Defence down
Re “Denial and delay is not a defence policy” (Editorial, March 16): My late husband signed up for the Canadian Armed Forces in the 1960s.
The first budget cut he experienced was the Diefenbaker government cancelling that era’s officers’ training program, denying his dream of becoming an officer. Instead, he signed on as a regular soldier and worked his way up the ranks for 28 years, then worked at the Department of National Defence for 18 years as a civilian.
In those 46 years of service to his country, he saw many budgets and almost as many cuts to defence spending. He and his colleagues supported each other, working in difficult situations across the country and elsewhere in the world with outdated, broken-down equipment.
They were at all times loyal and proud and brave. For decades, governments have taken advantage of this loyalty, pride and bravery, knowing that regardless of the excuses and indifference of politicians, these Canadians would always soldier on.
Wendy LeBlanc Prince Edward County, Ont.
In March, 2022, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Canada “is not a military power. We’re a middle-sized power and what we’re good at is convening and making sure that diplomacy is happening, and meanwhile convincing other countries to do more.”
I assumed her ignorance of Canada’s military history owes to a societal failure to adequately describe our military achievements and world stature in recent times. After reading your editorial, I wonder if she wasn’t actually spouting government policy in an aspirational way.
Perhaps we should be loading up on marshmallows, song sheets and firewood, so we can “convene” the next NATO meeting at, say, Harrington Lake.
J.R. Taylor Lac-Brome, Que.
When will liquor or grocery clerks be asking if we would like to make a $2, $5 or $10 donation to our Canadian Forces procurement fund? Truly a sad state of affairs.
Richard Braiden London, Ont.
Spend where?
Re “Canada’s promise to NATO collides with spending increases for retirees” (Report on Business, March 16): The point is well taken: Canada cannot dramatically increase defence spending unless other expenditures are cut or tax revenues are raised.
The place to start should be further reducing Old Age Security payments, which continue well past income thresholds of $100,000 per senior. Sending cheques to comfortable seniors, while other needs are given short shrift, feels ludicrous and downright offensive.
Increase the clawback and stop cheques altogether at much lower income levels.
Judy Lindsay Vancouver
I agree that government is facing a crisis in spending priorities. However, I take issue with the suggestion of taxing the “considerable untaxed wealth from homes that surged in value.”
I believe the value of a house is more or less the same over time. What has changed is that our currency has eroded in value through inflation.
As columnist Andrew Coyne pointed out recently, Canada’s GDP per capita – standard of living – among member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development has deteriorated from sixth place to 15th (”Canada is no longer one of the richest nations on Earth. Country after country is passing us by” – Opinion, March 2). Taxing capital and wealth would only exacerbate the problem.
We should address the spending side of the equation. And we should live within our means.
Bill Dun Vancouver
Both sides
Re “Bad faith evictions trample on our human right to housing” (Opinion, March 16): We should finally decide whether we wish to live in a society where government builds and manages rental accommodations, or we leave it to private enterprise.
If we continue to leave it to the latter, we should ensure that investors can make fair and legitimate returns on investment. Most would agree that there is no place for gouging or exorbitant returns.
However, if reasonable and necessary rental improvements are to be made, one cannot expect owners to make expenditures without some means of recovering costs. If returns on investment are less than fair, landlords would either not maintain their buildings or walk away, and it wouldn’t take long for any city to end up with a dilapidated stock of rental housing.
The point is that rules cannot be one-sided. The interests of both parties should be understood and accommodated, in order to result in rental stock that serves society in the long run.
Laurie Kochen Toronto
Least resistance
Re “The discovery of an eagles’ nest in Toronto suggests cities are no longer nature’s enemy” (March 16): Let’s maybe slow down or walk back the victory lap, and stop congratulating ourselves for two bald eagles subletting in Toronto.
The issue seems less that people see cities as enemies of nature and more that people think nature is something that can be micromanaged like urban planning. It’s great that Toronto isn’t the toxic toilet bowl it once was and its beaches can be swam in for most of the summer, but let’s not get carried away thinking of the city as the Galapagos of the North.
It’s not implausible that the reason the eagles chose Toronto is because urbanization, industrialization and deforestation elsewhere has pushed them out of their preferred neighbourhoods – and this is the least worst they can do.
Jon Heshka Kamloops, B.C.
Whither winter?
Re “The disappearance of winter reveals how much we’ve come to love it” (March 16): Eight years ago, I met a young woman from Whitehorse who went to university in Alaska on a cross-country ski scholarship. Even then, she said that conditions were changing in Yukon and she could see a day when, as a northern country, we would not have any outdoor winter sports.
Fast-forward to now. My wife and I have two granddaughters who recently competed at the Nordiq Canada Ski Nationals in Gatineau, Que. The conditions were so poor that the first and last two days of the meet were cancelled because of warm temperatures, rain and lack of snow.
We saw a video of one of our granddaughters skiing around puddles on the course. In the past, that area would have had more than enough snow.
Sad indeed.
Michael Thain Red Deer, Alta.
I’m a West Coaster. While I am happiest when the weather is warm, I do like it when the rare Arctic front moves in and we get a few days of bone-chilling blue-sky weather.
This year, however, the first time that Cypress Mountain was open for decent Nordic skiing was the beginning of March. There is something wrong with this picture.
Canada is supposed to be cold. I am mourning the changes.
Jane McCall Delta, B.C.
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