Canadian and American flags fly near the Ambassador Bridge at the Canada-U.S. border crossing in Windsor, Ont. on March 21, 2020.Rob Gurdebeke/The Canadian Press
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L6P wishes
Re Inside L6P’s COVID-19 Fight (May 21): I applaud The Globe and Mail for reporting on L6P and sharing what some families are experiencing due to the pandemic.
I am not racialized; I don’t live in a small home with multiple generations; I have not lost my job (I am retired); I am financially secure; the list goes on. I knew I was fortunate to ride out COVID-19 the way I have, but reading the daily struggles and losses of some Canadians made me understand and appreciate the impact more.
I hope that L6P can make a full recovery in time with safer workplaces and time and space for special celebrations, along with a better normal.
Marla Ashmore Nobel, Ont.
Run for the border
Re How To Safely Reopen The U.S. Border (Editorial, May 21): The notion that showing proof of vaccination is an invasion of privacy rings false. It should be nothing more than a safety precaution for a host country.
In some countries, I have had to show proof of vaccination for yellow fever and hepatitis B upon arrival. If one doesn’t have a particular vaccination, then one is denied entry.
It’s simple and effective.
Stephen Crocker Edmonton
The federal government seems to focus on total national vaccination numbers for both Canada and the United States when contemplating the opening of the border.
I live near Windsor, Ont. In Detroit, roughly one-third of eligible residents have been vaccinated. They are unable to get more people out for a shot. They are offering cash, lottery tickets and baseball tickets as incentives to do so.
Do we want the border opened yet? Not until more of those folks two kilometres away get higher vaccination numbers. The government should specifically consider larger border cities such as Windsor and Detroit, not just national numbers.
Paul Robertson Belle River, Ont.
Last fall, against government advice, we made a calculated decision to go to our gated Florida home.
We got appropriate health insurance. We have had a great winter, solitary at first and more normal after our second Moderna vaccines. We golfed daily with partitioned golf carts. We had no indoor activities.
On our return, we were treated like five-year-olds: multiple tests and quarantine overseen by security visits, phone calls and e-mails. I count about 200,000 fully vaccinated snowbirds who have returned home. The number of nurses and amount of money involved could have been better utilized.
John Bartlett Sarnia, Ont.
For a rule to be respected, it should make sense. It does not make sense to me that a fully vaccinated traveller from a country such as Australia, where there are almost no COVID-19 cases, must stay three days in a hotel and then continue quarantining at home, no differently than a non-vaccinated traveller coming from a pandemic hot spot.
Henry Rudnick Montreal
It looks like another bad-news summer for Canadian tourism as the U.S. border is set to remain tightly closed.
The border could be safely opened to those who are fully vaccinated and have had time to build immunity. For even more assurance, testing could still be required. Further widening of the gate could then wait until other milestones are reached.
As an added bonus, such a policy would encourage vaccination. Canada could again learn from what others are doing successfully.
Craig Hunter Toronto
I suggest that a staged approach to opening the border makes sense. In the first stage, I would include Americans who own property in Canada. Who knows what damage they will find after houses or cottages have been sitting empty for more than a year?
If individuals are fully vaccinated and follow quarantine protocols, what is the risk to Canadians? Allowing American owners (who are also taxpayers) to access their properties would be a responsible and considerate step toward opening the border for all.
Valerie Lasher Ottawa
It seems wrong to have to wait until 75 per cent of the population is vaccinated before we are allowed to drive across the border, and to live freely.
Why should the other 25 per cent of people hold the rest of us hostage? Make them stay at home. Let us roam!
Heidi Studer Edmonton
Check, check
Re Canadians Should Know Why Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin Is Off The Job (Opinion, May 22): Perhaps, just perhaps, if Justin Trudeau conducted better background checks on prospective employees similar to those conducted by, say, Tim Hortons or Canadian Tire, Canadians wouldn’t have to suffer from or be embarrassed by the likes of Jonathan Vance, Bill Morneau, Julie Payette or Dany Fortin.
On the other hand, perhaps if more Canadians did their homework and researched perspective political candidates prior to voting, they wouldn’t have to suffer from or be embarrassed by the likes of Trudeau.
Murray Edworthy Cochrane, Alta.
Honest seller
Re Surging Home Prices Among Biggest Risks To Economy: BoC (Report on Business, May 21): I’ve been a real estate agent in Toronto for almost 30 years. I hear all the complaints about the market, about bidding wars, bully offers, lack of transparency, low list prices, affordability and unethical practices. I agree with some and disagree with others. One thing I don’t hear about is what this market is really lacking: integrity.
If a seller thinks their home is worth $1.5-million, and won’t sell it for less, then list it at that price and not $1.3-million. If a seller says they want to wait a week to look at offers, then wait a week and don’t look at a bully offer.
If everyone – sellers, buyers and agents – acted with integrity, a lot of the problems with the market would be solved.
Michael Meltzer Toronto
Need for speed
Re Going 20 Or 30 km/h Over The Limit Really Is A Big Deal (May 21): Speeding is the whipping boy of traffic problems because it’s an easy target. Does speeding alone cause accidents? I say no.
What causes many accidents is bad driving. If watching a poor driver cut off another car elicits a headshake, then there are likely other signs of bad habits: not signalling, driving too close, weaving from lane to lane, not shoulder-checking and more. And yes, probably speeding, too. But if there is an accident involving this driver, was speed the primary cause?
Then observe a speeder (on a highway – municipal roads are another matter entirely). Are they bad drivers? For most, the answer is no. They are driving to the conditions of the road and aware of others near them. This is usually not an accident about to happen.
What should be a big deal? Bad driving. It would be more work for police, but much safer for everyone.
David Kister Toronto
Say cheese
Re Quebec Dairy Group Aims To Promote Poutine, Eyes Special Status To Protect Dish’s Identity (May 20): Mille fois oui! If we can’t get behind this as a country, I don’t know what to say.
Lisa De Pieri Burlington, Ont.
Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Globe and Mail. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Try to keep letters to fewer than 150 words. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. To submit a letter by e-mail, click here: letters@globeandmail.com