Voters line up to cast a ballot in the Ontario provincial election, in Toronto, on June 7, 2018.Chris Donovan/The Canadian Press
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More for nurses
Re Ontario Election: Housing Affordability, Health Care Issues Discussed In First Leaders Debate (Online, May 11): Both the Ontario Liberals and NDP would abolish Bill 124 and give Ontario nurses a well-deserved raise. The Progressive Conservatives would not.
These nurses were there for us during the pandemic and still are, working under stressful conditions for long hours, day after day. The PC proposal of $5,000 retention fees doesn’t begin to compensate them for their steadfast commitment to our care.
I am 86 years old and have always voted PC, but this year I will be changing my vote.
Evelyn Cook Oakville, Ont.
Another year
Re Ontario Liberals Propose Optional Grade 13 (May 7): There still is a Grade 13: It’s called a “gap year.”
Both of my sons took one before university. It included some courses, work and extracurricular activities.
There are possible downsides for prospective “gappers.” Some university programs will reduce a student’s average in order to fairly compare them to other students who finish high-school classes in four years.
Erika McDonald London, Ont.
I am in my 95th year. I went to high school in a small Ontario town with less than 1,000 people, as so many were overseas. I was fortunate to have Grade 13, which was then said to be the equivalent of the first year of university.
For many small communities, I believe Grade 13 is a good idea. University tuition is high and, along with living expenses, may prevent students from attending.
My town was surrounded by farms and many students dropped out after only Grade 9 or Grade 10. A few finished Grade 12. I and a few others finished Grade 13.
My father was a doctor and I was hoping to go university. I needed a minimum of eight subjects; I left high school with 13.
I ended up becoming a pharmacist, graduating in 1952.
Donald Bartlett PhmB, University of Toronto; Ottawa
A star is born
Re Don’t Ruin Toronto’s Specialty Schools In The Name Of Equity (May 7): To admit students into specialized arts programs via lottery seems based on a flawed notion that anyone can be an artist, if they have the privilege to pursue a career in a more “frivolous” field. I believe that artists are not made – they are born.
Those who dedicate their lives to expanding our understanding of the world through storytelling, or touching our emotions through performance, don’t do it because it’s fun. They do it because they must. They are the shamans, storytellers and entertainers of society. They are as essential to a healthy society as engineers, doctors and scientists.
We should send a message to our future artists that they are valued, and we will give them the tools to pursue excellence, no matter where they come from. Unfortunately, a lottery system would send a message that anyone can be an artist – they just have to be lucky.
Stephen Philipson CCE, Toronto
I find that columnist Marcus Gee is spot on in his opposition to the Toronto District School Board’s evisceration of specialty schools in the name of diversity. I despair for the students who graduate from them with the belief that desire, not ability, will guarantee success in their professional aspirations.
The real world will likely come as quite a shock.
John Russell Toronto
Classic
Re Martin Scorsese Presents A Buried Gem And A Pitch For Cinema’s Past With Virtual Theatre (May 9): I Know Where I’m Going! (1945) is a film for the ages.
I well remember host Elwy Yost singling it out for high praise on TVOntario’s Saturday Night at the Movies. He underlined its well-written script, taut directing by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, exceptional acting by Wendy Hillier and Roger Livesey, as well as all that Scottish ambience and weather to draw viewers in and never let go.
He also took time to highlight a 13-year-old actress-singer who had a minor role played to perfection: Petula Clark.
Robert Noble Toronto
Safety first
Re Save Lives, Money And Reduce Pollution: Why Roundabouts Are A Solution For Every City (Online, May 6): As a frequent cyclist, I keep a watchful eye on the traffic around me, knowing that I will lose every battle with a two-ton vehicle.
I am amazed at increasing disregard for the rules of the road, in particular stop signs and traffic signals. Drivers regularly sail through stop signs, slowing down just enough to make sure they won’t be hit by something larger. When traffic lights turn red, there seems to be a contest to see how many cars can get through an intersection.
I presume police do not have the resources to deal with such widespread disobedience. We should have more red-light cameras and, if there is such a thing, failure-to-stop cameras.
Stuart Reynolds Toronto
Pay it forward
Re The Danger Of Betting On The Leafs (Editorial, May 6): Why bother to gamble with sports betting? Why not just cheer for the Leafs, Flames, Oilers, Blue Jays or Raptors, or whomever one favours, just as the vast majority of sports fans in Canada have done for decades?
However, I do look forward to learning that Wayne Gretzky will donate to the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association, or another recognized charity, the full amount received for his gambling endorsements. This would help parents and grandparents struggling to explain his surprising support for sports betting to young and impressionable fans.
A. M. Roberts Victoria
A word
Re Working Moms (Opinion, May 7): Why, oh why, do we not have a better name for mothers who work outside the home?
Why is it that mothers who raise and look after their own children are not “working,” whereas those who look after other people’s children are doing so? Why do we never use the term “working dads”?
Can someone please think of a better way of describing mothers and fathers who have paid jobs in addition to raising their children?
Nichola Hall Vancouver
Another word
Re NYT Scrambles To Change Monday’s Wordle Answer (May 10): If the word fetus is to be banned from Wordle, one can only imagine how busy the staff at The New York Times will be going forward.
Words such as women, court, choice, right, and votes may need to be purged in this new Gilead. What decision will they make for the word trump?
Scott Grills Brandon, Man.
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