Betting issue
Dear Editor:
RE: Grand River Raceway celebrates opening of new 5/8 mile track, June 20.
Front page news of a new 5/8 mile track that should boost overall betting activity. That’s a thing of beauty, a goal to be desired and celebrated is it?
Just wondering.
Roy Pegg,
Orton
‘Entitled’ group?
Dear Editor:
RE: Centre Wellington looking at 6.3% property tax increase in 2025, June 20.
So it seems council and township staff are discussing increasing our property taxes again. I believe that “no” should be the appropriate response. There is but one taxpayer, and we are being hit at all levels of government with new or increased taxes, on top of inflationary pressures on our household and business budgets. Town staff and council need to get spending under control and frankly learn to do more with less.
If we residents are expected to find the money to cover a tax increase, then I expect to see some sacrifices made by council and staff. Here are but a few suggestions.
First, any staff member making over $100,000 a year will no longer have any professional or association fees paid for by the town. If they make that much in salary, they can foot the bill themselves.
Second, non-mandatory training is cancelled. This is to include any conferences and seminars. I am not sure why we residents are paying to send councilors and staff out of town for non-mandatory training and conferences when there is a cash crunch. Do the training that is required by statute, and that is it. If they wish to attend non-mandatory training, they can pay for it on their own.
Finally, council can show they understand that sacrifices need to be made by taking a 10% pay cut. Most residents, unlike the councillors in 2023, cannot vote themselves a 16% pay raise prior to property taxes being raised. Nobody on council campaigned for the position saying they were doing it for the money. They sought election to help and better the community. So a pay cut should not matter to them.
Will any of this happen? No. Given the performance of council and staff, they will believe they are “entitled to their entitlements” and vote to increase property taxes.
Rob Hardy,
Elora
‘Wonderful’ idea
Dear Editor:
RE: Students unveil “Team Addy” sign in honour of Addison Hill, June 13.
Kudos to Avery Gordon, Shanna Beggs and Marcelle Ladner for taking the initiative to remember Addy Hill in such a wonderful way.
Although Avery, Shanna and Marcella “will be leaving the school in a few weeks” it is my hope that this will become an annual event. It is so rewarding to learn that everyone in her school “knew and loved her”.
A sincere thank you also to the Advertiser for its coverage of this important event.
Ned Ridley,
Fergus
‘Failed to listen’
Dear Editor:
I am writing this letter to let everyone know how disappointed I am in how Minto council handled a petition signed by 900 taxpayers.
When the petition was first presented asking council to recognize all Minto residents in the flags and banners being flown in public spaces, the presentation was hit hard with words like “discrimination” and “hate,” and council did not ask anyone to be respectful but let it fester.
The petition was aimed at council for spending a lot of time and money recognizing one group in our diverse community, yes that happens to be the Pride group who know how and when to approach council.
Council has announced they cannot support neutral spaces. I hope council has figured out how they are going to let all residents know about the revised commemorative policy and who determines which applications will be recognized. Has this contentious issue been solved with this revised policy? I do not think so.
Neighbours, families, friends and volunteer groups are going to be discussing how Minto town council failed to listen to 900 taxpayers, for a long time.
Lynda Alexander,
Minto
‘Hypocrisy’
Dear Editor:
RE: Pride “privilege,” June 20.
I am happy to sit down and have a discussion with Claudette Stevens without a table. I believe that Pride isn’t about debate.
I have lots of hopes and dreams for my LGBTQ friends and family. The biggest is just simple acknowledgement. This isn’t a choice, or an agenda, or an ideology. This is who they are. This is how they were born.
There is, however, a clear anti-Pride and anti-LGBTQ agenda. I would be happy to talk about my LGBTQ friends and how they are amazing contributors to society, amazing friends, and amazing parents. I am sad to have to talk to about higher rates of mental health challenges and suicide. I am sad to talk about the hate and abuse that has gone on for years and still happens today. That’s what Pride is about and we can do that in a simple conversation if she is willing to have that.
But these might not always be easy discussions. You don’t have to like Pride but you don’t have the right to stop it, regardless of your religious or other beliefs. We are righting a historical wrong like we do with Black History Month and Indigenous Peoples Day. We should do more.
Now let’s say it isn’t about a religious aversion to celebrating Pride. Let’s accept that the real concern of recent objectors is about tax dollars and “mandatory celebration” and extend that logic to other areas. Churches don’t pay any municipal taxes, are exempt from most capital gains taxes, don’t pay (or are credited) most sales taxes. Because of charitable status, gifts to churches are tax deductible. If someone sends their children to a private religious school a portion of the fees may be deducted from income tax. This is not the case for those that send their children to secular private schools. In a very real way, my taxes are subsidizing their children’s religious education (my children were educated in the public school system).
Christmas is a “mandatory celebration” as is Good Friday. They are not only mandatory days off but employers are required to pay staff for the day. Why not just let them have a table to talk about their organization, perhaps provide some informational material and maybe a raffle to raise some money?
To be clear, I am not advocating for a change to all of that (although I’d love to have that conversation with some of my religious friends who decry high taxes). I am highlighting the hypocrisy around complaints of money spent on rainbow crosswalks and flags.
Let’s just have Pride for those of us who want it and the others can survive the month unscathed. I’ll tolerate your intolerance if you will tolerate my acceptance, acknowledgement and celebration of the LGBTQ community.
Looking forward to the conversation.
Michael von Massow,
Elora
‘Stubborn and spiteful’
Dear Editor:
I have listened closely for last few days to the roll out of changes to the capital gains tax and trying to see where the fairness described lies. This all sounds good until the hard questions get asked.
The intent to tax only the wealthy falls short. I know personally a few friends and relatives who over the years have purchased rental properties with the goal only to boost their retirement income by one day selling these properties to retire not wealthy but with a livable income.
Let’s not forget the doctors, who years ago incorporated their practices to shield against this to avoid provinces from paying very high pay so they would stay here rather than go to U.S. and be paid two and half times more.
The answer, the finance minister says, is they will include doctors in this and provinces should just pay them more. One day if this government is around and the social programs all recently added are all downloaded to provinces like the original health care system was, who will pay then?
If I know more than one of these hard working people who have worked and ground their way through life, so do many others.
The finance minister is tone deaf and the Liberal Party is too stubborn and spiteful to listen to the official opposition, which got more votes than them, and instead chooses to listen to the fourth-place party instead.
Kudos to the Conservatives for taking those few weeks to study this.
Doak McCraney,
Guelph
‘Wonderful stories’
Dear Editor:
RE: Kelly Waterhouse’s column, Belly, June 13.
Kelly, you have the idyllic little farm you have always dreamed about. You are lucky to have the talent as a writer to make a living at it (they say there is nothing more difficult than comedy to be successful at).
You have two wonderful children and a husband that sounds like the perfect match for you. Recently you and he had the privilege of introducing yourselves to your readers (it sounded like he was very popular with them, just as you are). It is unfortunate that your medical history at one time was horrific and it made me very sad that you had to go through such a trying and very dangerous time health wise.
I don’t understand why a grown woman would be intentionally hurtful to you. What she said sounds like something a not very nice teeny-bopper might say. I would surmise, considering the above information concerning you and your family; that the green monster may have made an appearance in the guise of this person. Keep up the wonderful stories, Kelly.
Christy Doraty,
Fergus
Elora doomsayer
Dear Editor:
On Thursday June 20 I parked at the post office in Elora. I was in and out in fewer than five minutes. In that time, our local parking authority diligently gave me a ticket for not parking within the diagonal lines.
Of course, he/she had no way of knowing that I was not one of the tourists flocking to see the quaint hamlet of Elora, but still, it felt like someone was skulking around looking to pounce on anyone who could add to the township coffers. Guilty as charged. No dispute there. But the post office parking lot in the middle of a weekday? Really?
We live in a house that was built in 1856. Tourists flock to Elora, not Fergus, for many reasons like white water rafting, canoeing, kayaking, fishing and such, but most of the visitors come to see the village with its old buildings and quaint locally owned boutiques.
It appears that the developers and the politicians don’t care about how this town is rapidly transforming itself into “just another tourist attraction” at the expense of promoting the rapidly growing trend to replace history with economic expediency.
There is no housing shortage in the Elora core, but building three- and four-storey apartments/condos that face a parking lot seems to suggest a desire to maximize commercial space regardless of the impact on the allure of Elora.
Good luck with the traffic, good luck with inadequate infrastructure, good luck with ever-increasing mill rates to keep ahead of the unbridled growth. Take pictures of Elora for posterity folks, because it ain’t gonna last.
Moe Jacobs,
Elora
‘Deserve our support’
Dear Editor:
RE: Pro-Palestine protestors call on MPs, U of G for arms embargo, divestment, June 13.
One could get the impression from this article that these protestors making demands of our federal government and the University of Guelph, are taking a stand for a noble cause. After all, they just want to stop the “siege, occupation and genocide in Gaza,” right?
What isn’t mentioned is that this war was started by the terrorist organization Hamas, which governs Gaza and is supported by a majority of its citizens. They started it by a surprise unprovoked attack on Oct. 7 that resulted in the death of about 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, many of whom were raped, tortured and burned, while over 250 were taken as hostages.
Hamas has no qualms about targeting civilians, especially Jews. Hamas has no desire for peace, but has openly proclaimed that they want nothing less than the elimination of the State of Israel.
Sadly, the Israeli attacks targeting Hamas have resulted in the deaths of many civilians, but this is to be expected in a war situation, especially when Hamas places its terrorist centres beneath and inside hospitals, schools and mosques.
Much could be said to refute the foolish and often hateful actions and rhetoric by pro-Palestinian protestors against Jews and Israel. Israel has no doubt made some mistakes during this conflict and at other times, but it is a democratic nation where 20% of the population are Arabs with equal rights.
After examining the facts and the history of the State of Israel, I believe Israel and especially the Jewish people, whether living in Israel or other countries around the world, deserve our support and protection.
Henry Brunsveld,
Puslinch
‘Encouraging’
Dear Editor:
RE: Pro-Palestine protestors call on MPs, U of G for arms embargo, divestment, June 13.
I want to commend your recent article for highlighting Palestinian human rights and local political activism. As a member of the Guelph Jewish Community, I find encouragement in your coverage.
Discussions about Gaza often get wrongly labeled as anti-Semitic, which only perpetuates dominant Western narratives and at times works to discourage articles of this nature.
Drawing from my experience as an immigrant from South Africa, I understand the impact of international demonstrations and media in advancing justice, underscoring the importance of your article.
Your piece sparks essential conversations and calls for us all to reflect on the demonstrations that we have been seeing locally. By amplifying Palestinian voices, it reminds us all of the importance of addressing their pain and struggles.
Thank you for promoting dialogue and providing important background, perspectives, and information regarding local protests.
Debbie Samson,
Guelph
Outdoors is best
Dear Editor:
I’m in grade 7 and I go to John Black Public School.
I think that outdoor learning is much more effective than indoor because if you’re cooped up in a desk all day you will focus less and be more rowdy. If we learn outside we can focus a lot better and get work done.
Plus sitting in a chair all day makes you a less intelligent version of yourself. When I go outside it makes my work ethic go up. People have done brain scans and science experiments have shown that people can work better after going outside and being outside.
And another reason would be if you’re stressed and you go outside you can be calm and get more work done. Also studies show if you’re sitting too long your brain activity goes down.
Jasmine Willard,
Fergus
Water ‘wasted’
Dear Editor:
On June 5 I was walking by the construction on St. David Street in Fergus.
They have a temporary water main coming out of the ground that is leaking water. Initially they put a pail under. On June 21 the pail is gone, replaced with duct tape, with the same result: leaking.
This raises two questions: why has a plumber not repaired the leak? And how many gallons of clean drinking water have we wasted?
Andy Forrester,
Fergus