Today's Letters: Tongue-in-cheek responses to federal building's pests and bugs

Thursday, April 25: Sensitivity training and liaison officers help the public service grapple with vermin and insects, a reader facetiously suggests. You can write us too, at letters@ottawacitizen.com

Published Apr 25, 2024 • Last updated 3 hours ago • 2 minute read

A close-up of bedbugs. Photo by Ashton Staniszewski /Photo: Submitted/Orkin Canada

Try these, pest-ridden public servants

Re: Bed bugs, bats and other pests found in federal government buildings, Apr. 22

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It is obvious that the population of pests is thriving and have made government office buildings their chosen sanctuary. In the eternal battle against office critters, the arsenal of solutions is as vast as it is varied.

One widely talked-about strategy is to implement a mandatory “pest sensitivity training” for employees, where they learn to empathize with the plight of their smaller cohabitants. Another solution is to appoint a dedicated “pest liaison officer” whose sole responsibility is to navigate the treacherous waters of inter-species diplomacy, negotiating ceasefires and establishing truces in the ongoing war of office supremacy.

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Of course, there is always the option of deploying “pest control commandos” to sweep through the building, rooting out pests with ruthless determination.

Perhaps the ultimate solution to the pest problem in office buildings lies not in extermination or diplomacy, but in finding ways for humans and pests to coexist in harmony.

Dono Bandoro, Ottawa

For restitution, courts should seize assets

I have become so disillusioned with government and the courts over inaction when criminals defraud people and nothing is done.

Sure, victims see headlines or get court rulings for restitution, but the courts leave collection up to the victims, costing them time and money they generally do not have. Why do the courts not seize all assets of these fraudsters?

They could have teams track down all the assets and make this available to the victims. This would deter bad actors and provide confidence in the justice system that currently is not there. This could be funded through the monies found with the remaining amounts disbursed.

Or, we can continue to allow these criminals to multiply, damaging our economy and populace.

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Stephen O’Brien, Ottawa

As goes Ford, so goes Trudeau?

Prime Minister Trudeau announced a plan to build 3.9 million homes in a country-wide effort to build more housing on public lands.
What are public lands? In Ottawa they include parks, the Greenbelt and the Experimental Farm.

Premier Doug Ford got his knuckles severely rapped and had to retreat when he tried to implement building houses on public land, i.e., the
Greenbelt. I wonder if Trudeau will suffer the same humiliation for his similar suggestion?

Ross Dedman, Nepean

Let’s repair and reuse

This week our 12-year-old refrigerator stopped working. It had lost its freon, could not be repaired, and we had to replace it.

We arranged for the store where we bought the new appliance to remove our old fridge, which was in excellent condition and looking like new. We were concerned and angry to learn that the old fridge would go to the dump with no effort to reuse any parts.

Why are appliances not designed so that they can be repaired? Why do we have to throw away perfectly good parts when they could be reused? What are we doing to Canada by producing so much unnecessary “garbage?”

Anna Cornel, Perth

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