Open this photo in gallery: Toronto mayor-elect Olivia Chow enters City Hall in Toronto, on June 27.Arlyn McAdorey/The Canadian Press
Money talks
Re “War between China and the U.S. doesn’t have to be a fait accompli” (Opinion, June 24): I believe the real war between China and the United States, inevitably involving Western democracies, is not being waged with tanks, bombers and warships.
China’s primary goal seems to be economic, not military, domination. On that front, China is on the verge of becoming the world’s largest economy – and winning.
The Belt and Road Initiative now involves more than 100 countries. Many of them, indebted to China, are increasingly in its orbit, not just economically but diplomatically and ideologically.
Look, too, at international trade laws: China benefits enormously but flouts the rules when it suits Beijing. Recently, for example, the World Trade Organization sided with Japan in its challenge to Chinese anti-dumping laws, which were imposed on Japanese stainless steel in 2019.
I am encouraged that Western nations, among others, are finally awake to recognizing China as deeply autocratic, anti-democratic and no friend of the rules-based economic order.
Michael Craig Owen Sound, Ont.
Numbered
Re “Mayoral powers” (Letters, June 28): A letter-writer notes that Toronto mayor-elect Olivia Chow won “only” 37 per cent of the votes where the turnout was 39 per cent, thus obtaining a derisory result of about 270,000 votes.
Immensely more powerful than her is Premier Doug Ford, who won his riding in the last Ontario election with a turnout of 33.98 per cent (fourth-lowest in the province), a total of 13,934 votes – or little more than 5 per cent of Ms. Chow’s vote.
Michael Johnson Toronto
Warning against a “Vancouver-style increase” in property taxes, a letter-writer opines that “usually, progressive politicians are good at raising taxes and not so good at cutting spending.”
I don’t know about that, but I do know that Toronto’s property-tax rate is the lowest of any city in Southern Ontario, meaning that conservative politicians are usually good at lowering taxes and not so good at owning the decline, decay and disorder which often follow.
Michael Arkin Toronto
Incoming
Re “The cure for Canada’s housing crisis? Boost immigration” (June 26): So the “cure” for Canada’s housing crisis is to siphon off skilled workers from poorer nations, which have scrimped and saved to educate them? Would these be the same countries that receive millions of dollars in aid from Canada? Where would the land come from?
Would we offer expanded and expedited family reunification privileges? So we would receive even larger numbers of unskilled workers, children and seniors, who would all suffer from the lack of affordable housing, medical care and education.
It is also unlikely that these workers would be proficient in either of our official languages, or be familiar with the rules and procedures of Canadian construction or health care.
Naive, simplistic? It is clear that the shortages that Canada faces will not be alleviated by a single, simple solution. Sadly, most complex, interlinked long-term problems can only be solved by approaches that are complex, comprehensive and long term.
Colin Lowe Nanaimo, B.C.
It’s beyond passing strange to me that opinions on Canada’s housing crisis and immigration policy can be aired without mentioning the overarching reality conditioning all human decisions going forward: the climate crisis.
For example, a recent delegation of African leaders, whose countries are experiencing food shortages and skyrocketing prices because of war in Ukraine, were sent away empty-handed by Vladimir Putin. And many species are under threat of or have undergone extinction because of human encroachment. The list goes on.
Ending population growth would set the world on a long-term path, but would do little to end carbon emissions, the principal driver of our crisis. Canadians should face the reality that boosting immigration would be like pouring oil on a fire, adding to the housing shortage and encroaching on protected wilderness and farmland.
We should develop better strategies to build our economy, and this takes considerable sacrifices.
James Heller Member, Population Institute of Canada Toronto
History repeating
Re “Legault’s coalition with God” (Opinion, June 24): In his fusion of conservative nationalism and Catholic identity, Premier François Legault can be called a modern Maurice Duplessis.
Mr. Duplessis – “Le Chef” – ruled Quebec with an iron fist for 18 years. His reign was typified by intolerance for religious and other minorities, disregard for civil liberties and a narrow, parochial vision of Quebec society.
In taking a page from Mr. Duplessis, it seems Mr. Legault is indeed bringing Quebec back to a past known as La grande noirceur – “the great darkness.”
Michael Kaczorowski Ottawa
Close to home
Re “Canada’s grocery industry doesn’t give consumers enough choice, Competition Bureau finds” (Report on Business, June 28): I’d like to see more protection and support for independent stores and regional grocery chains that focus on locally produced goods, both fresh produce and prepared foods.
This would go a long way to supporting our local farmers and food producers, as well as bolstering regional food security, safety and sovereignty.
Tuula Talvila Ottawa
Play ball
Re “Toronto Blue Jays’ CEO Mark Shapiro discusses Moneyball, Ayn Rand and hotdogs” (Sports, June 24): Gee, I wonder why Mark Shapiro doesn’t like the film Moneyball?
Could it be because he’s portrayed as arrogant? Is it because he gets fleeced by general manager Billy Beane, the guy whom he arrogantly flips off early in the story? No matter. It’s just “based on a true story.” True enough.
He seems pleasant and bright (however ironic and disingenuous his reading of Ayn Rand may read to me). But all I know is that he and his GM have done little for the Blue Jays – and I find their “spinning” beyond the pale, even for Toronto sports executives – especially when compared to Alex Anthopoulos, the man they replaced, who I see demonstrating elsewhere his devotion to actually winning, rather than fattening the corporate wallet.
Andrew Milner Peterborough, Ont.
Is Pepsi OK?
Re “Frank Zamboni receives his patent” (Moment in Time, June 23): Your article on the origins of the Zamboni states that the name has become generic “like Coke is to cola.”
Try that one on your French-Canadian colleagues who, as a gesture of independence, prefer Pepsi.
A.S. Brown Kingston
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