LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Province’s inquiry wasteful

RE: FORD LAUNCHES INQUIRY INTO ONTARIO’S FINANCES, JULY 17

Why is the Ontario government proposing to spend taxpayers’ hard-earned income on this inquiry when we already know the answer and that two independent bodies — namely the Ontario Auditor General and the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario — have already confirmed what we all suspect i.e. that the Liberal government understated the deficit, etc.

Why not spend that money on follow-up work to the reports from these two bodies — don't you trust them? This is not the action of “the first ever Government for the People,” this is unnecessary political obfusccation and delay.

David Waller

Niagara-on-the-Lake

Facts taxpayers need to know

Congratulations to The Standard for the most informative stories revealing some disturbing practices at Niagara Region offices.

All involved in unearthing this information, including the thoughtful and persistent researchers and the senior reporters, deserve great credit, This is top class, award-winning journalism.

These are facts tax payers need to know. The public service positions of regional chair and of the chief administrative officer, are highly paid. Adopting an attitude of “don’t bug me,” and refusing to provide answers when problems are brought to light, is not adequate.

Keep up your good work. Please.

Brian Leyden

St. Catharines

Rename hydro canal for Tesla

Plans are being developed to refurbish the hydro canal that runs through the city of Niagara Falls.

Having grown up in a neighbourhood adjacent to the canal, I’ve only heard it referred to as the hydro canal. There’s a plaque at one end of the Lundy’s Lane bridge over the canal that calls it the Ontario Hydro Electric Generating Canal. This is not a name created by a marketing genius. Even though this is a major project with an important history, I have been asked by many visitors what the canal is for. They had no idea the canal existed until they stumbled upon it.

I was surprised to read an article calling it the Sir Adam Beck Power Canal, as I’ve never heard that name used. While it may be convenient, I don’t believe it is in common use. I would like to propose that the canal be renamed in honour of Nikola Tesla. Naming this canal the Nikola Tesla Power Canal would grant this great man the credit he deserves for what he brought to the world, and illustrate how much this has meant to the province and City of Niagara Falls.

Given that Niagara Falls is a major tourist destination, some sites along the canal could become points of interest. Giving the canal a name relevant to the world would emphasize its significance and give people another good reason to visit.

Greg Baynes

Niagara Falls

Make guns illegal

Coverage of the Toronto gun massacre includes a good analysis of the debate caused by Mayor John Tory suggesting banning guns. A gun is different from any other kind of weapon. It can kill with the mere pressure of a finger. Come after me with a knife or a baseball bat and I stand a chance, but if you have a gun, I don’t.

So a gun is the preferred weapon of a coward, a word which I am glad to see is beginning to appear in the press in the U.S. In that country they justify the fact they lead the world in gun deaths because their constitution includes the Second Amendment, added at a time when a musket fired one shot and then took quite a time to reload. We in Canada do not have this problem. Society has not yet got around to making gun ownership illegal. Let us hope this will happen soon.

Robin Guard

St. Catharines