Food guide column fear-mongering

Jim Merrriam’s column “New food guide could hurt farmers, health” (Aug. 22) suggesting that the people who author Health Canada’s food guides are “ideologues,” “brainiacs” and “holier-than-thou-bureaucrats” was dismissive, misleading and little more than fear-mongering.

Even though Health Canada is encouraging people to eat less (but not eliminate) red meat and foods high in saturated fat like butter and certain cheeses, Merriam as well as Canada’s dairy and beef sectors are overreacting and mounting a doomsday scenario for those sectors of agriculture.

Smart farmers know Health Canada’s recommendations have already been implemented by many health-conscious consumers and, therefore, have already taken steps to re-position their farm businesses to meet changing consumer preferences.

To these farmers, Health Canada is simply catching up to a well-established marketplace reality and, therefore, they do not share Merriam’s alarmist, “shoot the messenger” viewpoint, nor should they.

Stephen Thompson Clinton, Ont. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s mess regarding, among so many other of his failures to lead this country, the illegal immigration situation that has now become an overwhelming problem in Quebec and other parts of Canada.

It is easy for Trudeau to speak eloquently and charitably that our borders are open to anyone seeing freedom and a better way of life. Who is paying for all of these? Certainly the money is not coming out of his deep pockets.

It was enough that he welcomed the thousands of refugees from the Middle East and the money paid out and still being paid out at the expense of taxpayers, some of whom have difficulty making a decent living or putting foot on the table for their families. There is also a medical crisis in this country with such a huge deluge of new immigrants.

Canadians are a very generous and kind people; however, enough is enough. The opposition parties need to take a stand on this invasion across our borders.

Genevieve Grech London, Ont.