The Gordie Howe International Bridge in July, 2024.Dax Melmer/The Globe and Mail
Fair share
Re “Trump threatens to block opening of Gordie Howe International Bridge” (Feb. 10): In a previous life as president of the Ontario Trucking Association, I helped lobby for a second land crossing at the Windsor-Detroit gateway.
In 2010, I was credited with proposing that the new bridge be named after Gordie Howe. Donald Trump’s latest harangue aimed at Canada, this time over ownership of the bridge, would surely have caused Mr. Howe to get his famous elbows up.
To get the bridge built at all, Canada has footed the entire bill including millions of dollars in community benefits in Windsor and Detroit, an undertaking to employ construction tradespeople from both sides of the border and even the building of a U.S. customs facility in Detroit.
Canada will recoup its costs through tolls. Is Mr. Trump signalling that the United States would now be willing to pay its fair share for this essential infrastructure project?
Of course not. I have to shake my head.
David Bradley Burlington, Ont.
Whereabouts
Re “Where’s Mark Carney? Sadly, not where he should be: the Olympics” (Feb. 10): Railing against our Prime Minister’s absence at the Olympic Games feels inexplicable.
We are fortunate enough to have a leader who will travel the world to protect our economic health, but to want him to perform for the crowds in Italy as well? Performing for crowds is the venue of Donald Trump and Pierre Poilievre.
I am content to have a leader who has his priorities straight.
Lorna Green Lindsay, Ont.
Instead of appearing at the Olympics to drum up goodwill for Canada, Mark Carney will attend one of the world’s top security conference in Germany to meet with other global leaders and discuss major issues in defence.
From my perspective, it is a far better use of our Prime Minister’s time and effort to build up our defence capabilities at home, as well as diversify our economic and security partnerships abroad, than competing with Snoop Dogg for glad-handing honours at the Olympics.
Ronald Carr North Vancouver
Add-ons
Re “New submarines will require extra gear after delivery to operate under ice, navy head says” (Feb. 9): This purchase is emblematic of the military’s woeful history of procurement and lack of foresight.
Isn’t it like buying a glass-bottom boat without the glass?
Edward Carson Toronto
Luck be a Liberal
Re “The overlooked story of Canada’s politics: The luck of the Liberals” (Feb. 5): “Developments beyond Mr. Poilievre’s control – all manna from heaven for the Liberal Party – took him down.” I beg to differ.
Pierre Poilievre had a double-digit lead in the polls. Assuming he could be the next prime minister, he did little to bolster what looks like a light résumé.
He did nothing to cultivate relationships with international leaders and similarly did not try hard to create relationships in business circles domestically. He never met the bankers he so often criticized His mantra was criticism, not ideas.
Now the Conservatives have given him another huge vote of confidence. That’s not luck – I believe it’s stupidity.
David Chalmers Toronto
When something happens repeatedly over decades, the reason isn’t luck.
The Liberals have benefitted from a series of exceptional leaders, some of whom were better campaigners than actual governors, but all highly skilled in the political arts, including the ability to pivot. The bench strength of the Liberals, often overlooked, is usually vastly superior to its primary conservative competitor.
In the last election, both parties faced the same threat from Donald Trump; the Liberals were the ones who successfully pivoted and changed focus.
That wasn’t luck, that was skill.
Frank Malone Aurora, Ont.
Eye care
Re “Ontario’s optometrists urge province to expand services they can provide” (Report on Business, Feb. 4): It is suggested that expanding optometrists’ scope into lasers and surgery would improve access, despite few documented access gaps for these procedures.
Framing the debate around a technical example of corneal foreign bodies misses the broader issue: This is not about microns, it is about recognizing disease, managing complications and protecting patients.
Laser and surgical eye procedures are not minor extensions of optometric care. They are surgeries that carry real risks, including permanent blindness. Across Canada, no province currently permits optometrists to perform laser or surgical procedures, reflecting a clear principle: Surgery should be performed by surgeons.
Ophthalmologists complete medical school and five years of intensive surgical residency. Expanding procedural privilege in optometry without equivalent training risks avoidable harm and increased system costs.
We support collaboration and thoughtful scope evolution, but access should never come at the expense of quality or patient safety.
Mona Dagher MD, FRCSC; president, Canadian Ophthalmological Society; Montreal
Richard Weinstein MD, FRCSC; president, Eye Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario; Toronto
Google MD
Re “About half of Canadians are turning to AI for health information, survey says” (Feb. 10): I think “access to care” is missing the point.
In our right-now society, the only way I can compete with artificial intelligence is if my patients could text me 24/7 and I could reply as quickly as AI. I can’t.
Some patients use these tools in the waiting room before seeing me. I routinely ask, “What did you Google or ChatGPT?” to ensure I address the inevitable terrible disease their search suggested. These can also be conversation starters and I find it helps people engage in their care.
I offer same-day urgent appointments, reply to urgent voicemails, do palliative home visits, follow my patients in hospital and e-mail them. My group also runs an after-hours clinic six days per week.
I doubt greater access will lessen AI’s inevitable moves into the health care space.
Benjamin Reitzel MD CCFP; North Bay, Ont.
Top score
Re “Even with a vibe interpreter, ice dancing remains a world that’s difficult to decipher” (Sports, Feb. 10): This really got my hackles up.
Yes, figure skating is one of the “judged” sports, so there is no puck in the net. Yet we have worked to add measurable criterion to separate the best from the less skilled, and to credit elements well done and penalize those that are not.
It feels like columnist Cathal Kelly has been prey to every rumour he had ever heard about “shrouded mystery,” “questionable judging,” etc. As a former member of the International Skating Union’s ice dance technical committee and a person involved in creating the current judging system’s more quantitative analysis, I would love to attend an event with Mr. Kelly to dispel some of the mystery.
Ann Martin Shaw CM, Toronto
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