Gong adherents in the same way they persecute the Uyghurs; our media doesn’t say much about that. The western world generally thinks each person has the right to their own religion and their constitutions protect that right. This is why the west generally condemns the CCP’s persecution of the Uyghurs.
In other situations, Muslims are the abusive power over people who hold to a different religion. OpenDoors, an organization which tracks the most dangerous countries for a Christian to live in, reported this year that 33 out of the 50 most dangerous were Muslim dominant countries.
In the Israel/Palestine conflict there are other issues involved in who supports which side. Modern Israel exists as a result of the Fascist Germany-caused Holocaust; western people tried to make up for that horror by wanting to give Jews a homeland to be safe in so they encouraged them to go to the Biblical land of Israel. Unfortunately, they didn’t think about the people who were already living there for 2,000 years since the Roman Empire destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD, killed many Jews and removed the rest into slavery.
These Palestinians justifiably hate those who pushed them out of their homeland. Another wrinkle is that some denominations of Christianity believe that Jesus will not return unless the Jews rebuild the Old Testament temple, along with other Israel-centric happenings, and so they support the state of Israel. These Christians, especially in the U.S., vote for Israel-friendly candidates, which is why the USA gives mega-bucks to Israel. Of course, religion is mixed in with this conflict too; none of the three religions are going to change their tenets of belief. In this case, Israel has the might but is it right? Can this history be undone? Shall we throw out some other people somewhere to make a homeland for the Palestinians or a different one for the Jews? It is an impossible situation to solve and the best minds have repeatedly failed to do so.
Canadian governments and politicians also have no solution and the best they can do is try to stop each side from killing each other, which I think is what Mr. Chong is trying for.
Of course, it would be best if Mr. Chong states his own position and I hope he will do that in this newspaper.
Jane Vandervliet,
Erin
Hospital, clinic separate
Dear Editor:
Groves Memorial Community Hospital is not affiliated, nor responsible for the operations of the privately owned Trailside Medical Clinic (TMC).
Any questions or concerns regarding the clinic’s paid parking, please direct to TMC.
Alison Armstrong,
Communications and stakeholder relations manager, Groves Memorial Community Hospital
‘Do something’
Dear Editor:
I just saw a photo of a huge old growth tree which had been cut and stripped and loaded onto the back of a huge flatbed truck in BC. I sat here and cried. It is the body of our grandmother or grandfather, the nurturer, the safe harbour, the home, the creator, the lungs that breathed for us and cleaned our air for many generations. How long will it take to replace the irreplaceable?
Now it is a dead body. Greed did this. Neglect of our children and grandchildren did this. Expediency did this. A deep ignorance and indifference to the natural world did this. Our looking the other way, wanting more and more things to fill the void that our disconnection with Earth has caused.
So we slaughter her creation, burn, cut deep, slash, poison and deprive her of the simple things that have made this Earth a breathtakingly beautiful planet, our home.
So many of us are house proud and want only the best in our homes. How about having the best for Earth. How about making sure that we nurture, feed, give generously to her. We are, at this point, like selfish greedy children who haven’t learned the lessons that our mother, Earth, has taught us: gratitude, respect for the natural world, responsible stewardship, love, generosity, a sense of the value of loving exchange: we give what we can to nurture this Earth and she returns that gift millions of times over.
Fight for old growth trees. Realize that working towards, and making even small sacrifices to save the planet is the choice to give our kids and grandkids a future. How tragic it will be if we don’t act.
All the rare and the abundant beauty of the world will become a memory of old folks, or high resolution photos archived in some museum. Imagine the deep sadness and anger of future generations! We will be truly known as the creators of the second “dark ages.” Do something.
Gerry Walsh,
Erin
School closures
Dear Editor:
At the time of writing, the debate continues, “Do we re-open schools in June, and for what purpose?”
You better believe we should – the question remains, “Is the government willing to do what needs to be done?”
We have been through two years of total chaos in the education of our children. It began with the work-to-rule campaigns and the withdrawal of services by teachers in the fall of 2019. Since the spring of 2020, well, we don’t have to re-hash that ongoing disaster! Remote learning hasn’t measured up to what it was designed to accomplish. Parents have had additional responsibilities dealing with managing the family home under very adverse conditions, and trying to take on additional duties normally attributed to the teaching profession.
We now have a window to get the train put back on the right track. Let’s use the first half of June to first highlight fundamental learning skills absolutely paramount for the next grade. Use the remainder of the time to assess via standardized tests (which already exist) to determine the correct placement of each child for September. Yes, our traditional grade system will need to adapt to more like the university-style where any one child may be in differing educational levels at the same time. Perhaps we need to semester the school year, so that instead of repeating an entire year, a further option be to divide the school year into shorter semesters.
Suggestions where students have to repeat the entire year because of COVID, simply are not fair to students who have been following the protocol of home study. They deserve the right to prove just what they have done.
Criteria for advancement, I suppose is the old 60 per cent standard, (although let’s hope that our car mechanic gets our brakes done correctly more than 60% of the time, or our family doctor gets his diagnosis right more than the same number.)
Of course we can’t penalize any student who is struggling or who has not been able to adapt to online learning too harshly. Nor can we insist that child deal automatically with curriculum two years past his/her current level of ability. For that reason, we cannot embarrass any individual by placing him/her more than, for example, one year out of chronological age.
Let’s hope that a June re-entry be used wisely in establishing the correct placement for the coming September. Let’s give our children a chance to recoup the necessary skills and knowledge and subsequently prove they have the ability to move forward competently in their education.
Yes, standardized tests are only one tool of assessment, but they are tried and true. Proving our ability in later life is a fact be it in professions, business and industry. Without being too harsh, these are realities in the coming years required from us all.
However, automatic placement into the next grade level is equally unjustified. But that discussion is for another time.
Ron Johnson,
Mount Forest
Supports statue idea
Dear Editor:
Loved the article about Jack MacDonald and his generosity to Elora. I had the good fortune to meet Jack and Mary when they visited the village for the grand opening of the municipal centre. They were wonderful people. Jack was warm and friendly and Mary was outrageously outgoing. She had lots of bawdy tales about mad runs to Las Vegas during prohibition.
And Jack fully explained to me the odd circumstance that led to his generosity to the village. He basically paid for the Elora arena when the old one was condemned as unusable. Jack had never before set foot in Elora, but his father had, and remembered the village fondly. Jack said his elderly dad told him to “do something nice for Elora.” Jack’s reply, which I remember to this day, was “Why didn’t you do something?” Jack sent, I believe, $10,000 (U.S.) a year for a number of years, and told me he would have been more generous had the American tax laws allowed.
I think his will and bequest demonstrate that he wasn’t just talking.
I was amazed to watch two multi-millionaires out talking to complete strangers and feeling right at home. I also got to see their amazement the day they left the Elora Mill Inn. They went for their bill and were shocked to learn it had been covered by Elora village.
A statue for Jack is a must, and I wouldn’t mind seeing one of Mary with him if this pandemic ever ends.
David Meyer,
Chatham
‘Kindness of young folk’
Dear Editor:
Leaving the bank last week, my friend, using her walker, and I walked slowly to the car.
A young man in his car (small, white with a black convertible top), got out, came to our car, and lifted the walker into the trunk. Thank you; you have restored our faith in the kindness of our young folk!
Elaine Boyes,
Fergus
‘Follow the science’
Dear Editor:
The May 27 Advertiser contained a letter that began with a simple premise; namely, “all vaccines work.”
I would refer the writer to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention 2004 report on the Rotavirus (RRV-TV) vaccine. This obviously invalidates the premise.
Instead of making this terrible situation an ideological fight wherein anyone – including scientists and medical doctors – who asks legitimate questions is cast as a lunatic enemy of the state, would it not be safer to, as Dr. Fauci has said, “follow the science?”
Dr. Byram Bridle, an Associate Professor of Viral Immunology at the University of Guelph (and a self-declared pro-vaxxer), discusses peer-reviewed studies that deal with vaccine side effects.
Instead of getting into vitriolic, rhetorical exchanges and engaging in behavior-shaming and virtue-signaling, let’s try to keep an open mind and follow the science.
Terence Rothwell,
Wellington North
*Editor’s note: Reactions can occur with all vaccines, but serious side effects are extremely rare. Recent studies suggest that receiving a COVID-19 vaccine significantly reduces the risk of developing the illness and also significantly reduces transmission. Anyone who is concerned about COVID-19 vaccines should consult their physician.
Gotta go green
Dear Editor:
The era of burning fossil fuels is coming to a close. What are the signs?
1) Since 2011, universities, churches and many other organizations have divested approximately $14 trillion from coal, oil and gas investments.
2) In the Netherlands, a court has ordered Royal Dutch Shell to reduce its carbon emissions by 45% over the next nine years. 61% of Chevron’s shareholders supported a proposal to cut emissions released when consumers buy and burn oil and gas. At ExxonMobil, new board members want the company to prepare for a world with a diminished appetite for oil and gas.
3) Automobile manufacturers are starting to phase out gasoline vehicles. By 2040 Honda will produce only electric vehicles; by 2035 General Motors will do the same; and by 2030 Ford will sell only electric vehicles in Europe. A federal bill has been introduced in the U.S. requiring that by 2025, 50% of vehicle sales will be zero emission vehicles (ZEV) – 100% by 2035.
4) Enbridge line 5 which provides natural gas to Ontario, is meeting stiff opposition as it crosses Michigan. The governor wants to close it down.
5) In Canada the carbon tax on fossil fuels will continue to increase each year by at least 10%.
In light of the above, what can we do?
1) Consider making your next vehicle either full electric or a plug-in hybrid.
2) Solar panels on your roof with battery storage can provide a lot of your energy requirements, particularly in spring through fall.
3) If you need to update your furnace, consider an air exchange or geothermal heat pump.
4) Switch from heating water with natural gas to electricity, particularly if you have solar panels.
5) A good first step would be to replace your gas lawn mower with a battery-electric mower.
6) Since home heating and cooling requires a lot of energy, improving insulation and reducing heat leaks is always cost effective.
7) There’s a new federal Greener Homes Program which will provide up to $5,000 to help with most of the above suggestions.
Doing nothing is not a sensible option, neither for your bank account nor for the environment.
Ron Moore,
Hillsburgh