Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks at a media availability in Ottawa on April 20.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
High ground
Re “Carney says close ties to U.S. have become ‘weaknesses’ that must be corrected” (April 20): It just hit me. For the first time in my life as an octogenarian, my country’s leaders are making it a relatively good place to be in an increasingly chaotic and threatening world.
The final straw for me was U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick slamming Mark Carney’s trade deals with China as “nuts.” It would have been easy for him to respond that what is “nuts” is for the United States to declare a trade war with almost the entire planet and use tariffs as its major weapon.
I’m glad Mr. Carney didn’t descend to Mr. Lutnick’s level: Look what happened to trade negotiations when Doug Ford ran his anti-tariff Reagan advertisement.
I admire Mr. Carney’s ability to remain calm in these tense times as he continues to implement his plan of diversifying trade and strengthening Canada’s economy.
All Canadians should participate in this effort. I’m confident we will succeed.
John Pitts London, Ont.
Future-proof
Re “Canada is behind in the global drone race. But not for long” (Report on Business, April 18): I’ve been ranting for some time about the need for Canada to look to future defence technologies such as unmanned drones for air, water and land operations in lieu of traditional manned submarines and fighters. So I was pleasantly surprised by this comprehensive article detailing the work of many Canadian companies.
However, I can’t help wondering how many more such advances we could support if we redirected the billions of dollars proposed for F-35 fighters to these future-oriented systems.
Bryan McConachy West Vancouver
Better spent
Re “Oil industry leaders are putting economy, environment at risk, former minister Catherine McKenna says” (Report on Business, April 20): For the first time ever, this Calgarian, a former engineer in oil and gas, agrees with Catherine McKenna.
I find the Oil Sands Alliance’s proposed carbon capture, utilization and storage network project, estimated to cost $16.5- to $24-billion, inadequately addresses greenhouse gas emissions.
The largest source of GHG emissions in the oil sands is the burning of more than four billion cubic feet per day of natural gas for operations. Instead of more natural gas production, spend those billions of dollars on low-carbon sources of electric power for the oil sands such as hydropower and small modular reactors, then export liquefied natural gas.
Exported LNG would eliminate air pollution wherever it displaces coal and diesel, increase Canada’s balance of trade and supply high-demand Southeast Asian markets.
The proposed CCUS project, then, is a classic example of not seeing the forest for the trees or, at worst, an expensive taxpayer-subsidized boondoggle.
Mike Priaro Calgary
Never know
Re “Ontario fast-tracks FOI changes that would shield Doug Ford’s phone records from public” (April 24): What exactly is Doug Ford trying to hide by fast-tracking freedom-of-information changes? One can only speculate that it’s scandalous, if his need to defy a court order and negate the democratic principles of transparency and open government is so ardent.
It’s unfortunate most taxpayers and voters appear to care little about the Premier’s actions. Participating in democracy is not something we practice only at the ballot box. Silence on this matter would only encourage Mr. Ford to further ignore us.
Jerome Daly Burlington, Ont.
Wrong place
Re “On MAID” (Letters, April 17): A letter-writer argues that limiting the membership of Ontario’s MAID oversight committee to those who fully support the existing system is “a manoeuvre to shut down critiques of medical assistance in dying.”
The purpose of an oversight committee is to ensure the principles established by MAID legislation and the regulations designed to implement it are properly followed. If someone doesn’t agree with some or all of the legislation, they shouldn’t be on the committee in the first place.
My reading is that changes to the committee were designed to ensure its members are open-minded and committed to making MAID work as effectively as possible, and to prevent it being used as a platform to critique the legislation.
Any critique of MAID should occur in the political arena, not on this committee.
Adam Plackett Toronto
Time and time again
Re “Northwest Territories to follow Alberta in ditching twice-a-year clock changes” (April 22): A number of medical problems would be worse under permanent daylight time rather than standard time.
Studies have compared diseases in people living on opposite sides of time zone boundaries. The side corresponding to daylight time showed increased heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, obesity and other symptoms.
Permanent standard time is endorsed by the American Medical Association, American Academy of Sleep Medicine and National Sleep Foundation. Much of Mexico has dropped daylight time.
In 2019, before British Columbia made its decision, I documented this in letters to the then-premier and health minister, but received no acknowledgement. A government survey of B.C. residents did not offer permanent standard time as a choice.
John Sprague Salt Spring Island, B.C.
Deep read
Re “Zoologist explored humans’ animal instincts in the naked ape” (Obituary, April 22): The notable dual characteristics of humour and curiosity distinguished Desmond Morris’s long life.
In a recent interview, Mr. Morris related how he had visited a used bookstore, where the younger sales clerk unwittingly recommended his 1967 book The Naked Ape to its bemused author, with the casual aside that he thought the writer was “long dead.”
Relatedly, it was reported that while living in Oxford, Mr. Morris and his wife purchased an adjoining property solely because his 15,000 and growing book collection required the extra space.
Mr. Morris’s polymathic life certainly left us a richer species.
Toby Zanin Toronto
Built to last
Re “Cosmic catcher: At 25, the iconic Canadarm2 has quietly become an all-star on the International Space Station” (April 18): “How many cars from 2001 are still rolling today? I dare anybody to find any sort of mechanical system from any industry that has been this well behaved over that long of a time.”
We are pleased to report that our 1992 Toyota Previa van is still in use every day by our son. (In Vancouver, I concede, but it did have two years in salty Ottawa.) Odometer at about 486,000 kilometres presently.
There are harsh conditions, be it space, salt or mileage. Our van, like Canadarm2, is definitely not in prime condition, but it is still on the road.
We are impressed by both.
Barbara Mathias Langley, B.C.
Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Globe and Mail. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Keep letters to 150 words or fewer. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. To submit a letter by e-mail, click here: letters@globeandmail.com