A Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation employee removes U.S.-made wine from the shelves in February, 2025.Ingrid Bulmer/Reuters
Like the other
Re “Peace in Ukraine would require an entirely different Russia to emerge” (July 17): Contributor Nina L. Khrushcheva makes the point that Vladimir Putin launched his war with Ukraine to project strength. Thus, ending it under pressure would mean doing it from a position of weakness, something he would not accept.
Donald Trump attacked Iran for similar strongman reasons and cannot seem to find a withdrawal from an untenable situation that would not be humiliating. The world is trapped in the egos of these two men.
Jon Baird Uxbridge, Ont.
Re “In Dagestan it’s always elbows up” (July 21): Dagestan is “ethnically diverse” largely as a result of Russian settler colonialism. A truly representative photo could have been of a widow of a Dagestani soldier killed in Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Andres Kasekamp Professor of history, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto
Push back
Re “There is no appeasing Donald Trump, or deterring him” (July 22): Donald Trump’s latest tariffs have nothing to do with rational bargaining strategy. And it may be true that nothing we do will make much difference to the outcome.
But when premiers such as Danielle Smith, Scott Moe and Christine Fréchette take our best bargaining chips such as critical minerals, energy and potash off the table, they add to our vulnerability. If they can’t be helpful, they should be quiet.
Regardless of the odds, when a bully forces us into a fight, forget about elbows – we have to get our dukes up.
Ian Smillie Ottawa
When Donald Trump first threatened tariffs against Canada, the country did a thorough search for leverage but found limited pressure points against an economy much bigger than our own.
The energy card was briefly on the table, but Alberta protested emphatically, rightly arguing that our dependence on exporting crude to the United States was a result of federal aversion to pipelines to the Pacific.
But dependency goes both ways. Now, with the backdrop of the war with Iran, gas prices spiking and fertilizers in short supply, taxing Canadian crude exports to the U.S. would exacerbate upward pressure on U.S. gas prices.
Alberta’s discontent has been partly abated by federal commitment to build a new pipeline and buy-in from British Columbia. With U.S. midterm elections getting closer with each passing day, this is how Canada can squeeze Mr. Trump where it hurts.
Ben Kong Vancouver
Companies that lose 10 per cent or more of their markets often struggle to survive: Tourism in U.S. cities such as Las Vegas is struggling; Kentucky bourbon distillers and California wineries are laying off staff or shutting down. Few American products or services cannot be purchased from other countries.
On the other hand, I grew up in Kamloops, B.C., and lived in Cranbrook, Vernon, Nanaimo, Prince Rupert and Prince George. I read news stories about thousands of people losing their jobs in sawmills and pulp mills due to executive orders signed by the U.S. President. I will happily visit New York and drink California wine again after he is removed from office.
Until then, the day-to-day purchasing decisions of hundreds of millions of Canadians, Mexicans, Italians, Japanese, Germans, South Koreans, Indians and others can collectively impact American corporate bottom lines.
Donald Trump can’t force Canadian households to buy American products.
John Shepherd Richmond, B.C.
Re “Debt and doubt” (Letters, July 21): A letter-writer complains that the government is not a private corporation. But that doesn’t mean Mark Carney needs to consult us on his day-to-day and longer-term thinking and tactics, thereby diluting his whole approach (on our behalf) to dealing with Donald Trump.
At this point, I completely trust our Prime Minister to do what he has to do, without telling everyone what he’s up to.
Brian Tansey Ottawa
Licence to ride
Re “What should be done about the scourge of e-scooters?” (July 21): Decades of public health research tell us the same thing: People walk more when they feel safe doing it. And nothing erodes that sense of safety faster than fast-moving, often near-silent e-bikes and modified e-scooters sharing the same narrow strip of pavement.
A collision doesn’t even need to occur. The mere presence of that risk is often enough to push pedestrians off trails they no longer trust, quietly undoing years of public health efforts.
Protect the spaces where walking stays safe, enjoyable and accessible to everyone, which means infrastructure, enforcement and speed limits that put pedestrians first alongside separate, purpose-built facilities for higher-speed micromobility.
Walking trails, parks and shared pathways exist to encourage physical activity, social connection and healthy aging. A genuinely healthy city is one where an older adult, child and someone walking their dog can all step onto a trail with confidence, not apprehension.
Ediriweera Desapriya PhD; department of pediatrics, faculty of medicine, University of British Columbia; Burnaby, B.C.
Whichever way you look at it, two-wheeled electric vehicles are, generally speaking, a menace, and to pedestrians in particular.
In Ontario, why not amend the Highway Traffic Act to make it illegal to ride these vehicles on sidewalks and bicycle paths? Furthermore, owners should be required to obtain licences from the Ministry of Transportation.
Such measures would add another layer of bureaucracy. But to do nothing except lament the harm being done to life and limbs is no solution either.
As for enforcement, surely the police could be more proactive in making our streets safer and more tranquil for everyone.
Andrew Lumsden Ottawa
The risks posed by e-scooters and e-bikes also include significant and dangerous fires.
Our son is a leading firefighter with the fire brigade in London, England. They answer frequent calls to fires caused by cheaper aftermarket lithium-ion batteries.
The fires can be explosive, spread very rapidly and burn incredibly hot. The dangers are multiplied when e-scooters and e-bikes are stored in apartment hallways and lobbies. Closer to home, Toronto Fire Services is also sounding the alarm about these risks.
Controlling micromobility devices on our roads and walkways is a complex problem. Defining and enforcing safety standards for the attached batteries is something that can begin more immediately.
Martin Birt Uxbridge, Ont.
All for one
Re “Spain manages to win a World Cup during FIFA’s cash-counting award show” (July 20): Perhaps Argentina deserves a FIFA “Peace Prize.” Through their extreme lack of sportsmanship, they managed to unite supporters of rival nations behind one simple cause: anyone but Argentina.
Spain deserved the trophy for a disciplined, composed performance. But in an increasingly divided world, Argentina brought millions of soccer fans together, if only in opposition to them.
Peter Rozanec Toronto
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