Members of the United States' Olympic gold medal hockey team enter the gallery as President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday.Kenny Holston/The Associated Press
Canadian way
Re “No can do” (Letters, Feb. 22): A letter-writer hits the nail on the head: Canadian cities are hamstrung by provincial governments, which have too much control over municipal purse strings.
American and European cities can conceive of and largely fund new projects, or move ahead with vital infrastructure such as transit expansion, without having to go empty hat in hand to another level of government. They may need extra funding from above, but they have their own capital budgets to get moving. Projects aren’t talked to death and conflicting political interests don’t stymie or kill progress.
I lived in Paris and Fontainebleau in the 1970s and early 1980s. Paris was always ahead of Toronto in terms of public transit and other projects. Every time I have returned to Paris, I am blown away by new developments rendering the cityscape more livable and dynamic.
In Paris, change is a constant; in Toronto, it’s an often insurmountable hurdle.
Kathryn Vogel Toronto
Marching in
Re “At the Olympics, politics has always come before sports” (Opinion, Feb. 21): I salute in particular the proposal for an alternate universe in which Olympians march in the opening ceremonies by sport and not nation.
How meaningful and exciting it would be to see all the speed skaters, snowboarders, hockey players, etc., walking in together. This would underline camaraderie among athletes and foreground the sports themselves – things the International Olympic Committee insists is the whole point.
Alexandra Diebel Ottawa
Produced in Canada
Re “Canada’s reliance on the U.S. for our food is a recipe for disaster” (Feb. 17) and “Worth it” (Letters, Feb. 20): This winter, I managed to buy celery from Quebec (please don’t separate); it was perfect and it was lovely to see the province’s name at my grocery store in British Columbia. I bought beets from Alberta (please don’t separate); it was also lovely to see this province’s name.
I bought B.C. shallots, B.C. and Alberta potatoes, Canadian onions, cucumbers, apples, peppers, mushrooms, leeks and carrots. I also buy Nova Scotia frozen blueberries and other Canadian frozen food.
I agree with a letter-writer that we need to scale up. Maybe put the names of provinces and territories on grocery labels to remind ourselves of each unique area that makes up Canada.
Canadian food security should be on the menu.
Jane Popowich New Westminster, B.C.
Nature of art
Re “Free to a good home: Toronto gallery gives away Sybil Goldstein’s art” (Feb. 21): My own story has a different twist.
I am a painter who has exhibited since the early 1980s. I brought all my unsold work from Vancouver to Mission in 2011. Last year, to my dismay, I discovered mould in my storage area. To date, I have destroyed roughly 90 paintings on canvas, wood and paper.
It turns out I’m not alone. In the February issue of Scientific American, freelance science journalist Elizabeth Anne Browne asks questions about the connection between climate change and mould in European art and museum collections.
I don’t live in a dry climate; I think the Lower Mainland has been even wetter and warmer in recent years. I suspect the mould that ruined my work is not of the type described by Ms. Browne. The connection with climate change is real nonetheless.
Another cautionary tale for the public conversation about artistic legacy and succession planning.
Veronica Plewman Mission, B.C.
With care
Re “As a family doctor, the nearly extinct house call is still a meaningful part of my job” (Opinion, Jan. 31), “Door-to-door” (Letters, Feb. 6) and “Right call” (Letters, Feb. 23): We grew up on a dead-end street in a small wartime home, surrounded by trees and lots of siblings. My mom, for quite some time, lay dying on our living room sofa.
Being young, as we all were, we didn’t know she was dying. We knew she was sick and that our family doctor, dressed in black with a hat, black bag and quiet countenance, would routinely visit.
We would often quietly watch as he took out his stethoscope and asked, “Barb, how are you doing?” Upon leaving he’d say, “Take care of your mom.”
We inevitably knew that he, too, was taking care of her and that’s what made him, and his visits, so special.
Greg Enright Hamilton
Life lessons
Re “How science has influenced the life, world view and work of Margaret Atwood” (Arts & Books, Feb. 21): In 1951, Margaret Atwood’s father Carl Atwood was my University of Toronto lecturer on entomology. As he was for her, he was by far the best lecturer we had, drawing insect pictures on a chalkboard and lecturing clearly and interestingly over his shoulder at the same time.
Two years later, I shepherded Prof. Atwood around as a forester in Baie-Comeau, Que. He was hired by my company to assess our extensive limits for any signs of infestation.
Eventually Prof. Atwood said, “You don’t have a problem beyond normal. Lets go fly fishing.” Fortunately I had a fly rod, for that area is known for its trout and salmon grilse, as did he.
Prof. Atwood was as excellent an instructor in fly fishing as he was an entomologist. We hired him for two weeks in each of two summers to assess our limits, and we didn’t bother correcting the need.
Fraser McKee Mississauga
Cap math
Re “Clutch performance” (Letters, Feb. 20): I agree that the Maple Leafs’ lack of playoff success cannot be blamed on Mitch Marner’s performance per se.
Under the National Hockey League’s hard salary cap, if the best players maximize their own earnings, they leave less space to build a quality team around them. If they accept a slightly discounted salary, they maximize the likelihood of team success.
I believe the Leafs keep losing in the playoffs because their non-star players get badly outplayed by the bottom players of opposing teams. Mr. Marner and other top Leaf players have prioritized personal wealth over team success, decisions many angry fans would likely make themselves if they were in the same position.
Eric Stutz Toronto
Hockey hangover
Re “The State of the Union was a zoo – and Team USA the monkeys" (Sports, Feb. 26): So “these people” are uneducated, shallow individuals who have little understanding of how the rest of us live? Tell that to Bobby McMann of the Maple Leafs, who wore a safety vest in memory of a longtime fan who worked at his local grocery store.
If Team Canada had won and Mark Carney invited them to Ottawa, would they be criticized? I think not.
Did Team USA do or say things during their celebrations that, with the benefit of hindsight, they probably wished they hadn’t? Most certainly.
Hockey players are not perfect, just like the rest of us; it serves no purpose to demonize or denigrate them.
Colin Lockhart Carleton North, N.B.
Re “That wasn’t the game, nor the Games, Canada wanted” (Sports, Feb. 23): I’m not the greatest hockey fan, but the loss to the United States left me with a sense of sorrow. Talking with a friend in Vancouver, and later with a neighbour, both said they watched the game and also felt listless and unhappy.
Our sports teams have lost before, but then I realized, like many Canadians, I was looking for an opportunity to show the world the power of “elbows up.” The loss was so difficult for me to accept because, on a psychological level, I was deprived of seeing the successful result of those words in action.
It was a close game and as Yogi Berra said, “You wouldn’t have won if we’d beaten you.” Regardless of any future challenges the country to our south might present, none of us should let anything lessen our determination to continue fighting for a better world.
Let’s keep those elbows up.
Don Fleming Edmonton
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