Letters to the Editor: October 28, 2023

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Glorify Maggie

Regarding the artcle Gold caps record-setting Games (Oct. 25) I suggest we celebrate the wonderful achievements of swimmer Maggie MacNeil by renaming the London aquatic centre the Maggie MacNeil aquatic centre.

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Al Hobbs, London

Green bin bling

We have had experience with green bins in Oak Bay, B.C., before moving here.

Two important additions are needed. Biodegradable liners for the kitchen container, which were sold by our B.C. municipality in rolls of 100, are essential. Without them, throwing the waste directly into the green bin attracts animals and starts to smell, and here in London, in the winter, we have shutoff our garden hoses.

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Next is a pair of bungee cords, which are needed to close the green bin lid, unless it comes with a lockable lid. Animals find their way into the bin without them.

Alex Porzecanski, London

Need garbage cans

The city has created a beautiful addition to Springbank park at the greenhouse near Wonderland Road, with new walkways, lots of benches and picnic tables and flower beds. There is one glaring omission.

There are no trash bins. I have seen people searching for a place to dispose of their litter without success. There are bottles and cans being strewn on the lawn, which destroys the aesthetic beauty that has been created.

Surely the city can afford to provide receptacles for trash.

Allan Turner, London

Rating not banning

In her column, Avoiding resistance supports censorship (Oct. 21), Robin Baranyai plays fancy free with her interpretation of the word “banned.”

Webster’s definition is: prohibit use or distribution. The state laws to which she is referring do not prohibit the use or distribution of books, they categorize them. Certain books are deemed unsuitable for younger children, as many things in life are.

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There always has been an adult and children’s sections in libraries. Under her definition, a movie rated restricted is banned.

In the column, she states: “educators can pick titles from the new collection.” That’s not banning, that’s choosing. Are these choices subjective? Certainly. But no more or less subjective than the choice to allow children access to all books.

An adult guiding a child in the choosing of a book is not banning. It is, in fact, a part of our obligation to our children, to guide and educate them.

Al Gretzky, London

All together now

I am a member of a singing group in London. Every week, we practice lovely songs and always include Let There be Peace on Earth. Israelis and the Palestinians should sing it together, to create positive reinforcement, stop the war and be friends.

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.

Bobbie Vanstone, London

Singh in the way

When will Jagmeet Singh and the NDP realize they are in the way of true democracy?

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Siding with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and keeping him in power through a formal agreement is not what the citizens of this country voted for. If not for the actions of the NDP, a vote of non-confidence could have been held to remove Trudeau from office.

Dave Currier, Ottawa

Try changing lanes

Regarding the letters Limit deliveries (Oct. 21) and Dissuasion needed (Oct. 25).

Letter writers Robert Webb and John Woolsey obviously have not tried backing a windowless delivery truck out onto a busy arterial road. The potential of running over a pedestrian or colliding with moving traffic is much greater than parking on the road.

The saving grace is an attentive driver can see the parked vehicle ahead of him, giving him time to change lanes.

Let’s not make a challenging situation into a hazardous one.

Walt Lonc, London

Cut carbon tax

Typically, the government is trying to make the grocery store giants look bad because food prices are high.

Personally, I think the government should be cutting any carbon taxes related to food production and transportation.

All of the people between the farmer and the grocery stores have a mark-up related to their costs so they can stay in business. The government is not looking in the right place to curb high food prices.

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Bob Ward, St. Thomas

Selfish politics

Tasha Keiriddin’s column Diaspora politics and the Liberal foreign policy (Oct. 26), is dead on.

I have never figured out Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s response to situations requiring a reaction or comment. There seems to be no rhythm or reason. Now, I understand.

I just assumed the reaction would be for the good of the country. Instead, they all have been for the good of himself or the Liberal party.

Take any issue: SNC-Lavalin, Black Lives Matter, unmarked graves, ethics charges, the Black entrepreneurship program, Bill C-231, Trudeau parroting the World Economic Forum party line verbatim. They all have been for the good of him or the Liberal party.

I look forward to his final photo op in which he concedes defeat. Time has long past to send them packing.

Wilf Brockmann, London

Seniors unite

I am a senior citizen of this great country but I do not belong here because I am older than 65.

I cannot apply for rebates, life insurance, and if I do, I have to have a person younger than me to speak on my behalf because I am too old to know that the answers I would be giving would not be true statements.

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I know everyone is getting increases in wages, but seniors have not even been mentioned by the federal government, probably because they are too busy giving themselves raises.

Are we not the ones who fought wars, worked for wages of about $1 an hour and put in long hours to raise our families without child benefits? Are we not the ones who paid taxes past the age of 65 and thought it was degrading to apply for unemployment insurance and never collected from the government?

The cost of living has increased to the point where the money we put aside is depleting very fast, because when we were young most of us thought we could retire on $3,000. a month and that would give us a very good retirement.

I think it is time the old-agers like myself got ourselves a union organizer to speak for us and devise an action that would be the same as going on strike.

Can you imagine all us old timers stopping government in its tracks?

Remember, our health is now letting us live longer, not better and some kind of action could be a possibility,

Len Deyelle, London

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