Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives at Parliament with MP for Nunavut Lori Idlout, who crossed the floor from the NDP to the Liberals on Wednesday.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
Other side
Re “Of the floor crossings so far, Lori Idlout’s defection will leave a mark” (March 12): We should not be surprised that MPs are crossing the floor to join Mark Carney – for that is what they are doing, they are not enamoured by the Liberal Party.
These MPs reflect polls which show Canadians’ preference for a more serious Prime Minister, after a lost decade of Liberal governance under the previous leader.
Joe O’Brien Halifax
In my humble opinion, floor crossing MPs are double-crossing their electorate. I realize our system allows for it, but that doesn’t mean it is ethical.
If an MP wants to switch to another party, then sit as an independent and wait until the next election. That would be the right thing to do.
Why is it so difficult for so many politicians to do the right thing?
Tony Francis Burlington, Ont.
Great reservations
Re “IEA backs record release from strategic oil reserves to bring down prices” (Report on Business, March 12): Once again, this ongoing war has demonstrated our reliance on oil.
Instead we could have a stronger economy, heathier climate, more biodiversity and far more political stability were we to speed our transition to renewable energy.
I do hope that politicians, both federal and provincial, are now beginning to understand this and take appropriate action as soon as possible.
Richard van der Jagt Member, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment; Ottawa
Friend to friend
Re “As Canada rushes megaprojects, a mental-health crisis in the oil sands remains largely hidden” (Opinion, March 7): Kudos for drawing attention to the hidden epidemic of suicide among men.
While stigma persists, one company that operates in northern Alberta is working hard to change the tide. Partnering with my organization, CSV Midstream has implemented Buddy Up, a men’s suicide-prevention program, across their sites and in their offices.
While men are often reluctant to seek help for themselves, most will do anything to help a friend. This program empowers and equips them to do just that.
We each have a role to play in suicide prevention.
Mara Grunau CEO, Canadian Mental Health Association Alberta and Centre for Suicide Prevention; Calgary
Parlez-vous français?
Re “The French lesson that Canada needs” (Editorial, March 7): As a teacher of French at all levels (elementary, secondary and teacher training at Nipissing University) I have been saying the same things for years.
Yes, core French leaves lots to be desired. For immersion, there is a shortage of teachers with superior bilingual skills.
In elementary school, core French teachers usually do not have their own classrooms and so are often rushing to get to their next class while wheeling a cart of auditory and visual aids. At the secondary level, French teachers compete with math and science to convince students to learn a second language.
I have fond memories of a gifted Grade 9 class where I resorted to bribery: I promised that if they stuck with French until Grade 12, I would take them to Paris.
They did and so I took them on a 10-day tour of France. It was absolutely the right thing to do.
Bonnie Carter Barrie, Ont.
While there has been success in French immersion programs in Canada, there is one major roadblock to student success in core French: the theory that students can “pick up” the language by teachers using only French. As a core French teacher (now retired), I know what usually happens is students become frustrated and drop out after Grade 9.
This is what does work: using English as a first step to understand meaning. This approach results in most students quickly building an understanding of French expressions, as well as of grammar.
Trying to teach Grade 9 classes the use of the imparfait tense using only French is an exercise in frustration for both teachers and students. Once vocabulary and sentence structures have been understood, students can move on to create a variety of projects, both oral and written. Teacher involvement at each stage is essential.
Anne Marie Kanert Waterloo, Ont.
As a former French teacher and principal of a French immersion school, I have seen the positive results of good instruction and strong parental support for French learning.
The problem learners face is a lack of ongoing practice. Language skills unpractised wither away, as does confidence to use them.
Since I retired, I joined a French conversation group where folks who spoke French earlier in their lives are determined to maintain this skill. Beyond Quebec, Canada does virtually nothing to encourage French use outside the classroom.
It is not surprising that most students see little point in learning it. All language learning must serve some purpose. Many Europeans are multilingual because they live and work close to neighbours who speak a different language.
We anglophones can afford to ignore other languages and survive quite nicely, but our lives are more insular and our travels less interesting as a result.
Jim Reynolds Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.
Sleep on it
Re “Early birds have always carried a halo – but what if listening to your internal clock is actually the superior way?" (March 6): That little axiom – “the early bird gets the worm” – has confounded me, an avowed slow-to-rise worm, for much of my adult life. I see no upside in being an early bird, yet all the applause goes to them.
Life in the phylum Annelida brings an element of trepidation each morning. I wriggle out into the morning light only after the chirping on National Public Radio’s BirdNote has concluded at 9 a.m. DET (David Eby Time).
I worm my way into a coffee house queue that has calmed from an earlier frenzy of frothing, card-tapping and texting, flocks of sun-uppers on caffeinated octane having taken wing. The radio backdrop has shifted from a scrabble of half-sentence headlines, traffic alerts and weather updates to the slower rhythm of soothing talk show hosts.
How did we allow “it’s 5 o’clock somewhere” to morph into a 5 a.m. call to action?
Nick Crisp Victoria
I have long suffered from middle-of-the-night insomnia. Then I discovered there are historical records, from many parts of the world, showing that preindustrial and other traditional societies divided nights into first and second sleeps.
First sleep would start after sundown then, perhaps around midnight, people would get up for an hour or two to socialize, do odd chores, maybe have sex. Then second sleep would start and last until morning.
What a relief: I don’t have insomnia at all – I was just born in the wrong century.
Reiner Jaakson Oakville, Ont.
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