United Conservative Party leader Danielle Smith addresses party members at their annual meeting in Red Deer, Alta., on Nov. 2.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
Better spent
Re “Ontario Premier Doug Ford announces $200 tax-free rebate cheques” (Oct. 30): I was recently in Sarnia’s hospital emergency unit due to severe abdominal pain caused by a hernia.
Though I need surgery, our hospital only has two surgeons. Since my hernia is not life-threatening, accordingly I have been referred to nearby London, Ont.
At the same time, Doug Ford announced a $200 “rebate” to most Ontarians at a cost of some $3-billion. If the average yearly salary of a surgeon in Ontario is a little more than $300,000, for $3-billion Ontario could hire 1,000 surgeons for 10 years.
Given the state of Ontario’s health care system, this “rebate” would be more wisely spent on health care.
Barry Van Dusen Sarnia, Ont.
Where now?
Re “Group of Ontario mayors call for use of notwithstanding clause on encampments” (Nov. 1): As an Ontario physician who treats addiction and mental health, I’m wondering where this abundant source of treatment beds is located?
As I struggle to find voluntary treatment beds for my patients every single day, I’m guessing they are in Narnia.
Jennifer Boyd MD, Toronto
Right person
Re “For Quebec woman with Alzheimer’s, choice to request assisted dying in advance offers a sense of relief” (Oct. 29) and “Keep talking” (Letters, Nov. 1): “We are not good judges of what our future selves would find tolerable.” Of course, especially if that self is no longer competent.
But the question should be: Who then is best placed to choose? For me, the answer is clear.
I believe the person best placed to represent an incompetent patient’s true desires and interests is not a doctor, lawyer or a not altogether disinterested relative. It is the person who, while competent, expressed their well-considered desires. That competent person surely is “closest next of kin” to the incompetent one.
That is what the Quebec law rightly respects.
Conrad Brunk Waterloo, Ont.
More harm than good?
Re “Mother of Amanda Todd, teen who died after cyber bullying, calls on MPs to unblock online harms bill” (Nov. 1): I have enormous sympathy for the tragedy faced by Amanda Todd, her mother and countless others. And we must find ways to better protect young people, in particular from predators on the internet.
However, the online harms bill put forward by the Trudeau government would go way beyond legitimate protection, allowing private prosecution of individuals before tribunals that may not be fair. It would provide a profound chill in legitimate free speech and limit legitimate political discourse.
I believe it is a terrible bill, and should be scraped. We should have a focused bill, more properly thought through to protect people like Amanda Todd.
Robert Girvan Former Crown attorney and defence lawyer, Toronto
Dimmed
Re “Canada has lost its reputation for bringing in the best and brightest students” (Nov. 1): I think it is important to first admit that Canada has never attracted the “best and the brightest.”
English-speaking students initially wanted to go to the best British universities, then it became the best U.S. institutions. For French-speaking students, it is still Paris. At best, then, Canada competes with second-tier U.S. and British universities and Australia.
The fundamental error I saw was including community colleges in the federal postgraduation work permit scheme. The second was to expand the hours students could work off-campus. Many of them spent their entire study periods working.
Restrict PGWPs to graduates from three- or four-year programs at recognized universities, as well as masters and PhD programs. Employment should be restricted to those on co-op programs or on school holiday periods, as well as postgraduate students.
Let the provinces deal with the community college fallout; it was the provinces that didn’t supervise their institutions.
William Lundy Ottawa
Read, write
Re “Student teachers only answered 60% of phonics questions correctly, survey says” (Oct. 28): A “phonics-based program” is an approach called structured literacy. While systematic, explicit phonics instruction is an important part of teaching literacy, it is only one piece of the puzzle.
Other major components include phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, spelling and writing. Structured literacy is an approach developed in response to scientific evidence from the cognitive neuroscience community.
In contrast, the whole-language or balanced literacy approach is based on the theory that children will learn to read and write the same way they learn spoken language. This theory has been repeatedly proven incorrect through research done using functional MRIs.
It is high time that faculties of education recognize the science of reading. They should provide teachers with rigorous training in the teaching of literacy. Our students deserve no less.
Jenny Van Remortel Structured literacy dyslexia specialist, Toronto
Next act
Re “Alberta tables legislation regulating pronouns in school, gender in sports, limiting access to health care” (Nov. 1): Is it any coincidence that Danielle Smith tabled these bills right before her leadership review?
This political ploy is a three-pronged attack on Alberta’s most vulnerable youth. It uses the policy equivalent of a wrecking ball to attack the rights, liberties and health outcomes of kids.
Young LGBTQ+ people deserve flexibility and empathy. They shouldn’t have the government restricting their lives and turning their very existence into a wedge issue.
Jaromir Sulja Vancouver
Right as I think Danielle Smith is to assert that doctors aren’t always right, it’s not for the rationale she believes it to be.
I spent nearly a decade looking to receive medical care specific to my sex, due to a pair of doctors’ failure to contemplate my honesty. I told them, after being asked how hard I’d regret making my uterus disappear “once I met my dream husband and craved having children,” that “such a feat was impossible since I’m gay.” They couldn’t imagine that someone who looked feminine had any potential to be a dyke due to God’s decision-making.
As it is now, I’m left to pray that every transgender student in Alberta will be recognized for who they actually are, and not be denied life-saving care that would prevent many suicides and cases of abuse, in addition to facilitating their physical transitions.
May God help protect them.
Amy Soule Hamilton
It seems so predictable when a populist government, such as that of Danielle Smith, achieves an electoral majority by waving the flag of individual choice and freedom, then immediately starts promulgating new laws which limit “freedom” to what they think is appropriate – which is really what they meant in the first place.
Neville Taylor Toronto
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