Alberta Premier Danielle Smith in Calgary in October, 2025.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
Get going
Re “Less forward guidance, Mr. Carney, and more accountability” (April 22): Last year, Mark Carney said we need to “build at speeds not seen in generations.”
I, for one, am still waiting for high-speed action and results.
Tony Francis Burlington, Ont.
Whither democracy?
Re “Possible changes to Alberta’s electoral map put democracy at risk” (April 22): It is outrageous to me that the UCP is rejecting the electoral map created by an independent commission, in what I know to be gerrymandering. The whole point of the process is to keep politicians out and keep it fair for all Albertans. This is certainly not the case now.
I believe Danielle Smith and the UCP have interfered in a blatant attempt to control elections and benefit themselves. All Albertans should be concerned about this.
The UCP can’t get away with what would amount to rigging the next election. All Albertans should make their voices heard and put a stop to this.
Liz Greenaway Edmonton
By contributor Rachel Notley’s logic, she herself should be disqualified for failing to keep the promise of proportional representation, which had been on the Alberta NDP platform for ages while the party sat in opposition.
Ms. Notley succumbed to the temptation that grips winner-take-all politicians in Canada, it seems, abandoning electoral justice for power. I imagine she regrets this self-interested move now.
Too late to give Albertans a vote that counts no matter where they live in the province, now and perhaps forevermore.
Sheri Oberman Winnipeg
Contributor Rachel Notley observes that democracy involves more than simple majority rules. On at least some essentials, democracy requires either a supermajority or putting a question to a non-partisan body.
An example of the first was the requirement by the B.C. legislature that the committee recommending the appointment of a new conflict of interest commissioner had to be unanimous (so not split on party lines). An example of the second is the use of a non-partisan, arm’s length commission to determine the boundaries of electoral division (so not decided by the majority representing the party currently in power).
Traditionally, Canadian legislators have been careful to observe these conventions. To do otherwise constitutes majority totalitarianism; does not take into account that the current majority may not be the majority in the future; undercuts the legitimacy of the whole assembly.
David Phillip Jones Edmonton
Reasons why
Re “A lesson in the importance of showing up” (Editorial, April 20): I volunteer at a local elementary school where I teach reading. I have noticed a distinctly laissez-faire attitude in classroom management.
I see kids wandering the halls, often coming and going at will. Apparently they can get up and walk out whenever they wish.
Having gone to elementary school in the 1950s, this shocks me. The only time anyone was in the hall was when a student misbehaved and was sent there as punishment.
Now, even if they do show up, some kids are effectively absent. Whatever happened to truant officers? They were respected and feared.
We may have to bring them back.
Nancy Marley-Clarke Cochrane, Alta.
There are many factors that affect high-school attendance, but one key factor not mentioned was sleep.
Puberty shifts biological clocks later, making it difficult for teens to fall asleep early and wake up early for classes. My teen’s high school starts at 8 a.m. There is a robust body of scientific literature supporting later school start times.
Research shows that high-school start times after 8:30 a.m. improve student sleep duration, attendance and academic performance by aligning with their natural circadian rhythms. School administrators and policy makers have been slow to embrace this scientific evidence. I’ve been told the barrier in our school zone is bussing and budgets.
Instead of penalizing students, legislation should support students with evidence-based strategies. In light of this data, a wake-up call is needed. Specifically, a later wake-up.
Sarah Barker MD, pediatrician; Orillia, Ont.
I see a new tech twist at play in student absenteeism.
Students no longer rely on a teacher as a “sage on the stage.” In their hands, students hold a universe of information on their cellphones.
Miss a science lesson? Just Google it. No need to attend class.
An English lesson on the revenge theme in Hamlet? Artificial intelligence has that covered.
Board notes to take? Get a classmate to take a sneaky cellphone photo.
And before I retired from teaching, students would text to meet up in the washroom to watch naughty videos. (Administrators discouraged banning washroom visits as there are legitimate bodily needs.)
Students (and their Internet savvy) vote with their feet by skipping class and catching up digitally.
Brian Sambourne Toronto
History on display
Re “Looking back” (Letters, April 22): History is clearly written by the victors. Major-General Sir Isaac Brock has a soaring monument at Queenston Heights that can easily be seen for miles, especially from the New York side of the river.
Major-General Roger Hale Sheaffe saved the day for us by being tactically correct in his assessment of the battle. He has a stone, on site, dedicated to his victory. His monument is small in comparison to his contribution to the outcome.
He was born in Massachusetts, not Britain. I expect those who were in charge of monumentation at the time chose the British commander.
However, all is not lost for Sheaffe. One can hike up the escarpment on an historical trail called “Sheaffe’s Climb.” It is dedicated to his great feat and it hooks into the Bruce Trail at the top.
I encourage readers to come and honour him, and themselves, with a climb into history.
Brian Emes Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.
Perfect places
Re “Here’s why I am not looking for quiet in public spaces” (First Person, April 16): Going out in public to listen to people talking in groups and sharing a laugh (sometimes loudly) are the sounds of community.
I spend my winters on chairlifts with friends at a ski hill. Hearing them laugh on the chairs around me (apparently I am one of the loudest) brings me joy. The hum of respectful people is wonderful.
But having a loud hands-free discussion on one’s phone for all the world to hear? That is rude. There is a reason phonebooths use to be enclosed boxes. Finding a quiet place to answer the phone is polite.
Playing music for all to hear, especially on a ski hill, is uncool. Personal devices should be just that: personal.
I love the hum of community and feeling the vibrancy around me. I thrive on it.
Tony Hofmann Fernie, B.C.
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