At a time when much news is a combination of tragic, maddening and embarrassing, your story (on on Dr. Jeff Turnbull) shows what it means to pursue meaning in our lives and truly serve our community. David Sweanor, Ottawa

Do more to equalize abortion access We are delighted that the provincial government took a strong stand for reproductive rights by providing full OHIP coverage for Mifegymiso — the medical abortion pill — starting Aug. 10.

While this removes income as a barrier to reproductive rights, more must be done to truly equalize access. Growing demand for the abortion pill as a safe alternative to surgical abortion has not been followed by a growing network of providers.

We are aware of fewer than 10 medical abortion providers currently practising in all of Ontario, and most of them are in large urban centres (Ottawa has two clinics). While the abortion pill will be available at no cost in rural and remote communities, this won’t help if small-town doctors don’t prescribe it.

Our solution, mirrored with success in other cities, has been to seek out and support new providers among individual family physicians, gynecologists and nurse practitioners. This same approach, applied in rural communities, could create access where none previously existed.

Not since abortion was decriminalized in 1988 have Canadians had such an opportunity to change the landscape of reproductive rights. We need grassroots, collective efforts to ensure that safe abortions are available in practice as well as theory. Laura Colella, Marnie Mitchel, co-presidents of Planned Parenthood Ottawa Dr. Turnbull an example to us all

Re: ‘This is what has given meaning’: From chief of staff to doctor of the homeless, Aug. 4.

Kudos for the article on Dr. Jeff Turnbull and his decision to focus his considerable talents on helping some of the most vulnerable people in our city.

At a time when much news is a combination of tragic, maddening and embarrassing, your story shows what it means to pursue meaning in our lives and truly serve our community. His commitment to relieving suffering and reducing risks is both commendable and inspirational.

We really are “all in this together” and the way our city treats our most marginalized people is a measure of the social capital of the city itself. His is truly a life well lived, and he is among those making Ottawa a more livable city. David Sweanor, Ottawa Others have ‘sacrificed,’ too Thank you for yet another article on Dr. Jeff Turnbull, a remarkable and inspiring individual. That being said, I do question your focus on his “sacrifice.”

The equally important work of dedicated shelter and outreach workers, addictions and mental health counsellors, social workers and nurses generally goes unnoticed both in the media and in society. That one $500,000 salary would cover many more of these often poorly remunerated jobs, which pay between $25,000 and $80,000 depending on the specialty and level of education. Even entry-level police officers earn $100,000 for their work on those “gritty” streets.

As a highly paid physician and hospital executive, Dr. Turnbull has the luxury of volunteering his time and money. Does he receive ample media coverage because his one-year sacrifice of a $500,000 executive salary is greater than that of others who choose to work on the streets? Is it a sacrifice because most physicians in his position would not do this work? M.A. Wilson, Ottawa Listen to the people about shelter plans

Re: Key questions about Salvation Army’s Vanier ‘mega-shelter’ proposal, Aug. 3.

Jane Jacobs, that classic city planner, would surely have something to say about the planned large Salvation Army housing complex in Vanier. She would say: Listen to the people on the street, they often know more about the situation than centralized planners.

Better to have smaller, scattered centres than one huge one. No doubt central planners are viewing this plan in terms of economies of scale. That may be wishful thinking if the project turns out to be a publicly embarrassing failure.

Listen to the people on the street. They may be on to something. Eric J. Schiller, Ottawa Padlock that pot shop, and then the next

Re: Want to shut down a pot shop? Aug. 11.

The owner-landlord says it’s difficult to figure out who is running the pot shop. Well, some identifiable party signed the lease for the space, and that party is operating (or allowing the operation of ) an illegal business there.

We know it’s illegal because the police shut it down in November, and they could not have done that without evidence that it’s illegal. So, put a padlock on the door and bring a prosecution against the identified lessee.

Sure, the business will pop up somewhere else. Do the same there.

At some point, those who are profiting enormously from all these illegal shops are going to accuse the police with violating their rights and sue the authorities for mischievous prosecution, and it will tax the resources of police and authorities to justify and defend themselves. That’s because we’ve let the situation get out of hand and those behind this shady business now have so much money and so much at stake that they can and will spend big-time to preserve their handsomely profitable business.

But where do we draw the line? For sure, authorities won’t act — unless we insist. So do it now. Draw the line. Insist. Stephen McNamee, Ottawa Police must back down on Pride Ten days from the Pride Parade and the issue of off-duty police marching in uniform has not been resolved. By insisting on the police force’s right to march in uniform, Chief Charles Bordeleau has made it an issue about the police, not the parade.

A police uniform is a sign of authority and the person wearing it has the duty and the means to enforce the law. That is the signal the uniform sends to civilians. No other organization has that job; no other uniform sends that message; no other group has the reputation that has prompted many marchers to object to the presence of off-duty uniformed police.

Chief Bordeleau says he wants to wear his uniform to show sympathy with the marchers, but the message he is sending is that he does not care what the marchers want. That is both rude and defiant and could reflect the reasons many marchers do not want uniformed police in their parade. It is also provocative: What if some marchers whose wishes are being ignored or who have been the victims of “excessive use of force” happen to shove or trip an unwelcome uniformed police officer?

The question is whether off-duty police have the right to crash any public meeting or event in uniform, and the answer Ottawans and their city council should insist on is “No.” Ed Whitcomb, Ottawa Tories weren’t exactly debt reducers

Re: Ontario keeps dancing around the debt, Aug. 10.

Don’t let the wolves fool you. This is old data and the Fraser Institute is old Conservative. Ontario is trying to promote growth, and hopes, as I’m sure all of us do (except Randall Denley), that we will be successful. Ontario is basing its debt reduction planning on that assumption.

And why not? Current prospects for both Canada and Ontario are to grow, and that our debt-to-GDP ratio is manageable. What “debt” did any national Conservative government greatly diminish while still promoting growth?

The last government to attempt it was Liberal, led by Jean Chrétien and his finance minister, Paul Martin, whose draconian austerity policies were followed shortly after by Stephen Harper’s spending. Peter Haley, Ottawa Binoculars and light could save whales

Re: Right whale deaths: Ottawa orders ships to slow down in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Aug. 11.

Sadly, most right whales do not exhibit vessel-avoidance behaviour. And slowing ships down will effectively make their pre-collision approach quieter. Getting struck by a massive steel object at 10 knots (18.5 km/hr) will still kill.

In addition to speed reductions, ships should return to a centuries-old, very effective whale-spotting practice. Put a mariner with a pair of binoculars aloft or on the bow when passing through known whale habitats. Most vessels are equipped with powerful spotlights for night use. Ray Brow, former deep-sea mariner, Georgetown Royalty, P.E.I. Not the right solution to drunk driving Canada has a drinking and driving problem. Of that there is no doubt. But the federal Liberals’ recent proposal in reducing the Criminal Code legal blood alcohol limit to .05 is a step in the wrong direction.

A change to .05 would only worsen the problem when it comes to our overwhelmed court system. It would undermine what other provinces have been doing to effectively reduce the number of offenders. Recent changes in British Columbia, as well as in other provinces, have had significant success, by implementing administrative penalties for those who drive with a BAL of .04 to .08.

We should be considering things such as harsher administrative penalties, improved public transit, and increased public awareness to fight this deadly problem. Instead, the Liberals seem to be taking the easy route by proposing a short-sighted policy that will cost taxpayers millions. Mitch Graw, Ottawa Fireworks pollution an overlooked issue Although fireworks are present at so many celebrations, perhaps the government should pay heed to the pollution that results from the beautiful displays that light up the skies.

All kinds of elements are present in the production of fireworks and the residues that shower down onto buildings, land or whatever else is in the area. This seems to be neglected when the celebration goes on.

Twenty minutes and seventeen seconds seem like a fairly long time for a display but that is how long the residue was unleashed during the July 1 festivities on Parliament Hill alone. Hopefully the government will be aware of this pollution next year. It is not setting a good example of pollution control when it is directly responsible for pollution in this day and age. Peter Hedden, Kanata