Welcome back to Ottawa, Alfie
We could not ask for a better result than the return of Alfie to our community. Ottawa will be a better place when he comes home — and even better if he decides to move back with his family to live in our nation’s capital. Wendy Miller
Re: Welcoming back Alfie, Nov. 27. I don’t do NHL hockey. Well, at least, not in the way fans of the game do. I tolerate it. After having our household dominated by Saturday night hockey while I was growing up, I became a reluctant participant — Go Habs Go! I eschewed the sport when I moved away and never looked back.
Then, I had a son. I don’t go to games unless it is with or to watch a loved one play, and I cheer like I am possessed. I do not even know the rules.
But, I do know of a gentleman and upstanding citizen — longtime Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson. I heard No. 11 will return to Ottawa next Thursday, Dec. 4, to announce his retirement from the NHL during a media conference at the Canadian Tire Centre.
We could not ask for a better result than the return of Alfie to our community. Ottawa will be a better place when he comes home — and even better if he decides to move back with his family to live in our nation’s capital. Wendy Miller, Ottawa
Ideology has no place in Catholic schools Re: Principal vetoes gay rights project, Nov. 29.
Considering the core values of those educational systems that are based on religious beliefs, St. George Catholic School principal Ann Beauchamp probably had no other option. Inhibiting a child’s desire to learn by using the parameters of religion to confine their quest for knowledge deprives them of the opportunity for an education based on impartiality. If we kept religious ideology for home and places of worship, resisting the temptation to influence the academic curriculum with religion, we may learn to have a greater tolerance for others. Dale Boire, Ottawa
A teachable moment at school has been lost
I find it somewhat incredible that another Catholic school is involved in a gay rights controversy. Ann Beauchamp, principal of St. George Catholic School in Ottawa, refused to let two Grade 6 students do a project on gay rights. Was it because she was afraid of the reaction of some right-wing Catholic parents? What about the reaction of more liberal-minded parents? What about adhering to the Ontario Human Rights Code? I suppose I should be thankful for Beauchamp’s reaction. Rather than using this occasion as a teachable moment to remind students and parents of human rights laws in Ontario or about issues of social justice, she has now, once again, reminded all of us of the bigotry of the Catholic school system and why public funds should not be going to it. When the decision was made to fund the Catholic system, we were assured that it would comply with the law. It appears that this is not happening and public funds should only be used to support the public system. You can’t have it both ways. Judy Girard, Ottawa
Why keep funding Catholic schools?
Why was the Catholic School Board initially trying to muzzle a couple of sixth graders on gay rights? It is in instances like these that is it extremely hard for me to understand how a taxpayer-funded, religious learning institution still exists in Ontario in 2014. Robert Le Pors, Ottawa
Catholic schools, Catholic teachings
Should the fact that children attending a Catholic elementary school have to abide by the teachings of the Catholic Church be front-page news? A central position of gay rights activists is that gays be allowed to marry. They have the right to marry in a civil ceremony and in some religions. However, gays are not allowed to marry within the Catholic Church, nor are they in other major religions, such as Islam.
Unlike most parents in Ontario, the parents that are complaining about the prohibition of the project on gay rights have a choice of sending their children to a provincially-funded Catholic school or to a public school. They chose a Catholic school. If they don’t agree with the teachings of the Catholic Church, they can send their children to a public school. Michael Peacocke, Nepean
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose
I was schooled in the Roman Catholic system in Quebec. Ignorance, injustice and fear of the “other” numbered among our educators’ guiding principles. That was in the 1960s.
Plus ça change … Patrick Langston, Navan
Carling LRT route would benefit many
Re: Mayor decries ‘meddlesome’
NCC, Nov. 25.
The issue concerning the western LRT extension is not elected versus unelected officials.
Sometimes, there are disagreements between the two and this is healthy. I want public servants giving and defending their best advice, not doing what they’re told. The issue here is whether or not the western parkway is the right extension of the Centretown tunnel. If Bob Chiarelli had not been defeated by Larry O’Brien in 2006, there would be no debate today, the Carling Avenue line would be built, as would the north/south line.
The western parkway serves too few people and is too distant from the city’s principal institutions, hospitals, airport, commercial centres to justify billions of public investment. Byron Avenue makes even less sense.
Carling Avenue is a direct route to Kanata; is eight lanes wide along much of its length, is underused and desperately in need of renovation and better public access for the communities and institutions which border it.
I’ve always found that the best test of public purpose is to ask the question — who benefits?
Who benefits the most from Carling Avenue are the 300,000 people this line would serve and the pocketbooks of Ottawa taxpayers, as surface rail is always cheaper. Clive Doucet, Ottawa, former Ottawa city councillor
Experimental Farm should be for farming
I am confused. First, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird announces greenspace from the Central Experimental Farm to build a new Civic Hospital, and then he refuses to use greenspace to allow a right of way for light rail transit.
The hospital can be built in Kanata — it does not need to use a national heritage site. The LRT cannot be moved to Kanata, it must remain where it is. The LRT is essential for the City of Ottawa; a hospital on the Experimental Farm is not.
I strongly object to the use of the farm land for any use other than parkland and farming related activities, and I see absolutely no objection to the use of the parkway for the western LRT and for the benefit of Ottawa residents. The loss of land in the Experimental Farm is a local, national and permanent disgrace. Richard Jamieson, Ottawa
Don’t have a train rattling along parkway
Thanks to the National Capital Commission for their rejection of a light-rail track along the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway that is not fully tunnelled.
While Mayor Jim Watson decried decisions by unelected officials, I am glad that in this case NCC commissioners are there to give us a chance to avoid an unwise decision by city council made under perceived financial pressure. Mayor Jim Watson ignores the legitimate statutory responsibility of the NCC to provide a national perspective on the beautification of the national capital, in return for the contributions of the federal government to local projects.
The parkway along the Ottawa River is for me the most relaxing and pleasant bicycle ride or walk in the city. A large part of the reason for visitors finding Ottawa a beautiful city is the rivers and the parkways along them. The unique place of the Ottawa River in Canada’s history is no small part of that. Having a train rattle by every few minutes along much of its length can only damage the sense of relaxation for which we all value parkland.
Let’s not ruin a treasure of the national capital in order to save a relatively small amount of money. If we can’t afford to build the LRT properly now, let’s wait until we can find the money to do it right. Alan Macdonald, Ottawa
NRC and U of O keep facility going Re: Another blow to scientific research, Nov. 27.
Glenn A. Facey’s letter raised concerns about the closure of the National Ultrahigh-Field NMR Facility, an instrument owned by the University of Ottawa, located on the campus of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC).
In the past week, the Presidents of NRC and the University of Ottawa have agreed to work together to sustain the operation of the facility.
During this period, which starts on Dec. 1, the facility will remain in its current location.
NRC and the university continue to be important strategic partners. We remain committed to working together to advance science, technology and innovation for Canadians. Danial Wayner, PhD, Vice President, Emerging Technologies, National Research Council of Canada, and Mona Nemer, PhD, Vice President Research, University of Ottawa
My future son-in-law was refused a visa, too Re: Canada turns aside Afghan artist, Nov. 26.
The news that Hanifa Alizada has been refused a visa to visit Canada does not come as a surprise.
My daughter’s fiancé recently applied for a visa to visit Canada for Christmas. He, too, was refused on exactly the same grounds as Alizada, with the same form letter and undecipherable signature. He submitted his application ($245), with all the supporting documents, including his employment contract, bank statements, proof that he is enrolled in the MBA programme at the Canadian University in Dubai, and a letter of invitation from us.
Information of his fiancée’s full-time employment as a teacher at the Victoria International School in Sharjah was also provided. The fact that he was born and his lived his entire life in Dubai, where his parents and siblings all reside, seems to have made no difference.
It would appear that his application was only given a cursory look at best before being refused. One wonders if the citizenship of applicants determines the success or failure of a visa application. Alizada is an Afghan; my future son-in-law holds a Yemeni passport. As applications are now submitted through a third party, one wonders if all the supporting documents are actually forwarded to the embassy. Yes, he can submit a new application and a new fee with exactly the same information, but with still no guarantee that a visa will be issued. Wendy Neelin, Ottawa
Afghan artist deserves a decent explanation
Canada has a proud heritage promoting rights. We have seen and read how our government and prime minister have made women’s rights a priority. Only Sunday, Lynne Yelich, minister of state for foreign affairs, announced in Oslo that Canada is among the lead donors of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission and insisted that women’s rights remain at the core of Canadian efforts in Afghanistan. She reminded us that concerning UN policies, Canada is focused on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325.
In these challenging days, the world needs to see this welltravelled exhibition sponsored by the World Bank. Canadians and Hanifa Alizada deserve an explanation. Hally Ruth Siddons, Ottawa
Community plans were not the issue Re: Community works with Regional, Domicile on development of Main Street Oblate lands, Nov. 22.
There is no doubt that the development of the Oblate lands on Main Street as described in detail in this Citizen article is one of the most exciting inner-city projects to come to Ottawa over the last decade. Walton Development and Management (Walton) was indeed part of the development community that expressed interest in taking part of this venture and responded to the Request for Proposals (RFP).
Walton made a conditional offer to acquire the property, which was accepted. When we made the offer, we were aware of the Community Design Plan (CDP) and Secondary Plan, which were of great interest to us. In the end, and as a result of our own due diligence, we made a business decision to not move forward. Walton’s decision had nothing to do with the CDP or Secondary Plan, so you can imagine how surprised we were when we read the following in Saturday’s Citizen:
“Initially, the Oblates entertained an offer by Monarch Homes and Walton Development and Management, a large North American landholding company, but talks faltered a year ago. Insiders say Walton was put off by restrictions of the comprehensive Community Development Plan (CDP) and a secondary plan developed by members of the Old Ottawa East Community Association.”
If Walton had decided to pursue the project, one of the most exciting aspects of this proposed development would have been working within the guidelines of the CDP and the Secondary Plan. Walton’s track record demonstrates a history of genuine partnerships with the local community. Working with a CDP designed by the community, the city and the Oblates would have been an honour for us. Jean Lachance, General Manager Ottawa, Walton Development and Management Eastern Canada