Is there are cheaper way to build a pool?
Perhaps Victoria could explain this glaring difference in prices. Victoria wants to replace the Crystal Pool at an estimated cost of $210 million.
A 52,000-square-foot aquatic centre being built near Edmonton is massive in comparison and is budgeted for a quarter of that, at $54 million.
Something smells, and it’s not chlorine.
Doug Coulson
Saanich
Hasham’s cheque delivery an example to all
Once again, Al Hasham of Maximum Courier steps up to help the community and non-profits.
This time, offering to deliver cheques for non-profits to help what the government is not doing, by allowing the Canada Post strike.
Having met Hasham only a few times, it’s always at charities and fundraisers. I am told he is at these events every week.
He is an example of what we could all strive to be like, giving time and resources if we are able to do so.
Al is an inspiration and makes our community a much better place. Thank you, Al, for doing all you do.
People like Al give us hope to make this an even greater city than it already is.
Gerald Hartwig
Victoria
Dropping carbon tax would be a mistake
Referring to Pierre Poilievre’s tax reduction plan, a Nov. 28 letter suggested that a future Prime Minister Poilievre “will do away with carbon taxes that increase prices on virtually everything we purchase,” suggesting the Trudeau government, instead of dropping the GST temporarily, “would have been wiser” to eliminate the carbon tax.
That premise stands on unsupportable ground and must not be accepted uncritically.
Poilievre repeatedly blames Canada’s consumer fuel charge (the carbon tax to most taxpayers) for dramatically increasing inflation in this country, including driving up the cost of food.
But he’s wrong, for at least three reasons.
First, Canada’s carbon tax is largely revenue-neutral — the majority of taxpayers get most, all, or more than our share of carbon tax outlays back either as rebates, or in the case of B.C., ongoing income tax reductions and low-income cash subventions that have been in place since 2008.
Revenue neutrality has no net impact on inflation.
Second, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem reported last year that a $15 per year increase in the per tonne tax on carbon dioxide emissions yields just a 0.15 per cent increase in the annual inflation rate, saying it’s “a relatively small effect.”
And third, an insightful and comprehensive analysis just published by University of Calgary economists Trevor Tombe and Jennifer Winter concludes that the tax rate of $80 per tonne of CO2 emitted has boosted food costs in Canada by just 0.5 per cent, a tiny fraction of the 26 per cent rise in prices at the grocery store that we have seen since 2019.
The high prices that are impacting all of us cannot be laid at the feet of Canada’s largely revenue-neutral carbon pricing system.
Our national carbon tax program is smart policy that continues to be applauded internationally. Axing it will discourage investment in clean technologies while increasing emissions.
Those are backward steps that no current or future government should ever adopt.
Thomas F. Pedersen
Professor emeritus
University of Victoria
Work with those who are traumatized
Re: “Police program hurt students, costs money,” letter, Nov. 26.
I find it disingenuous of the author to suggest that the Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association (GVTA) changed its position to reject the police liaison program based on evidence, not politicking.
The GVTA is a political organization. Is it coincidental that the defund the police movement preceded the GVTA’s change of heart?
Deciding to dump a school-based program based on stats out of the United States is asinine. Don’t forget who that country just elected, not to mention that the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) places Canada well above the U.S. in all areas of student achievement.
Let’s not look south of the border for education and law enforcement practices.
I would also like to reiterate what columnist Les Leyne pointed out: why aren’t we listening to people like Mia Golden, who works directly with youth recruited through gang infiltration at schools, rather than political appointees like Kasari Govender.
If the GVTA needs evidence of increased gang violence, talk to some parents. I have a friend whose son was recruited by gangs and he would be more than willing to share his story.
Finally, when do we abandon programs in schools because a small minority of students don’t like them? I know lots of students who don’t like math but we don’t stop teaching math.
Maybe if some students are traumatized by police in schools, we should work with those students to help them overcome those fears rather than throwing the baby out with the bath water.
Jason Gammon
Former president,
Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association
Victoria
Give readers a warning about photos of that man
Here’s to the idea that there be a front page notification of photos of Donald Trump appearing in the Times Colonist.
The letter from Howard Brunt puts into words perfectly what is felt by me and anyone I have spoken to since his first term in office.
I believe it is called fear and it does not feel good. It was likened to the feeling citizens of the world felt prior to the Second World War.
Janice Graham-Andrews
North Saanich
Wasting mental space on that president-elect
I agree with the letter from Howard Brunt, asking for a warning about photos of Donald Trump.
I don’t want to avoid all news for the next four years, but I refuse to allow any mental and emotional space to the racist predator that Brunt and I abhor. Brunt’s suggestion helps us all.
J. and W. Thom
Saanich
Another vote to scrap certain photos
Howard Brunt’s request for a warning about Donald Trump photos has most assuredly earned “submission of the month.”
President-elect Trump’s face is the most highly evolved emetic ever available to humanity.
Taken with or without warm water and salt, it’s fast acting with almost immediate relief.
Better still, how about we leave his face out of the next four years.
Colin Newell
Saanich
Take your shot, Justin, prove what you can do
If ever there was a moment for our PM to garner a measure of respect from the dwindling number of voters who still support him, the opportunity has been presented nicely from Donald Trump. Aside from the necessities of getting our national (and international) problems addressed, a strong leader would publicly defend his or her country with some reverse rhetoric directed squarely at the U.S. president, something akin to “get the (xxx) out of our house!”
It’s obvious the erratic and unhinged weaponization Trump is trying to create is based on fear, chaos and mayhem within our social, political and economic environments.
As Canadians across our diverse electorate would likely agree, we don’t require the neighbourhood bully to the south to rule and attempt to change our way of life. A strong leader would immediately push back, with conviction.
If Justin Trudeau has any mettle, it’s showtime.
Jim Gibson
Saanich
Plenty of value in military spending
Re: “Military spending does not offer value,” letter, Nov. 28.
The ill-informed opinion on military spending needs to be addressed. Without getting into the absolute necessity of adequate military spending to ensure the safety of Canada and Canadians, I have some points to address in the discussion of “value for money.”
First, the Canadian military’s equipment is worn to the point of obsolescence and requires replacement. These replacements are made by Canadian subsidiaries of companies such as Lockheed Martin or General Dynamics.
These dollars are fed into the Canadian economy through the people employed in our country to do the work necessary to renew the CAF and its various fleets.
Second, the lifetime of these vehicles requires Canadians to maintain them. Each ship, tank, truck, rifle and aircraft is either made in Canada or maintained in Canada.
Again we see some involvement from the big defence companies, but we also see Canadians employed by branch plants of Wartsilla, or General Motors, or Ford.
You see a return to the economy through local shipyards like Seaspan, or specialized aircraft maintainers like Spar Aerospace all the way down to small companies like Accutemp.
Then we come to the military’s own dedicated maintenance facilities like the Fleet Maintenance Facilities in Esquimalt and Halifax that employ mostly civilians to conduct more security sensitive maintenance.
All of these companies employ thousands of Canadians who in turn drive local economies around military bases. Not once have I even included the actual serving members of the military themselves.
There is plenty of value added to the maintenance of the Canadian Armed Forces, if you know where to look.
Richard Despres, CD, MGM
Langford
Two per cent on defence against climate change
The U.S. Department of Defense considers climate change “a critical national security threat and a top management challenge.” In fact, the department views climate change as “an existential threat to national security, similar to nuclear attacks.”
“It is not a future threat, it is a threat today. Climate change is affecting global stability, military readiness, humanitarian crises, and the risk of war.”
Therefore, spending to combat and mitigate climate change deserves to be classified as defence spending and should come under the two per cent of GDP umbrella.
If Canada takes its obligations toward climate change seriously, it should easily be able to meet its two per cent commitment.
Barrie Webster
Victoria
Put bicycle lanes on lesser-used routes
The Esquimalt businesses who are suggesting alternative routes for bike lanes have it right. The concerns that business will dwindle if convenient parking is no longer available is correct.
The silent whizzing of bikes travelling on alternative routes will bother no one. The bikers who no longer have to deal with huge traffic and exhaust from gas powered traffic will be healthier and safer.
Let’s put those bike lanes in lesser used routes — it is an all-round win!
Joanne Cowan
Nanoose Bay
Improve access to John Dean Park
It is wonderful that donations have enabled the expansion of John Dean Park. However, restricting public access to any part of the park defeats the purpose.
There are six-plus kilometres of lovely trails and donated money should be used to add more. The native legend of a great flood is obviously a myth. How could a flood reach nearly 1,000 feet?
Restricting admittance and now renaming the park based on a myth is an insult to intent of John Dean and other donors.
I am a former Dean Park resident who enjoyed many days in the park.
Joan McMillan
Lantzville
Hard numbers needed on the McKenzie plan
Concerning the future development and improvement plans for the McKenzie-Quadra corridor and related traffic flow plans (improvements?) near Shelbourne, there have been several references to the concept of traffic evaporation.
What seems to me to be missing are statistics of the present human traffic utilizing McKenzie at these busy intersections.
What is the present number of people transiting east-west and north-south, for example in the morning, evening, or on weekends, in units of perhaps people per hour?
This would seem to be the only important metric that should either be maintained or increased by any plan. The means of transport should include all options: walking, biking, busing, and cars.
Reducing the number of cars (evaporated) can only be compensated by sufficient gains in people per hour by all other means.
A plan that reduces the net throughput is a failure, will cause traffic delays, and cannot be considered an improvement.
Richard Dewey
Gordon Head
Sorry, seniors, your free rides should go
For years, B.C. Ferries has been unable to keep up with the demand of maintaining its fleet of ships.
Given that, I question the wisdom in giving every B.C. resident 65 and older free passage four days a week on several ferry routes, even though I am a beneficiary of that policy.
I am all for seniors’ discounts; however, this 100% discount contributes to the “funding gap” in B.C. Ferries’ ability to maintain a fully functioning ferry system.
Perhaps it is time to reconsider this policy.
Denise M. Morton
North Saanich
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