Canada’s Jocelyne Larocque, centre, refuses to wear her Olympics silver medal after losing to the United States in the women’s gold medal game Thursday.Bruce Bennett
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Offside sportsmanship
I have eagerly been watching the Winter Olympics over the past couple of weeks, and have been astounded by, in many cases, the lack of sportsmanship.
In some sports, there is a camaraderie and lots of hugging and congratulations following an event. But in others, there is petulance and pouting by so-called elite athletes, as exemplified by the reaction to Nigeria competing in women's bobsleigh and Elizabeth Swaney, representing Hungary, skiing for the pure joy of sport despite her limited talent. I am also disappointed in the behaviour of the Canadian skip of the women's curling team in pulling a "burned" rock, which is permitted but rarely used because it is considered petty.
Finally, there's the women's hockey team, whose players should have reserved their petulance until they were alone in their dressing room (Rules Are Rules: After Shunning Silver, Jocelyne Larocque Ordered To Wear Medal, Feb. 22). I understand disappointment, but being unwilling to wear the second-place silver medal is unsporting (and was considered thus when a Swedish player rejected his silver at the world junior hockey championship in January). Please return to playing sport just simply for the love of it, win or lose.
Kathryn Philipps, Toronto
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One of my favourite movies has always been Cool Runnings, which shows the grace and class with which the 1988 Olympic bobsleigh team from Jamaica faced disqualification after their sled broke down. Contrast that to the childish pique with which Jocelyn Larocque rejected her silver medal because it wasn't gold. Our young grandchildren have been enthralled with these Winter Games and see the participants as role models for skill and good sportsmanship. Ms. Larocque owes them and all Canadians an apology.
Elizabeth Causton, Victoria
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Ignore the elites
Gary Mason couldn't be more right (B.C. NDP Ignores Elites and Tables Budget for Those Who Need Help, Feb. 22). Now if only the rest of Canada would take British Columbia's lead and elect people-first governments across the country. We have the same problems here in Ontario – unaffordable housing, unaffordable child care, and real people struggling to make ends meet. We need the same solutions.
Elites have dominated the agenda for far too long. It's time to dump the dangerous anti-tax dogma of Liberal and Conservative governments. Tax cuts don't build a society, taxes do. To save the rest, tax the richest few.
Chris Rapson, Toronto
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Keep Brown around
The executive of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario has failed to heed your editorial's advice to reject Patrick Brown's application to run for the party's leadership (A Difficult Call, But Necessary, Feb. 21). This is exactly as it should be.
If Mr. Brown was qualified to lead the party three weeks ago, then he is qualified to do so again. He has done nothing during the past three weeks that would suggest otherwise, and the recent accusations against him are nothing more than unproved innuendo.
The party executive has no place substituting its judgment of these matters for the one that party members will render in March, and it it is quite disconcerting that the editorial recommended such an undemocratic course of action.
Furthermore, Mr. Brown may receive enough votes to deny Doug Ford a first-ballot victory and that alone should have steered you away from its dangerous counsel. We can all agree that Mr. Ford will never win this contest on the strength of second- or third-ballot support so this decision to permit the former leader to run is crucially important.
Patrick Cowan, Toronto
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Happy at home
Peter Shawn Taylor suggests the reason Canadians are no longer willing to move for work is "utterly depressing" (Have We Gone Soft? Feb. 21). And the big reveal? Turns out two-thirds of us marshmallowy Canadians would rather stay close to family and friends than chase a higher paycheque. What Mr. Taylor finds distasteful could easily be spun positively.
In his new book, The Blue Zones of Happiness, National Geographic writer Dan Buettner makes compelling arguments that countries that support family and friend relationships report higher overall happiness and health, which has benefits for productivity and financial well-being. For example, Singapore offers tax incentives to adult children who live with an elderly parent. Denmark's generous childcare program acts as encouragement for families to remain loyal to jobs and communities.
Social isolation, which likely would increase after a move out of city or province, can literally be a killer: According to Mr. Buettner, having close relationships "increases your life span at a rate equal to that of quitting smoking." I wouldn't go so far as saying we should celebrate the news that Canadians are choosing to be "a nation of homebodies," as Mr. Taylor dismissively writes, but neither do I find it depressing.
Jeff Zuk, Hamilton
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End solitary confinement
The harms of solitary confinement, or "administrative segregation," are well known and abhorrent. The harms have been documented in inquiries and reports, and told through the stories of Ashley Smith and Edward Snowshoe, who both died while in solitary confinement. Their stories are stark examples of why Canada's federal prison watchdog has called segregation "the most onerous and depriving experience that the state can legally administer in Canada."
The government needs to spend its time and resources fixing this situation, instead of appealing the B.C. court ruling in an effort to "seek juridical clarity on the issue" (Federal Government Appealing B.C. Supreme Court Decision On Solitary Confinement, Feb. 19).
While judicial clarity is important, it should not be used as an excuse to take even longer to achieve legislative reform. So far the Liberals have proposed Bill C-56 to reform solitary confinement, in June of 2017, but it has yet to even progress to second reading. This is an issue screaming for legislative attention.
Lydia Blois, Ottawa
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Power for pennies
Letter writer Marcel Beauchamp suggests that Ontario's high electricity prices are a key reason for low electric car adoption (Electricity Prices Jolting, Feb. 20). I disagree with that reasoning.
I drive a Chevrolet Volt. The electricity cost (including all per kilowatt hour surcharges) is $1.75 per 100 kilometres when recharging at night. The cost when driving on gas is $6.44 per 100 km.
I plug in my Volt when I get home. It is programmed to recharge between midnight and 6 a.m. Even charging on peak hours, the electric mode cost is just $3 per 100 km, half of the gas mode.
Gilles Fecteau, Toronto