Today's letters: How can we prevent vandalism of Chinatown statues?

Thursday, Oct. 18: Perhaps reinforcing the base of the statues will make it harder to knock them over, one reader suggests. You can write to us too, at [email protected]

Published Oct 18, 2023 • Last updated 6 hours ago • 2 minute read

October 2023: A damaged street-art statue lies on the ground in Chinatown. The damaged statue had been put in place by the Chinatown BIA. Photo by David Kawai

Can’t we reinforce Chinatown statues?

Re: Vandalism again strikes Chinatown’s colourful statues, Oct. 14.

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I was disappointed to hear that the charming figurines in Chinatown had been vandalized yet again. Cannot the legs of these sculptures be reinforced with steel rods or something similar? One swift kick would teach the perpetrator a hard lesson.

Susan Buller, Ottawa

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No one is entitled to our roadways

When it comes to road safety, the operative words are “aware” and “share.” Motorists, pedestrians and cyclists must be aware of their surroundings at all times and never feel entitled to the roadway.

Many of us are proud and careful senior drivers. However, when we do walk across a busy interaction, we don’t dawdle or nod to the music on our earphones, or look at our cellphones. We check both ways and walk as quickly as possible so those motorists who patiently wait to make a turn can do so.

When driving, we wait at stop signs and check for cyclists before making a turn. Too many cyclists are plugged into the music, deaf to their surroundings and apparently blind to what is on the same roadway. They rarely stop, including at stop signs.

Too many speed past pedestrians trying to share paths. I am afraid of cyclists when I am walking.

None of us should feel threatened by vehicles, pedestrians or bicycles. I suggest compulsory training for anyone using a bicycle; a ban on ear buds while riding; and a ban on cellphones while crossing roads. Let’s all be aware, share and care.

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Jinny Slyfield, Ottawa

School versus park: another solution

Re: Pitting an Ottawa park against a French-language school is an unfair choice, Oct. 11.

It is a pity that the needs of a school and the need to preserve recreational space are pitted against each other. Perhaps this could be avoided.

The site of the current Louise Arbour Elementary School has open space that exceeds four times the footprint of the school itself. With good planning, a new school of even larger size could be built on the open space. When complete, the students could move to the new school and the old school would be demolished and converted to recreational space. At worst, the students would be inconvenienced for one school year rather than people suffering the longer-term loss of Plouffe Park.

Michael Wiggin, Ottawa

Lansdowne isn’t city’s only issue

Remember the LRT? Lansdowne 1.0? Quick fixes to meet false urgencies, based on great optimism and shaky projections about costs and revenues. And now a “sale-ends-soon” proposal for Lansdowne 2.0.

OSEG’s aim is profit within a few years from buildings it wants to put on public lands. But the city needs to balance probable long-term costs and benefits across a variety of needs throughout Ottawa. Lansdowne isn’t the issue. It’s one issue among many that taxpayers are asked to fund, and it needs to be viewed in the light of those broader choices.

It’s not all just “fun and games”; take time to decide.

James Russell, Ottawa