Today's letters: Wildfires — we need more water bombers, fast

Saturday, July 27: Let’s set aside luxuries and buy the large fleet of water bombers Canada and the world need right now.

Published Jul 27, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 10 minute read

In this July 24, 2024, image obtained from the Jasper National Park, smoke rises from a wildfire burning in the park. Photo by Jasper National Park /AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Buy Canadian-made water bombers

Re: Parks Canada, Liberals say ‘no tools in our tool box’ to confront fast-moving Jasper fire, July 25.

Maybe our federal government should act on a huge water-bomber contract with a Canadian company now that wildfires are burning homes and structures in Jasper and other areas across Canada.

We are buying faulty ships and wasting billions of dollars to give us warships that do not even meet tender specifications.

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Even though Canadians are very proud of the Snowbirds and the musical ride, we would appreciate the business of saving towns and cities by buying a large fleet of water bombers and delaying or cancelling luxury expenses and creating more jobs in an industry the world needs right now.

No one can deny our wildfires are generating more pollution than the oil industry when “Canada Burns” all year long. Why is this not an election issue?

I would think our government would see that creating employment in Alberta and contributing to a worldwide need for these aircraft would make sense.

Brian Vachon, Greely

Construction around Ottawa is never-ending

When will this all end?

As an obedient citizen, I am patient when circulating in the city and when asked temporarily to make a detour or to tolerate inconveniences from construction. But I have had it. This city has become hostage to construction.

Our environment is littered with orange and black cones, concrete barriers and temporary signage held upward haphazardly by sandbags or slabs or rubber. There are the intolerably long LRT project sites, then new ones that pop up every week in a seemingly random sequence.

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Projects that should be done in days take weeks. Others take months, with machinery often sitting idle and materials piled on, waiting for crews. Meanwhile, around these sites there is upkeep of vegetation and dead trees rot.

Where work is completed, streets are difficult to navigate, often meandering to make way for bus or bike lanes or ever widening sidewalks. The signage would confound the best AI.

Perhaps there is a method to the madness, but patience is a finite commodity. Ottawa is the nation’s capital. It is now encumbered and ugly. Is an end or at least progress in sight?

Serge Dupont, Ottawa

Be selective in your collecting habits

Re: Selling a lifetime of possessions — even for charity — proves a challenge, July 23.

When one collects, it is easy for the desire to get out of control. Collecting just about anything and everything at some point becomes hoarding.

The key to collecting antiques, for example, is to keep a tight focus on what you acquire — and to ensure that you are collecting objects of high quality. Admittedly, this slows down one’s rate of acquisition but that’s a good thing.

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The object of collecting is not to fill the available space but to acquire objects in a deliberate fashion. Doing so allows one to relish in what one finds, keep a rein on expenditures and have a collection that doesn’t threat to overwhelm the available space.

In the end, when it’s time to let go, high quality items, regardless of what they are, will sell more easily; there’ll be less of them with which to deal; and the returns will be higher.

Shaun Markey, Ottawa

Ways we can help this collector

As someone who is in the process of having their fourth Maxsold auction, I feel qualified to comment. I love Maxsold for getting rid of everyday household items (such as the hundreds of light bulbs that my “saver” hubby has collected over the years) and the occasional treasure. It is a lot of work but beats the other options, such as a garage sale.

Facebook Marketplace would be an option for unique things like the fur coat mentioned in your article, but should still include advice from a furrier.

The hospital that will eventually receive the proceeds should be the primary contact. Perhaps it would be willing to create a special project with volunteers from their area who have some expertise and are willing to research and initiate sales. Someone who has an interest in books or jewelry might love to do the research for these specific items as a one-time project and be the contact.

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Lastly, and most importantly, is Bronwen Kathy Williams. Her life of collecting has given her immense pleasure. Interacting with people who share her many interests and who will never dismiss her items as “stuff” would be a fitting chapter in her life.

Carol Lafreniere, Nepean

Speed-camera zones need flashing lights

Does anyone think drivers intentionally speed through speed-enforcement camera zones? And happily then pay the ensuing hefty fines? Of course not. It happens because the signage for these zones is inadequate.

Flashing lights need to be installed at the entrance to these zones. That’s the only way to ensure that these cameras protect people and not the city’s coffers.

Pam Devine, Alcove, Que.

Jail those reckless stunt drivers

Every day we read about stunt driving in Ottawa. Obviously big fines are not a deterrent. Jail time is the answer.

Robb Rowe, Kanata

Dalai Lama merits his own street name

Re: Ottawa’s street names should laud only the best, July 19.

I am pleased that Ottawa Council wants street names to particularly reflect the contributions to the city by our outstanding citizens.

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In his renowned contribution to our capital and to Canada, we must never forget the opening of the Human Rights monument in downtown Ottawa by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Council should seriously consider naming a street in honour of the Dalai Lama’s distinct contribution.

The human rights monument is so often a magnet in our city for a variety of human rights causes. There should be no politics over the recognition of the Nobel Prize winner and Honorary Canadian Citizen Dalai Lama. He is an eternal inspiration.

Roman Mukherjee, Ottawa

Fishing from Flora Footbridge has gone too far

Like many others, I enjoy watching the school of fish in the pond under the Flora Footbridge. I cringe when I see people fishing there. But recently I saw a young man wading in the pond with a large fishing net trying to scoop up the fish.

Surely in the name of protecting what little we have left of an urban ecosystem, we should prohibit this kind “fun” activity.

Erik Petersen, Ottawa

Give Canada’s military the proper amenities

As we all know, recruitment and retention in the military are significant problems, as is as the goal of spending two per cent annually of GDP on defence. I would suggest that all three issues could be partially addressed by the construction and proper maintenance of housing for military personnel and their families as well as the construction of various amenities such as arenas, curling rinks, fields for baseball and/or soccer, etc.

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As some may remember, CFB Uplands and CFB Rockcliffe each had arenas as well as other sports amenities, including a ski hill with lift at Rockcliffe; both bases also had married-personnel housing. Where these facilities continue to exist on military bases, they are in a sad state of disrepair.

The federal government should task Defence Construction Canada with the construction and proper maintenance of new housing for the military and their families along with sports and recreational facilities at all military bases. This would not only benefit the military community but also the local communities who would likely be invited to participate.

We need to be reminded that military bases are often near smaller communities that cannot support on their own modern sports and recreational facilities, nor do they have sufficient modern housing to accommodate military personnel and their families.

Another benefit of providing on-base housing for military families is that the families would have a strong support network at home while military members are away on deployments around the world that can last many months, making life easier for both the families at home and the personnel on deployment.

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Denis A. Hotte, Ottawa

We should never run out of ammo

Re: Effort to replenish ammunition mired in ‘red tape,’ July 24.

David Pugliese’s article points to serious shortcomings in Canada’s strategic defence procurement plans. Surely, commodities such as ammunition should be considered strategic assets, and adequate stockpiles, taking into consideration unforeseen emergencies, must always be maintained.

To a soldier, ammunition is like bread and milk are to a homemaker. We use them daily and we need them. We should always be buying them to keep our supply fresh and to keep our suppliers productive.

Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, retired Gen. Rick Hillier suggested we should be giving armed combat vehicles to Ukraine. I don’t believe we ever did this. It was exactly what we should have done.

What’s the point of giving equipment to Ukraine — equipment we buy offshore — when we can provide equipment we manufacture domestically? We should be providing support to Ukraine while, at the same time, keeping our own defence industry involved.

Ken Bowering, Woodlawn

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Herculean job awaits new chief of defence staff

Re: New chief of defence staff: Jennie Carignan takes helm, July 17.

Welcome Gen. Jennie Carignan to your new command, Canadian Forces Chief of Defence Staff.

You have accepted the daunting mission of reinvigorating, re-inspiring and re-earning the essential trust and loyalty of your subordinates at all levels. Your visible and positive senior military leadership is pivotal to the successful resurrection of our military’s reputation and reliability at home, with our allies and on the world stage.

A major challenge will be the prior and continuing indifference of government leadership toward our military. Its open disinterest, shown through financial reductions, mismanaged procurement processes and unfulfilled promises exhausted your predecessors and sapped their confidence in government leadership. Continuous determination, collaboration and persistence will be imperative for success.

Past, present and potential future military members surely wish you well as you accept this herculean task.

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Al Jones, Major (ret’d), Almonte

Politics may require a warning label

Re: What happened to Trump could happen here. We must address that, July 23.

After reading the article on political violence by Lisa Macleod, I think we should have warning labels for would-be politicians at all levels: “Being a politician is a dangerous occupation.” Politicians are targeted with wicked comments, threats and spitting and it shows what some people have become.

The U.S. Surgeon General wants a warning label on all social media; perhaps we need for political life too. I appreciate politicians and I thank them what they go through.

I have walked with candidates during campaigns and I find it is hard to take the ugly remarks and blame they get. We live in strange times. I say sincere thanks to all elected officials; I know you are doing the best you can under the circumstances.

Anant Nagpur, Ottawa

Ex-prime ministers should band together

It’s about time Canada created a Prime Ministers Club similar to the Presidents Club in the United States. Former presidents such as Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, George W. Bush (and now Joe Biden) travel worldwide to respond to disasters, raise awareness about critical issues and support struggling democracies. We could really improve our visibility and our efforts to be a leader in the world today by doing the same.

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Ray Farmilo, Ottawa

The rise of Kamala Harris is hardly ‘thrilling’

Re: The Downfall of Joe Biden, the resurrection of the Democrats, July 22.

With Joe Biden out and Kamala Harris now in, columnist Andrew Cohen wrote “It is a new day for the Democrats, and for democracy. It is thrilling.” Thrilling? Really?

After reading this pro-Democrat/Kamala Harris article, one song lyric comes to mind: “Fools Rush In’” (where wise men never go). Have fun with that.

Jill Young, Ottawa

Restaurant no-show fees are indigestible

Re: More restaurants are charging no-show fee, and some cost as much as dinner, July 16.

In a bid to boost revenues or recover losses, apparently more restaurants have started charging no-show fees, threatening to tip the scales and send customers running to their fee-free competitors.

First, diners were subjected to the omnipresent pressure to tip: shell out more for what you thought was already an overpriced meal or face the scorn of the wait staff. Now, customers face the added indignity of being dinged for merely failing to show up. It’s a good thing we live in a free market where discerning diners can easily sidestep such elitist traps and enjoy a guilt-free meal at countless other establishments that don’t resort to such cavalier tactics.

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To be fair, one can’t entirely blame restaurants for introducing no-show fees. After all, they need to cover their losses when patrons decide to ghost their reservations. But let’s not kid ourselves: charging for a no-show is the sort of thing you’d expect from a select, uptight, white-table-cloth venue, not a spirited, hole-in-the-wall eatery.

Give me a festive atmosphere and good food over stiff formality any day. Here’s hoping we can avoid a full-blown “restaurant class war” and keep dining out a joyful experience, free from the burden of imposed fees.

After all, there are plenty of spots where the food is as good, if not better, and the welcome is always warm, even if you change your mind at the last minute.

Dono Bandoro, Ottawa

Political Olympics: Let the games begin

The favourite Olympic event for both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre at these Olympics is likely the “poll” vault.

Pat McAlpine, Kanata

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