‘Extravagant waste’
Dear Editor:
I am writing in regards to the proposal by Kat Florence to extend the number of Christmas lights to all downtown Elora businesses next winter.
I certainly oppose this.
Last Christmas our downtown was ablaze with lights on all the buildings they own. The lights were on every night from 4pm until 8am from December until March.
I live beside one of those buildings with a narrow space between. Although that side of their building has no windows and doesn’t face the street, the eaves were draped with a multitude of lights from front to back which shone into my bedroom windows every night, all night – so bright I could read by them. I know other residents who have also been treated to the light show.
At a time when we should be conserving our resources this is an extravagant waste of energy and money – money that would be better spent on the many local charities that look after our fellow citizens who are in need of the basic necessities of life.
These benefactors purport to be dedicated to heritage. I might regard this as my heritage if I grew up in Blackpool, England; Coney Island or Las Vegas but quiet, quaint Elora?
I am concerned that very wealthy people can come to a small town and proceed to drastically transform it according to their wishes.
Mary Anne Neville,
Elora
‘Abide by the law’
Dear Editor:
RE: ‘Control-minded,’ July 4.
If more and more people would “begin” to abide by the law, instead of treating our streets and highways as though they were on a NASCAR track, the revenue wouldn’t come close to the writer interpreting it as a “cash grab.”
Regardless of the speed you feel you can safely drive on any stretch of roadway, there is a legal limit to be obeyed and a fine may be imposed the “one time” you get caught.
The same applies to other infractions with monetary fines. The rules apply to everyone the same, with no exceptions.
It’s unfortunate that the majority in our society don’t believe in being part of the solution and prefer to take part in the problems of today’s reality.
Karl Demmans,
Mount Forest
Prodded to switch
Dear Editor:
RE: Carbon charge shock, July 11.
Last week, letter writer Paul Roberts asked Advertiser readers to think about the federal carbon tax that adds 15.3 cents per cubic metre to the cost of natural gas for home heating – the price went up about 3 cents on April 1 from the previous levy of 12.54 cents – calling it a “disturbing change.”
The whole idea of a steadily increasing carbon tax is to prod Canadians to switch from burning fossil gases in our homes and cars to far less polluting and climate-disrupting alternatives such as heat pumps and electric vehicles.
This week, readers might well think about another “disturbing change”: the frightening and immense price humans and wildlife are already paying for the prolonged heat domes, windstorms, floods, wildfires and droughts that so many in Canada and around the world are now experiencing.
These extreme weather events are all made worse by burning fossil fuels that overload our atmosphere with carbon dioxide, a climate heating gas which acts like a heat blanket that persists for hundreds of years – even long after we stop adding to it.
The carbon tax is a small price to pay by comparison and, thanks to the federal carbon rebate, it gets even smaller after switching to greener options like heat pumps. Something more to think about.
Liz Armstrong,
Erin
Smelly barns
Dear Editor:
I grew up on a farm and have been in hen houses, but I never thought that I would be driven inside on a warm summer evening by that smell.
Are there no regulations on how close someone can build seven chicken barns to the growing towns of Fergus and Elora?
I live in Fergus and obviously two kilometres is not enough.
Lorne Wilson,
Fergus
Bad dads?
Dear Editor:
I was shocked and uncertain what to do recently when I took my grandkids to a playground in Fergus.
There was a little girl there, all alone, her face painted with makeup. I asked where her adult was and why she was alone. She was eight years old, her dad lived “not far away” and apparently approved of her playing by herself.
About an hour later, another dad dropped off his seven-year-old daughter, told her to behave and drove away.
I was really horrified that two little girls were left on their own. Anything could have happened — from injury to abduction.
Shame on these dads.
Valerie Hill,
Kitchener
Keep it ‘neutral’
Dear Editor:
Don’t follow the U.S., stop Doug Ford’s government from creating politically appointed judges in Ontario.
If you didn’t understand my original letter to the editor about this, you should understand it now that you have seen the insanity south of our border.
To Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott, tell your leader no. Everyone should be telling him no.
Keep Ontario’s system nonpartisan and neutral.
Thomas Althouse,
Fergus
‘Bloated bureaucracy’
Dear Editor:
RE: Centre Wellington looking at 6.3% property tax increase in 2025, June 20.
It looks like the spineless council of Centre Wellington is preparing citizens for another massive tax increase.
They probably will apologize profusely that it is too much and whittle at the margins of the budget and end up maybe at a 5.9% increase. At that point they wring their hands on how hard it has been for the staff sacrifices in our present economic climate and then proceed to self congratulate themselves on how hard everyone worked together to get the new massive increase in property taxes.
I would like to remind citizens that the new MPAC assessments will be coming out next year and there has not been a new one for eight years instead of the usual four years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Industrial properties will face exceptional increases because council arbitrarily jacked up land prices 150% regardless of the economic market conditions.
The splitting of the inflational difference between the CPI and the Non-Residential Building Construction Index is totally disingenuous by the staff.
The operating budget is 80+% labour costs for the staff for heaven’s sake. How stupid for the councillors not to say a firm “no.”
Why are we building a Taj Mahal operations centre for staff while absolutely nothing has been done to assist affordable housing in Centre Wellington? Was that not the so-called election promise? Increasing the quantity of housing starts does not make them more affordable.
What is the real cost of the operations centre? It started at $27 million before our present inflation crisis. Will the interest cost be add to the operational budget so we need even higher taxes otherwise developers will have to add this to the already high housing costs? You betcha.
The original price of $6 million to fix the roof, bathrooms and structural deficiencies of the old buildings is looking very good until we can do a joint operations centre with the county.
Lastly, let us get to the heart of the budget problem. Bloated bureaucracy with no required productivity and efficiency markers like in the private sector. Sorry bureaucrats, you are not special or different.
Some of you need to stop new hiring as if we are already at 55,000 people.
It is just not cost effective.
Stephen Kitras,
Centre Wellington
‘Deeply concerned’
Dear Editor:
RE: “Outright bigotry,” July 11.
“Bigot” is a neat little word with some real negative connotations that has become the trendiest little label in recent times.
I can see why it’s popular with certain people; it can dress up their name-calling to make them sound sophisticated. Burn!
My heart grieves for the souls of those struggling with gender dysphoria, and I am deeply concerned for the well-being and stability of our nation when we normalize and support this confusion, whether it be at drag shows, or simply by waving Pride flags.
If you want to support drag queens, I will pray for your soul too, for this issue is much bigger than just being politically correct.
Doug Vanderveen,
Belwood
‘Council to blame’
Dear Editor:
I am disappointed in Minto council again. Minto council has stated they will not accept nor answer any more questions associated with the petition signed by 900 people.
However, this has not stopped many community members from publicly stating their views on the subject, as reported in this paper. The word hate has been used often by those opposed to the petition.
I am curious, does this word work for both sides of this disagreement or are we in a free country where everyone is entitled to state their opinion with respect for the opposition?
We only have our council to blame for allowing this to develop into a huge division in our town.
Lynda Alexander,
Palmerston