A treatment room in the emergency department at the Peter Lougheed Centre in Calgary.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
Building bridges
Re “The PM’s rhetorical fog over a bridge” (Editorial, July 30) I see the Gordie Howe bridge as being no different from any other speculative real estate project that was built with one objective in mind only to see the market change. The decision becomes whether to recoup one’s losses over a longer term or to hold on to costly, non-revenue generating concrete and steel. I believe we made the best decision under the circumstances and I haven’t heard anyone proffer a viable alternative.
M. Ian Bowmer Ottawa
It seems at least some Liberals in the PMO know but are unprepared to share details of the rider to the Gordie Howe bridge agreement. These are the very people who claim to – and should have – our best interests at heart. Many Canadian taxpayers want to know the facts so they can form their own opinions. Is this such an egregious ask? What possible excuse do Liberals have for not coming out and simply telling us what transpired?
Brian Sterling Oakville, Ont.
Victims of war?
Re “On the mend” (July 29): Russia is committing daily acts of terror against Ukrainian civilians. The featured soldiers are the ones carrying out that work. Rather than celebrating their “poignant” mindset, and their magnanimous lack of “hatred” for those who hurt them (i.e. the Ukrainians defending their homes and families), we should be pressing them on why they signed up to participate in an imperialist invasion.
Michael Mysak Calgary
I have read about Russian soldiers as victims of war. They entered the war with both eyes open and with a view to either eliminating Ukrainians because of sheer hatred and/or to make money. I understand the argument to present both sides, but I feel that Russia does not have a side or a justification for this war.
Irene Zakaluzny Calgary
At a time when Russia continues its brutal war, a sympathetic feature on wounded Russian soldiers has no place in Canadian media.
Publishing stories like this risks normalizing Russia’s aggression and creating a false equivalence between the suffering of Ukrainians and Russians. Whether these soldiers enlisted willingly or were coerced, centring their trauma diminishes the vastly greater suffering caused by Russia’s illegal invasion and shifts attention away from the Ukrainian people who have endured violence, destruction and displacement.
Robert Carter Toronto
Health is vital
Re “We must focus on extending healthspan” (July 27) I agree that lifespan is the wrong metric. We’ve become very good at adding years to life without adding life to our years.
Part of why this gap has gone unattended is healthspan isn’t a single problem with a single fix. It’s biology, behaviour and the systems we age within. Progress means getting the science right, then getting it to the public partners who can act on it.
In June, McMaster received a $50-million gift aimed squarely at healthspan. We’re recruiting global experts, funding scholarships for promising students and building research programs that bridge kinesiology and medicine. Muscle, my own field, is one place where an independence gap in later life is won or lost. We intend to close that gap.
Stuart Phillips, Canada Research Chair Hamilton
You can do everything right – eat properly, exercise, control your weight, never smoke, drink minimally, have friends and get to bed on time – but there are two sad truths: Everything wears out and you can only run away from your genetics for so long.
Demented and in pain, my mother dwindled away over many years. Under the current rules, she didn’t qualify for MAID. As painful as it was to watch, I can’t imagine how terrible it was for her.
Yes, we need to do much better on prevention, but the morbidity gap is not going to improve significantly any time soon. We should also offer a dignified end for more people.
Lauralee Morris, MD, Brampton, Ont.
To improve our healthspan we have to plan like systems thinkers. It starts with an engaging, vital education system that prioritizes teaching about healthy living, physical and mental fitness, nutrition and cooking and the benefits of outdoor time, art and culture to our well-being. We need to shift these subjects from the margins to the core of curriculum. And we need to design schools and cities that facilitate these ideas.
Nigel Smith Toronto
As I read this piece and then about the current wildfires, two old sayings came to mind: “To prevent is to avoid having to cure” and “Listen to the whispers of the body before they become screams.” Our physical environment and our physical health are personal responsibilities. Our choices make big differences in many ways, collectively and individually.
Martin O’Connell Burlington, Ont.
Unfair taxes
Re “How much would it take to turn around Canada’s housing and economic malaise?” (Report on Business, July 28) The high housing costs and economic malaise are related. If an investor makes capital gains on assets such as stocks, ETFs or mutual funds, they are required to pay taxes on those gains. Yet capital gains on the sale of a primary residence are tax free.
That’s led to a lot of money flowing into housing, and less into stocks for capital investment in the economy. What’s needed to level the playing field is either a tax on capital gains from the sale of a principal residence, or a tax break on capital gains from stocks for anyone who doesn’t own a home. Whether any government has the fortitude to make these changes, that’s another matter.
Doug Payne London, Ont.
Fanning the flames
Re “Ontario blows fiscal smoke on firefighting” (Editorial, July 28) Wildfires are also raging in Alberta and I believe much of the blame can be put on the provincial government.
In 2019, it shuttered around 30 fire watchtowers in the boreal forest and cancelled the helicopter firefighting rappel program. Soon after it did away with a large number of forest ranger positions, leaving fire management with a crew spread thinly across the province.
With such short-sighted budgeting and lack of proper planning, no one should be surprised when wildfires remain out of control. “Nero fiddles while Rome burns,” comes to mind once again.
Nancy Marley-Clarke Cochrane, Alta.
Game time
Re “Prime to air Wednesday NHL games in 12-year deal with Rogers” (Report on Business, July 29) The president and CEO of Rogers Communications said the Rogers partnership with Prime Video “reinforces NHL hockey as the most valuable sports content in Canada.”
I always thought the value of hockey was in the joy, fun and anticipation of seeing your favourite team win, as well as emphasizing the value of exercise, sportsmanship and healthy competition.
Bruce Hutchison Ottawa
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