Travellers crowd the security queue in the departures lounge at the start of the Victoria Day holiday long weekend at Toronto Pearson International Airport on May 20.COLE BURSTON/Reuters
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Next chapter
Re What We Are Still Waiting For The Pope To Say (July 29): As we participate in the history of this planet, millions of stories play out every day. Many are good, some are remarkable, some are ugly and some are very painful. Whether these stories play out on a grand stage or are quietly personal, they all become part of our collective history.
In places, one can still feel inspiration and exuberance. Other places are a grim reminder of how brutal we can be to each other, and the pain is still palpable. All of life’s stories create memories as well as scars, and they will forever reverberate through time.
These stories can never be erased or, using today’s language, cancelled. But as we learn from each story, we can write over them, hopefully to ease some of the pain, but to also create hope for a better future.
Paul Baumberg Dead Man’s Flats, Alta.
Cultural problem
Re I Have Zero Confidence In Hockey Canada’s Leadership (July 29): I find Hockey Canada’s charade of attempted explanations offensive, never mind the chief operating officer thinking he will fix it going forward.
It’s crystal clear to me that the COO, chief financial officer and the board of directors should resign in disgrace for dereliction of duty at best, a conspiracy to cover up at worst.
I’m appalled that this has been going on for 30-plus years. There seems to be something fundamentally wrong with the culture.
Marc Whittemore Kelowna, B.C.
Eye on the prize
Re Striking A Fine Balance In The Oil Patch (July 25): While it is critical to ensure that carbon limits promote similar or same levels of production, we should not lose sight of why we are making them.
These limits, and the economic plans that enforce them, should ensure reduced levels of greenhouse gases to meet our targets, as well as secure a long-term future for the planet and provide equity to citizens. They should be punitive enough to promote real change in the industry, by utilizing innovation and technology to cut emissions.
Perhaps we should stray from the middle a touch to secure a future for all. We are running up a debt against Mother Nature and she always comes to collect, eventually.
Joseph Wortman Oakville, Ont.
Health care frustrations
Re Quick Fix? (Letters, July 29): I echo the concerns of a letter-writer, a retired surgeon, regarding hundreds of hospital administrative staff in his area.
In my 44 years of emergency medicine, I also have seen a larger contingent of non-clinical administrative staff whose functions seemed to primarily consist of meetings. Since these are the people with whom government communes, it would be helpful if there was an accurate accounting of administrative costs in Canadian health care.
Michael Dettman MD, FRCPC (retired) Vancouver
Re Reforming Medicare Must Be Job No. 1 (Editorial, July 23): The present system where I live is opaque and patient-unfriendly.
I have found that orthopedic surgeons in Niagara Health and elsewhere run their offices independently of hospitals and often use different electronic recording systems; some still even rely on paper charts. Niagara Health has no access to surgeons’ schedules. So, short of pestering a surgeon’s office staff for information, patients are often left in the dark.
Perhaps even more disconcerting, however, is that there appears to be an acceptance of this status quo. Until there is a concerted effort to develop a central waitlist system, the tail will likely continue to wag the dog.
Michael Fox Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.
Long term
Re Horwath To Run For Mayor Of Hamilton (July 27): I doubt it was much of a surprise that Andrea Horwath stepped down as leader of the Ontario NDP. However, to resign her seat in the provincial legislature, having just won it in June, should cause concern.
Why can’t we hold politicians accountable to serve out their full terms following an election? There are undoubtedly many acceptable reasons for resigning from elected office, but to do so after less than two months for personal reasons would seem to be a breach of trust.
Now taxpayers will be on the hook for the cost of a by-election. What a shame, and what a disservice to the people who voted for Ms. Horwath in June.
James Hamilton Toronto
Try again
Re An Architect Asks: Where Did His Design Go? (July 25): Toronto’s dysfunctional planning process allows (and encourages?) the “bait and switch” approach that often results in mediocre design or worse. But I find it a mistake to hold up Moshe Safdie’s design for the Front Street rail deck site as an example of design excellence.
Mr. Safdie may be “one of the world’s best-known architects,” but his proposed mega-design had no input from the local community. For starters, the touted park was cut off from Front Street and the surrounding city by a significant grade change. This would have made a natural flow and access by pedestrians and vehicles difficult and created a fortress-like development.
Whether it’s by a world-class architect, a local one or, better yet, a combination of design talent from here and elsewhere, let’s demands that a new proposal for this important site demonstrates urban and building design excellence. In my view, Mr. Safdie’s did not.
Lee Jacobson Toronto
All aboard
Re Stratford Stranded (Letters, July 29): The difficulties faced by Americans in getting to the Stratford Festival are mostly symptoms of Ottawa and Ontario’s apathy toward car-free intercity and cross-border travel.
Stratford has a decent, functional railway station. Amtrak wants to reintroduce Chicago-to-Toronto train service, cancelled in the 1970s, that could bring Americans to Stratford en masse, but Transport Canada seems to have no interest and Via Rail no resources. Doug Ford has committed $160-million to improving the tracks between London, Stratford and Toronto, but with no clear timeline or performance criteria.
Show me any similar cultural icon with such poor accessibility for 600,000-plus potential annual visitors.
Kenneth Westcar Woodstock, Ont.
Good time
Re How To Minimize Long-lineup Frustrations (July 23): On a Saturday afternoon, I arrived at Toronto Pearson Airport on a flight from Amsterdam. Of course it was late – it was Air Canada – but then things got considerably better.
As we arrived, the crew approved only passengers with connecting flights to depart the plane; they had to show connecting tickets so that the inconsiderate couldn’t cheat. I have wondered for years why crews don’t always do this, as these are the passengers who are most time-constrained. Then those who needed assistance disembarked and then the rest of us last, with no preference to seating class.
We made the long walk to immigration. There was a backup, but it was moving, We made it through and onward to baggage claim, where our luggage was already on the carousel.
The absolute best Pearson experience I have ever had.
Allen Clarke Toronto
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