McGill University in Montreal.Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press
Broken promises
Re “Canadian aid cuts will bite deeply in global crisis zones, relief agencies say” (Nov. 6): During the election campaign, Mark Carney made it clear that “my government will not cut foreign aid.” Yet he has done just that.
There was a time, thanks to the extraordinary efforts of humanitarians such as Lotta Hitschmanova, when Ottawa was considered a centre for compassion and caring for those less fortunate around the world. That time, sadly, appears to be in the rearview mirror.
Many Canadians desperately want to take pride in our country, our values and our government programs. We look south of the border, where foreign aid has already been gutted. Is this our model now? Apart from any moral or philanthropic considerations, even our own self-interest should tell us the same thing.
My message to MPs of all stripes: Propose and pass legislation to increase foreign aid. Canadians did not vote to slash it.
Let’s make Ottawa again a global centre for compassion and caring.
David Rain Toronto
Half out
Re “Ottawa’s immigration plan halves international student intake” (Nov. 5): These changes are meant to return the immigration system to “sustainable” levels. But students on visas should not be considered immigrants, but customers of Canadian schools. Does the government not understand the difference?
These restrictions will remove more than 150,000 customers from the market for Canadian educational services. This will cost Canada billions of dollars in tuition and boarding. Also lost will be student spending on additional goods and services.
Canadian employers will also lose access to the best and brightest of these international students, at least some of whom would qualify to apply for further immigrant status at the conclusion of their studies.
Did planners overlook these costs? Postsecondary layoff notices will likely come soon enough.
Fencing foreign students out of Canada feels like a needless shot to the feet of the Canadian economy and its education institutions.
Barry Anderson Victoria
Doesn’t add up
Re “Automatic tax filing could pave the way to a universal basic income in Canada” (Nov. 3): There is also the inadequacy of minimum wage. The federal minimum wage, for instance, is $17.75 an hour – call it $18.
How does anyone manage when earning $18 an hour? Assuming a 40-hour week and 50 weeks of work, take-home pay after taxes, EI, CPP contributions, etc., is, by my calculations, approximately $30,000, or $2,500 a month. By any measure, those who are paid minimum wage are poor.
What are the drawbacks of significantly increasing minimum wage? This would not eliminate poverty by itself, as many of the poor are not wage-earners. It could, however, represent a significant start.
Yes, the cost of eating out would rise. Some other goods and services would also go up in price, especially those reliant on cheap labour.
Nevertheless, is it not time for those of us who are not poor to give back a little?
Andrew Lumsden Ottawa
Reading list
Re “How the Eglinton Crosstown LRT went so wrong, for so long” (Oct. 30): The good news is that it should no longer be necessary to spend more than $13-billion to learn some lessons on delivering large infrastructure projects.
Authors Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner published an excellent book in 2023 called How Big Things Get Done: The Surprising Factors That Determine the Fate of Every Project, from Home Renovations to Space Exploration and Everything In Between. They identify the critical characteristics of big successful projects; it looks like the Metrolinx project missed on every one.
Meticulously researched and clearly explained, with plenty of real-life examples of both successes and failures, the book should be a must-read for anyone with project management or governance responsibilities. Let’s hope the leaders of Canada’s new infrastructure projects read it and learn.
Bob Rafuse Beaconsfield, Que.
If you build it…
Re “The era of the shoebox condo is over” (Report on Business, Nov. 1): It was enlightening to learn about recent attempts and ways to expand living space in condo dwellings.
We have an example in Esquimalt, B.C., with a new build underway of a fourplex multifamily dwelling on one city lot. Yes, there will even be a three-bedroom home because they are designing the external stairways to expand available living space.
Not only is this design forward-thinking, it’s also energy-efficient. There will be virtually no heating bills for this building.
It’s encouraging to read of new developments in The Globe and Mail and then finding them underway in one’s own backyard.
Deanna Hutchings Victoria
High quality
Re “How long will you live? It may depend on how fast or slow you walk” (Report on Business, Oct. 29): Improved walking speed can extend one’s life, but what about the quality of that life?
Mobility, whether we walk, run, bike or drive, is key to reaching places and being with the people who matter most. The McMaster Optimal Aging Portal offers rich, evidence-based resources that can help us move from A to B with greater ease.
Yet it’s what’s at B – people and places and our participation – that truly matters. Research shows that having purpose is associated with lower mortality and better physical and mental health. Occupational therapists call these meaningful activities “occupations.”
It’s not just how fast we move, but why we move. Purposeful activity is what ultimately gets us off the couch and moving swiftly, safely and with intention.
Brenda Vrkljan OT Reg. (Ont.); director, BHSc integrated rehabilitation and humanities program, McMaster University; Hamilton
Jays away
Re “ ‘They were magic’: Canadians share how the Blue Jays’ playoff run stole their hearts” (Online, Nov. 7): When the Blue Jays lost Game 7, I felt it with my fellow Canadians.
My family watched it live from Melbourne, sharing the excitement and devastation. I hadn’t understood why some saw sports as a religion. But last week, I got it. I felt it.
The Jays’ spectacular run was more than just great baseball, it was a portal home with views of the Rogers Centre and the CN Tower hovering above. To show our pride, my son and I donned our Jays apparel.
I met more Canadians here in October than in the last seven years. People shouted, “Go Jays!” at us on the street.
Thanks to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer, Bo Bichette and the rest of the Jays for showing me that sports can bring us home. Every season, we get a chance to reconnect with where we’re from, even from the other side of the world.
Ash McAllister Melbourne, Australia
In their shoes
Re “Indigenous veterans reflect on battles at home and abroad” (Online, Nov. 8): I am in Grade 4 and I wrote this poem for Indigenous Veterans Day.
If I was the child of an Indigenous veteran,
When my parent left me to fight in the war
I would feel scared and lonely.
I would wonder who would protect me, feed me and love me.
If I was the child of an Indigenous veteran,
When my parent left me to fight in the war
I would scream and shout and cry
When I was forced to go to a residential school.
I would yell for help,
But no one would save me.
I would be gone.
If I was the child of an Indigenous veteran,
When my parent left me to fight in the war
Cruel and disgusting things would happen to me and my people.
I would want to share the TRUTH about this dark history
And HOPE it would never happen again.
Samaya Suri Whitby, Ont.
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