Prime Minister Justin Trudeau prepares to speak at a news conference in Vancouver on June 25.ETHAN CAIRNS/The Canadian Press
Next up
Re “Political leadership” (Letters, June 27): The question has been asked: Do we want Pierre Poilievre as our next prime minister?
The rhetoric that surrounds this question fails to ask: If not, then Justin Trudeau? Look to the results of the Toronto-St. Paul’s by-election and then ask the question again.
Norman Damaren Kitchener, Ont.
Re “Trudeau to remain party leader as Liberals demand urgent changes after stunning by-election loss” (June 26): Loyalty is rightly prized in the political arena. Say what one wants of Justin Trudeau, I believe he has earned his party’s loyalty.
But it will not be the loyalty of his MPs that keeps Mr. Trudeau in his job, it will be that of voters. And as can be seen in Toronto-St. Paul’s, that loyalty looks sorely absent.
Chris Ryan Calgary
What if the best thing for the Liberals is for Justin Trudeau to stay until after the next election?
After nine years of the Liberals in power, the country feels ready for a change. Anyone who takes the reins now may end up à la Kim Campbell, buried in a landslide of opposition to the leader she replaced.
Better for a new Liberal leader to be voted in after an election loss, then rebuild the party.
Tom Suhadolc Grimsby, Ont.
Life is cyclical.
Not so long ago, Justin Trudeau enjoyed sunny ways. As the light fades, he should take the fall.
Pierre Poilievre is in the air. However, after four years of a potential Conservative majority government, voters might have second thoughts.
Meanwhile, the Liberals would have four years to renew themselves.
Ben Labovitch Toronto
Carbon conundrum
Re “Mosaic Forest Management’s BigCoast carbon credit project under scrutiny” (Report on Business, June 22): Unless the aggregate demand for wood products in British Columbia goes down, the amount of trees not being cut on protected land would just be cut elsewhere. There would be no change in the total amount of wood harvested in B.C. by all forest companies, and therefore no reduction in carbon.
This is the problem I find with offset credits: They allow companies and individuals to greenwash actions without helping the environment. The focus should be on reducing carbon, not creating “get out of jail free” cards for environmental action.
Rod Hunt Oakville, Ont.
As a former divisional engineer-forester responsible for development planning in the early 1990s for MacMillan Bloedel, a predecessor of Mosaic Forest Management, I am not surprised that the BigCoast Forest Climate Initiative carbon-offset project received a failing grade from the carbon-credit rating agency.
Most of the sites in the project boundary were not at risk of being logged, so it lacked additionality. This is no different from more than 30 years ago, when nothing remained protected unless it was not harvestable or already set aside for protection.
Brian Murphy Victoria
Due diligence
Re “Ottawa’s anti-greenwashing bill will cripple cleantech innovation” (Report on Business, June 22): Such protests seem disingenuous when a law, requiring companies to accurately represent the impact of atmospheric carbon, is characterized as “red tape.”
Rather, with assurances that environmental claims are not lies, potential investors in Canadian companies would have one less burdensome thing on their to-do list.
Jane Savage Hamilton
For life
Re “Seniors turning to life leases, but pitfalls remain” (Real Estate, June 21): I write as an advocate of life lease housing and the author of a book on the subject in Canada. I was dismayed to see the value of life leases being impugned.
What happened in Alberta has never happened anywhere else in the country. What does that tell us?
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation published an extensive report on life lease housing in 2007. Here is the report’s summary of its consumer research: “Everyone in all 15 focus groups indicated that they would purchase a life lease unit again or advise a friend to purchase. Residents indicated that they were extremely happy in their choice of housing.”
I rest my case.
Kate Mancer, Terra Lumina Life Lease Vancouver
I live in a life lease community in Toronto.
My husband and I purchased our unit in 2015 under the market-value model. Before purchasing, we had two weeks to review the contract with a lawyer to understand the terms of occupancy.
If we wish to sell, the unit will go on the open market and any profit or loss is our responsibility. The sponsoring organization does not buy the unit back and instead gets a 5-per-cent redemption fee on resale. This, then, is a positive approach to providing housing for seniors.
We have a beautiful two-bedroom plus den in a great location. We were informed and are happy with our decision to live in a life lease community.
We don’t see any pitfalls.
Barbara Carter Toronto
Naturally speaking
Re “Grave problems: Even when you die, there’s a housing crisis to deal with” (Opinion, June 22): “Burial, it seems, is out of fashion.” I would have found this observation more accurate had “conventional burial” been specified.
True, people are turning away from this burial form, and cremation is gaining in popularity. But as we learn of the environmental harm of cremation incinerators that burn fossil fuels, many are questioning why we need any industrial process to take care of our bodies at death.
With natural burial a body, not embalmed, is wrapped in a shroud or placed in a biodegradable casket. Natural cemeteries bear no resemblance to traditional cemeteries; imagine a tall grass meadow or peaceful forest with modest memorial markers.
Our last act can be giving back to the earth that nourished us through life. Natural burial offers a final resting place nestled in nature.
It’s not taking up space, it’s leaving a legacy of nature for future generations, a sentiment very much in fashion.
Susan Greer, Executive director, Natural Burial Association Toronto
Workaround
Re “Why Hit Man isn’t on Netflix Canada, plus The Boys are back on Prime Video” (Arts & Books, June 22): However, if Canadians use a virtual private network, they can set it to a U.S. location – and they then have access to Hit Man on Netflix. Wonderful film.
Ashley Thomson Sudbury (make that New York)
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