The Liberal Party promised in its 2021 election platform to provide CBC/Radio-Canada with an additional $400-million over four years, on top of its annual $1.24-billion annual grant, to allow it to phase out advertising on news and public affairs programs. The promise has gone unfulfilled, and the fate of the public broadcaster’s existing government funding appears increasingly in danger.GEOFF ROBINS
Fly away
Re “How reconciliation is tied up in the Ring of Fire” (Report on Business, Jan. 6): Building 300 kilometres of roads through difficult conditions to develop and access minerals in the Ring of Fire is so 20th century. Why not use airships?
Canadian North, Nunavut’s biggest airline, recently signed an agreement with Flying Whales to develop airships suitable for operation in Canada’s northern and remote areas. Quebec has invested $55-million in the technology (”Airship ready: Canada should develop zeppelin technology for northern resource sector” – Sept. 6, 2023), and other provinces with remote northern communities have also considered airships for food, medical and emergency service delivery.
Airships can reach remote areas without damaging lands and forests. They can save years of project development compared to building new roads. And they can reduce cargo shipping costs by 50 per cent or more.
Let’s use the Ring of Fire to innovate and catapult Ontario into a world leadership position in airship deployment.
Geoff Love Stratford Perth Tree Trust; Stratford, Ont.
Good health
Re “ER overcrowding won’t be solved by telling sick people to stay home” (Jan. 9): I had a stroke in December and spent a week in intensive care at the regional hospital in Owen Sound, Ont. I’m now in the rehab unit and I cannot think of a better place to be.
From paramedics to doctors, nurses and therapists, I’ve received exemplary care in every way. There are undeniable flaws in our health care system, but we are producing skilled and compassionate medical professionals and we should be proud of them.
Canadians should hear more stories like mine.
Catherine Sinclair The Blue Mountains, Ont.
Free for all
Re “TDSB proposal could make it easier for all Toronto students to access technical and commercial high schools” (Jan. 10): The Toronto District School Board may be on the verge of a major paradigm shift. Imagine the positive competition among schools and boards of education if parents were free to send their kids to any school of their choice.
As a consumer, I choose the products and service providers I feel most appropriately suit my family’s needs. Why can’t I do that with my child’s education?
Dan Brennan Belleville, Ont.
Tune in
Re “The Liberals are running out of time to Poilievre-proof the CBC” (Opinion, Jan. 6): Perhaps a cost-effective solution would be to import some of Radio-Canada’s programming into the CBC’s English lineup.
Searching for an alternative to English programming, I occasionally tune into Radio-Canada. While I struggle to keep up with the dialogue in Tout le monde en parle, comedies such as Discussions avec mes parents or La petite vie are a bit more, dare I say, educational given the body language of the characters. We are a bilingual country, after all (alors nous continuons à dire).
Why can’t the CBC bring in a few francophone programs, with English subtitles to help those of us struggling with our high-school French? Conversely, francophone audiences might also enjoy Still Standing or Family Feud Canada. Seems like a win-win.
Or maybe even a hybrid program in English and French. Balconville, anyone?
Lawson Hunter Burlington, Ont.
When I left the United States for Canada in 1968 during the war in Vietnam, I was already a fan of American talk radio. In Montreal, I discovered the CBC and Radio-Canada; I fell in love.
What a pleasure to hear such quality talk radio with no advertisements. In the U.S., they said it couldn’t be done. But over the last 40-some years, I find that CBC radio in English has slowly faded away, and now is something that is difficult to describe except as filler to keep the airwaves open.
Last month we were treated to endless Christmas music, pre-recorded with “timeless” commentary. On Radio-Canada we heard a remarkable conversation between two great older stars, Janette Bertrand and Marcel Sabourin, discussing the question of “coming out” among seniors.
A most remarkable demonstration of what is happening on our two very different national broadcasters.
Michael Hendricks Montreal
CBC television and CBC radio do a lot to preserve and create Canadian arts and culture.
Murdoch Mysteries, for example, deals with contemporary issues such as homophobia, immigration, abortion, child abuse, feminism and so on. Other programming, such as Family Feud Canada, deals with Canadian participants. And shows such as Schitt’s Creek, Sort Of and Kim’s Convenience are located specifically in Canada.
Elsewhere, CBC radio deals primarily with Canadian and international news. To eliminate these shows and open programming to the free market would likely inundate the CBC with American content and the right-wing views that dominate the U.S. market.
I find that Pierre Poilievre’s ideology aligns with U.S. conservatism, so I am not surprised that he attacks the CBC.
Diane Sullivan Toronto
Up, up
Re “Toronto’s proposed budget includes property tax hike of 10.5 per cent” (Jan. 11): Hike away.
I have no problem with increased taxes. I don’t want Toronto to fall apart.
Transportation, housing, hospitals and social programs need to be funded. Name changes and bike lanes don’t.
Let’s spend where it is needed.
Shelagh Barrington Toronto
Will this property tax increase guarantee better service? I have my doubts.
Peter Rozanec Toronto
One word
Re “Toronto police lay hate-crime charge against protester over ‘terrorist’ flag” (Jan. 12): Finally.
Jan Jagiellowicz Waterloo, Ont.
Toronto the …
Re “The Well is one of Toronto’s most important buildings in years – but can it help the city find its soul?” (Jan. 6): Given that Toronto continues to tear down historic buildings, I guess the only thing left is to emulate them.
Janice Couch Kingston
Re “Paris of the …” (Letters, Jan. 7): A letter-writer wishes Toronto could be more like Paris. I don’t know about that.
As a tourist there, I sensed that the locals didn’t like me. At home in Toronto, I get enough of that as it is.
Farley Helfant Toronto
Too blessed
Re “Pope Francis calls for universal ban on surrogate parenting, calls it ‘deplorable’ ” (Jan. 9): What does Pope Francis think of the blessed Virgin Mary?
Judith Watkins MacRae Toronto
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