‘Canada needs to take a leap into the 21st century.’ Readers on rail service, plus other letters to the editor for Aug. 26

Solidarity

Re “Ontario CUPE president rejects call to resign over social-media post criticized as antisemitic” (Aug. 23): Union leader Fred Hahn states that the union has a “long history of solidarity with the people of Palestine.” And here I naively thought that CUPE would have a dedicated and exclusive history of solidarity with its purely Canadian member-workers and a scant history with distracting foreign affairs. After calls from CUPE’s national leadership, its Hamilton local and the Simon Wiesenthal Center for Mr. Hahn to step down, one could only hope that CUPE has a short history of solidarity with Mr. Hahn.

John Budreski Whistler, B.C.

That’s not who we are

Re “A mass bomb threat against Jews? Who could have seen that coming?” (Opinion, Aug. 22): The content and tone of Robyn Urback’s column about the latest public threat of violence against Canada’s Jewish communities vividly highlights the negligence of various Canadian institutions regarding such threats. However, I disagree that antisemitism is entrenched in our society at large; most people I speak with are shaken by the menace facing our Jewish citizens. Our political leadership is not accurately representing us on this issue.

Peter Stewart Ottawa

Not fast enough

Re “High-frequency rail CEO welcomes airline interest in project after Air Canada joins bidding group“ (Report on Business, Aug. 22): In the face of climate change, this entire endeavour comes across as a joke. It is no longer a case of climate change coming, because it is here, now. But here is a federally sponsored initiative to deliver “traditional passenger trains” and a “second option that includes at least some high-speed rail segments.” As much of the world implements electrified high-speed rail service, Canada aspires to a 20th-century rail service. Canada needs to take a leap into the 21st century.

David Kister Kingston

Great, a whole new way to lose luggage.

Craig Sims Kingston

Re “The gang’s all here!” (Letters to the Editor, Aug. 23): A letter writer refers to the “proposed high-speed rail project.” The project is for a high-frequency rail project, not high-speed. That is the problem. A massive investment in separate track to allow merely for high-frequency service is a waste of public funds. What is needed is a larger investment in tracks and equipment to allow high-speed train service in the Windsor-to-Quebec corridor. High-speed rail would be truly competitive with air travel. No wonder Air Canada is interested in getting high-frequency rail built in this area: It would ensure no possibility of competition in this lucrative market for decades to come.

Rob Horwood Hudson, Que.

Poking the panda

Re A tough calculation on EV tariffs (Editorial, Aug. 23): Once again the West is asked to pay to protect the auto industry in Ontario and Quebec. There will likely be huge tariffs imposed in retaliation by China on Canadian agriculture and beef and other products, including oil and gas. No wonder this country continues to be dysfunctional, when we don’t look out for each other’s interests.

Bryce Code Calgary

‘Managing the risk’

Re Public service set back by ethics breaches, Privy Council Clerk says (Aug. 23): So, a deputy ministers’ task team has concluded that there exists “a perceived lack of accountability or a ‘double standard’ between senior leadership and employees when it comes to compliance and enforcement” of ethics rules. No surprise here. After having lived and worked for many years in Ottawa, it was clear that, when senior leadership found themselves inconvenienced by such rules, they chose to ignore them and characterized their conduct as “managing the risk.” To paraphrase a famous line from the final scene in the movie Chinatown: Forget it, Jake. It’s Ottawa.

John Reilly Victoria

Trains and buses, not EVs

Re “Cities need sustainable infrastructure funding” (Opinion, Aug. 23): The state of transit funding in Vancouver is primarily a result of poorly constructed, often contradictory policy trying to reconcile climate-change mitigation and population growth in Greater Vancouver. The contradictions apply at all levels of government, but they literally hit the road at the municipal level.

First of all, EV subsidies work against the gas tax funding scheme. Secondly, the demographics of new residents and their aversion to crowded transit options are likely to put public transit last on their list of personal options for commuting. Lastly, the efficiency of public transit should be the top priority, yet Vancouver’s policy of trying to squeeze the multimodal use of roads (cycling, scooters) without making public transit the focus has further compromised efficiency. So only rapid transit separating the movement of people from the roads can maintain efficiency, but at a great cost. Cycling should be included in urban planning, but not at the cost of transit efficiency on existing roads.

Tony Nardi Vancouver

Drug policy

Re “Ford labels drug-use sites a ‘failed policy’ as he defends shutdowns” (Aug. 22): The HART model proposed by Premier Doug Ford reflects his party’s politics, not evidence-based decision-making.

The report reviewing safety at the consumption and treatment services site at South Riverdale indicates that this program met expected standards in its operational and administrative functions. Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Kieran Moore, has recommended harm-reduction services (such as CTS sites) be included as part of a full spectrum of services offered to people in active addiction. There is no evidence that removing CTS sites will do anything but increase the use of already overtaxed emergency-response services and add to the appalling death toll resulting from toxic, unregulated street drugs.

The well-established Stages of Change model, something it seems Mr. Ford’s Ministry of Health does not consider when making policy, suggests that different interventions are needed at different stages in the process. Outreach, needle-exchange programs, other harm-reduction services, detox, medical supports such as opioid substitution therapy, counselling and so on – all are helpful if available in a timely way based on an individual’s needs. None are helpful if offered at the wrong time.

Adrienne Crowder, member of the Drug Strategy Network of Ontario Advocacy Committee Guelph, Ont.

Biggles brings me back

Re “Biggles flies again!” (Letters to the Editor, Aug. 23): I am one of the possibly few Globe and Mail readers who knows and remembers good old Biggles, late, lamented and often lampooned. Interestingly David Parkins’s (or is it Parkins’?) cartooning began in England, drawing wonderful characters in the Beano and Dandy comics years ago, including, who could forget, Desperate Dan! How many Globe readers would know him, I wonder?

Alison Kyba Guelph, 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: [email protected]