Letters to the Editor: December 24, 2022

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reduce poverty

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Many events have happened in recent years, including the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, strikes. Other phenomena continue to occur, including climate change and poverty. While not all of them can be stopped, we can prevent each event from causing further damage to our society.

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All of these events have affected each of us. The impact on those who have less has been greater. Now that we have faced these difficulties, however, we should embrace the lessons and change our ways to enhance security, stability and prosperity.

Investing in international solidarity is known to be successful, which means increasing Canada’s International Assistance Envelope (IAE) by US$1.9 billion over the next three years can also be successful. It’s just a small part of the total budget. Although this action, which could have a major impact, depends on the government, it does not mean that individuals cannot support it.

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By expressing your support for this initiative, we can influence the decisions of our Parliament. If the government recognizes that Canadians support the idea of ​​helping to reduce poverty, this action may be easier to carry out. Let’s do #StopPoverty.

Alice (Siyoon) Kim, high school student from London

Assume innocence

Regarding Dave Mathers’ letter to the editor, Let Chiefs Decision (Dec. 13)

While I’m also frustrated that cops are getting paid while they’re suspended and facing charges, I have to ask people how they would feel if they were charged with a crime and their employer stopped paying them. Mathers suggests that if a suspended officer is found not guilty, he would get back the withheld pay. Aren’t we innocent until proven guilty? And how can you fight back without money?

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Steve Thompson, London

Feed hungry children

It’s hard to believe that there are children in Canada who are starving, but it’s true. According to Statistics Canada, 1.15 million — or one in six — Canadian children under the age of 18 are food insecure. This number has increased since 2007.

Food security exists “when all people have, at all times, physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”

Food insecurity exists when people do not have access to basic needs as described above. I believe that one child starving is one too many.

There are people in Canada who have difficulties every day. Many children do not even know when or where their next meal will come from.

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There are many Canadian families who need our help.

R. Strang, Sarnia

Not a zoo fan

As residents living within two blocks of Westmount Shopping Center, we strongly oppose the Reptile Zoo’s plan to open in the mall and their request to receive an exemption from the Animal Control Act and allow exotic animals to be kept in the mall.

There are several health departments, government offices, restaurants, gyms, and other retail businesses in the mall that I believe will see adverse effects from having a reptile zoo as a neighbor in the same building.

The zoo may be a great new attraction for a short while, but once all interested local schools have toured the zoo, visitor numbers will drop and the zoo will begin to reduce operating costs to remain profitable, and the reptiles will suffer. This will add to the negative impact on the mall’s other branches.

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I see the mall shops disappear in time and we will have another abandoned mall. So much for the neighborhood.

Ted Beernink, London

let voters choose

A US Senator recently resigned from the Democratic Party to run for independence.

This also happens in Canada. This shouldn’t be allowed.

Politicians are elected by voters, often based on their party affiliation. When a politician decides to break with his party, he has betrayed his voters’ trust and consent to represent them in the party they belonged to when they were elected. They broke their contract of employment with the constituency.

Why would such a politician continue to profit from misrepresentation?

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A politician who changes parties during his term in office should face a by-election to give voters the opportunity to choose another representative.

Bill Calvesbert, Brantford

money overboard

Against the better of the Senate Defense Committee’s 2017 recommendation, the federal government ordered six new Arctic patrol vessels from Irving Shipbuilders. The committee pointed out problems such as B. only being able to function in ice a meter or less thick, only being able to operate in arctic waters from June to October and being accompanied by a Coast Guard escort.

Since taking charge of five of the six ships, most have been plagued by problems including poor welds, inoperable firefighting systems (sounds important) and, more importantly, diesel engines for propulsion and electrical power that are not working. These multimillion-dollar vessels only have a one-year warranty that has expired, and the additional millions needed to fix the myriad of issues will be borne by none other than Canada’s taxpayers. In hindsight, perhaps the government should have jumped for the extended guarantee.

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It also begs the question of whether Irving Shipbuilders has ever built a ship before.

To recap, billions of dollars for ships that can’t perform the simplest task have been ordered against the better judgment of a committee of ex-naval officers, and they come with the same guarantee you get for a $50 Timex clock would be received. What a great call from the federal government.

Will anyone be held accountable? No chance.

Steve Matthews, London

Fees not a problem

Several letters to the editor have been written about the impact of Ontario’s Bill 23 on municipal development fees charged to developers.

Listening to Home Secretary Steve Clark speak, you’d think these fees are the only thing that makes new homes so expensive.

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Development fees are only a small percentage of the total cost of a home. Eliminating these fees will not make homes more affordable.

The cost of land, labor, and building materials has risen sharply in recent years, and there’s no escaping that unless Clark wants us to subsidize his developer buddies.

By no means should municipal installment payers, who have all paid their own property fees, subsidize developers when there’s no guarantee they’ll lower the price of a new home, let alone build affordable ones.

The 444 municipalities in this province must really defend themselves against this, otherwise they are threatened with a revolt by the taxpayers.

Ken Ray, London