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Letters to the Editor

March 31, 2016   ·   0 Comments

Hwy 410 –

Slow down!

Your editorial (“Only in Ontario, eh?” 24 March) argues that we should be able to break the law – the speed law on Hwy 410.  One can always appeal to the government to change the law, but obey it we must; otherwise we live in anarchy.

You said that 130 km/h is a reasonable speed for family members because Hwy 410 is divided.  It is only barely divided, and very confusing at the 10-410 junction – especially at night or in blizzard conditions.  I’m pleased that the OPP are attempting to control speeders and hope they continue.  I’m very disappointed that the Ontario government implicitly allows trucks to exceed the speed limit on divided and semi-divided highways.

It seems these days that many drivers regard the speed limit as the minimum speed.  It’s the maximum speed, and only in ideal driving conditions.  Slow down and let us law-abiding citizens live.

Charles Hooker

East Garafraxa

Strange Sense of Priorities

At 2:00 pm on Easter Sunday we were still without power so my wife and I drove to Orangeville for a hot meal.  On the way we passed three Hydro One bucket trucks parked along the shoulder of Hockley Road.  No, they were not conducting repairs to restore power, they were being ticketed by an OPP officer.

What a strange sense of priority during a time of crisis!  Surely the officer must have realized that, by detaining three hard-working Hydro One crews, he was delaying restoration of power to residents who had already gone some time without heat and  (for rural properties) water.

Fine example of failure to recognize the maxim “Discretion is the better part of valour.”

Dirk Blyleven

Mono

Right to clean water

More than 110 countries — over half of Earth’s nations — already recognize their citizens’ right to live in a healthy environment. Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms is silent on the issue. A federal environmental bill of rights would help compensate for this omission and promote better environmental protections, build healthier communities and position Canada as a leader on environmental rights.

Countries like Finland, Uruguay and Greece have used environmental-rights legislation to protect marine biodiversity, limit overfishing, stop destructive dam projects and protect indigenous peoples’ right to clean drinking water.

More than 20,000 Canadians die prematurely every year because of exposure to environmental hazards, and the total cost of pollution in Canada is more than $100 billion a year. We can’t afford not to take action.

It’s time for the federal government to implement the right to clean water in Canada by passing an environmental bill of rights that respects, protects and fulfils our right to a healthy environment, including the right to clean water.

 

Kudos to Hoy

Many thanks for a Canadian Newspaper with the balls to publish articles from real honest ‘tell it like it is’ reporters like Claire Hoy! Thank you, please do not ever stop.

Jack Hoke,

Caledon East

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