School buses are shown at a depot in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., west of Montreal, on May 10, 2020.Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press
Ill-gotten gains
Re “Canada Pension Plan is clinging onto fossil fuel” (Report on Business, Aug. 28): Yet again this summer, I sit in my home with the windows and door closed for days on end because of forest fire smoke.
Thus I am unsettled to read Patrick DeRochie’s column about the strategy of the Canadian Pension Plan to continue to support heavy levels of investment in fossil fuel production. In general, through my working career, I had always been a proud supporter of the CPP. It has always felt well-managed and future-oriented. This column has now left me with some doubt.
Don Chapman Surrey, B.C.
BRICS hypocrisy
Re “Six countries join BRICS bloc in victory for Russia, China” (Aug. 25): Concerns expressed by the newly enlarged BRICS bloc over the “unilateral coercive measures” of Western trade and financial sanctions are rich in hypocrisy, especially given the illegal and lethally coercive measures being applied in Ukraine by Russia, one of BRICS’ founding members.
BRICS will never be taken seriously as an organization so long as it fails to aggressively condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Edward Carson Toronto
Taiwanese defiance
Re ”Foxconn founder enters Taiwan presidential race” (Aug. 29): Amid China’s recent suppressive stance on private sectors and business leaders, Terry Gou’s Taiwan presidency bid underscores the resilience of its democracy. China’s crackdown highlights authoritarian risks, whereas Mr. Gou’s run showcases Taiwan’s inclusive political landscape. The contrast could not be starker.
Recognizing this juncture’s significance is vital. Mr. Gou’s political entry echoes the synergy between economic progress and democratic values within a Chinese-speaking society. While seen as personal by some, its impact extends to governance models, especially in China.
Jonathan Yang Toronto
Too few teachers?
Re: “Canada has a teacher hiring problem” (Editorial, Aug. 29): This editorial was certainly a surprise to me.
While I’m not disagreeing with the statistics on teacher shortages across the country, the reality at least in my house is very different. My daughter is a fully licensed teacher in Ontario with two years of experience as a long-term occasional teacher with the Toronto District School Board.
She has yet to find a permanent placement for next week’s school start. She has been turned down for several permanent placements because of too much teacher supply. Most recently, 70 teachers applied for one half-day teaching spot. Fingers crossed she finds something with less than a week to go. It’s very frustrating being a teacher at least in my area of Toronto.
Mary Wainwright Toronto
I graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1966 with a bachelor of science degree. Manitoba was suffering from a teacher shortage. To meet the shortage, the government of the day, under then-premier Duff Roblin, met the problem head on. To entice graduates into the teaching profession, tuition for the faculty of education was waived, in return for teachers agreeing to stay and teach in Manitoba for two years. I agreed, entered the faculty, and went on to a very satisfying 35-year teaching career in Manitoba. The program was an unmitigated success.
It is with some regret that I look at a solution to teacher shortages (not to mention nursing) that could be implemented but has been avoided, ignored or seemingly deemed unworkable. Yes, the program restricted my mobility after graduation for two years, but the majority of teachers who graduated remained in Manitoba and shortages were avoided. There may be some legal hurdles to implementing this program today (for example, siloed provincial policies, Charter of Human Rights) but it is a reasonable solution, among others, that needs to be seriously considered.
Robert Milan Victoria
Increasing teacher mobility across provincial boundaries is not a solution that will solve the teacher shortage. Governments need to address large class sizes, teacher workload, support for beginning teachers, classroom violence, dedicated teacher time for professional development to keep up with the constant onslaught of new curriculums and new initiatives, support for special needs students and wages that keep up with inflation.
As a retired teacher, I have nothing but praise for the dedication and hard work of teachers and education staff, but I am very grateful to be retired.
Bruce Patterson Carleton Place, Ont.
Placing blame
Re “Canadians split on who’s to blame for housing crisis, poll suggests” (Aug. 24): The question shouldn’t be who’s to blame for the housing crisis, but what’s to blame for the crisis.
The answer is simply that low interest rates for so long have brought this crisis about. These rates allowed people to overextend themselves, driving housing prices into the stratosphere. Perhaps the next question should be: Who’s responsible for that?
Cassandra King Annapolis Royal, N.S.
Giving way
Re “Sharing the roads” (Letters, Aug. 27): I read frequent complaints about the behaviour of cyclists and scooters on our shared pathways. I agree that some, particularly on e-bikes or e-scooters, go too fast on busy shared pathways. Ringing a bell is too infrequent (I ring my bell frequently).
Pedestrians, however, could keep something in mind: Cyclists have few places to ride substantial, continuous distances, safe from car traffic. Bike infrastructure is still very incomplete in most cities.
Pedestrians have more options. Bikes are banned on pathways that are unrideable but very good for walking. City streets mostly have sidewalks, which can provide great opportunities for walks in quiet neighbourhoods or to local businesses. Why walk on a hectic shared pathway when there are more pleasant, and safer, choices?
Pedestrians should, of course, continue to use shared pathways. But safety for all would be improved if walkers would keep to the right as much as possible. Often people walk down the middle, which makes passing on a bike tricky. Groups of walkers tend to meander over the entire pathway. Bells are not always heard (my bells are loud and resonant), and sometimes they are deliberately ignored.
Ed Janicki Victoria
Defending a ‘zombie weed’
Re “Resilient ‘zombie weed’ takes root in Canadian cities, posing threat to gardens and ecosystems” (Aug. 28): I can’t understand what the fuss is all about. Creeping bellflower isn’t gout weed, dog strangling vine or creeping Charlie, and my garden and I have co-existed with it for years.
It’s an attractive plant, popping up here and there in the garden, to be yanked out if it’s in the way. It hardly deserves to be called a zombie weed and lambasted.
Helen Godfrey Toronto
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