A truck drives past the passenger entry point at the U.S. and Canada border in Surrey, B.C.ETHAN CAIRNS/The Canadian Press
Drawing lines
Re “Immigration bans worsen the problem they’re meant to solve” (June 6): It is argued that the United States, and by implication Canada, are making problems worse by trying to control them.
I find what the U.S. is doing these days indefensible across the board, but as noted elsewhere (“The tightening of Canada’s asylum laws was an inevitability” – June 5) Mark Carney’s border bill is a good start. We are in an untenable situation with roughly one million immigrants unlawfully resident in Canada, the Immigration and Refugee Board overwhelmed and monthly asylum claims unsustainably high, all while we seem unable to distinguish between economic immigrants and asylum seekers.
According to polls, Canadians believe that we need to control our borders and return to traditional levels of immigration, not give up on trying to manage our situation because we fear making it worse.
Brian Northgrave Ottawa
Re “Conservatives raise privacy concerns over powers in government’s border security bill” (June 6): When a government uses the Emergencies Act to deal with the truckers protest, it should come as no surprise when it also uses Donald Trump’s false claims about fentanyl coming from Canada to increase the powers of security forces at the expense of personal liberty and freedom.
The new act would give authorities permission to search mail, seek information on internet use and inspect warehouses and other facilities if they suspect something illegal might be under way or planned. They would no longer have to seek a warrant from a judge, one who might find their suspicions insufficient.
The act’s title, the Strong Borders Act, feels Orwellian. Oddly, it’s a bit like Mr. Trump’s distortion of laws and facts to reduce steel imports: a bit of a stretch.
Ed Whitcomb Ottawa
Uncalled for
Re “Stephen Harper calls on Canada to mend ties with India” (June 3): Stephen Harper’s advice to the government to mend ties with India should warrant a response.
He feels that he has the right to comment when former prime ministers should not comment on or tell the government of the day what to do. Since his company also has a contract with the Saskatchewan government to expand trade relations with India, his comments should be considered a conflict of interest.
I think that he must not advise the government on its policies.
Habib Dhalla Vancouver
Energy sink
Re “Alberta grid operator’s power cap could thwart province’s AI data-centre ambitions, critics say” (Report on Business, June 6): Energy supply is not limitless, and many sources involve fossil fuels. I think we have to triage energy allocations.
It seems to me that maintaining electrical power in big cities and rural areas for residents, ordinary businesses, manufacturers and mass transit surely takes precedence over big energy drains just to power artificial intelligence.
What are Canadians’ priorities? I do not think it is good idea to let the tech industry drive decisions on energy, nor how we come to terms with the impact on climate change of increased private sector energy users.
Diverting energy supply from the general population to advance an unproven driver of Canadian productivity or innovation should be examined closely – and proven – and the analysis should be shared widely.
Lyn Cummins Toronto
Roaming charges
Re “Alberta farmer’s stint in jail highlights controversy over supply management” (June 5): While this farmer may be a scofflaw with respect to (or, perhaps, without respect for) Canada’s supply management system, it seems he has been doing right for the chickens under his care.
According to Canada’s National Farm Animal Care Council’s code of practice for the care and handling of pullets and laying hens, a hen can spend her laying days confined to a cage as small as 432 square centimetres, or 67 square inches (slightly larger than one-quarter of a Globe and Mail page).
Based on the accompanying photos of this farmer’s barn and pasture, even if he had 10 times the number of chickens, it looks like they would still be living a rich life compared to their battery-caged sisters on large-scale farms.
Brooks Rapley Toronto
Service levels
Re “Same as ever” (Letters, June 5): Back when our universal health care plan was sprung, I remember it was doctors who fought hard to stay at arm’s length from the employment relationship.
I’m not sure how adding benefits would result in more doctors entering primary care. I suspect that if one doctor group gets benefits, then all the others would want it.
I’d also suggest that the primary care desert likely has more to do with many doctors refusing to work where they are needed, rather than compensation.
Doctors are not on salary because most don’t want to be, preferring a fee-for-service model that allows for extra billing. It appears the changes a doctor letter-writer is prescribing merely deliver the best of both worlds for the profession.
Yes, sadly, it seems that not much has changed.
Ward Jones Richmond Hill, Ont.
Higher calling
Re “Marc Garneau, first Canadian in space, remembered for aspirations he held for his country” (Obituary, June 7): Many Canadians may not remember that Marc Garneau also took an important position against Canada’s cluster munitions legislation.
Wording added by the Harper government enabled use of these munitions by allies in combined operations: A Canadian could fly the plane while an American dropped the bombs. While Canada had supported the ban on the weapon because of the harm it can predictably cause civilians, the clause opened up a loophole.
The bill passed despite heavy criticism, and the law still requires repair, but Mr. Garneau had stood up and rallied in defence of principle and innocent lives. Bravo.
Robin Collins Secretary, Canadian Pugwash Group; Ottawa
Marc Garneau’s historic journey aboard Challenger in 1984 not only symbolized Canada’s entry into human spaceflight, but also showcased the country’s burgeoning technological prowess.
As someone deeply involved in the technological landscape at the time, I recall with pride how a UNIX-based programming language developed by my small software company played a pivotal role in that mission.
This piece of software was entrusted with running the most challenging payload applications. Mr. Garneau served as payload specialist; working closely with the UX-Basic-controlled experiments ensured the success of the mission’s scientific objectives, a testament to Canada’s quiet yet significant contributions to space technology.
As we reflect on Mr. Garneau’s monumental contributions, let us also remember the myriad unsung Canadian heroes – engineers, programmers, visionaries – who worked behind the scenes to make such missions possible. Mr. Garneau’s life reminds us that with vision, determination and collaboration, Canadians can reach for the stars and beyond.
Frank Hsu President and founder, UX Software; Toronto
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