LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

It’d be a tall order to top this chef Re: “Taking a stand in the city’s hottest kitchen,” Swerve magazine, May 26.

It is refreshing to read about someone like Glen Pereira at the Calgary Drop-In Centre. He came to this country and is making a difference by forgoing potential monetary success and prestige in order to serve others.

He is an example to us all. Brian O’Reilly, Calgary

Kindergarten all day is a bad idea Re: “Province urged to deliver on full-day kindergarten pledge,” May 29.

Anyone who has ever had a child hit Grade 1 knows the angst they go through the first two or three months.

The child comes home from attending school a full day totally exhausted, grumpy and generally not fun to be around until they finally adjust some time in November.

Now imagine doing this to kids a whole year younger. Kids that age are simply not capable of putting up with a full day of kindergarten. Let’s keep the best interest of the children in mind.

Never mind it doubles the number of kindergarten classes in every school, or halves the enrolment space if there is no room to grow. Kindergarten is not free daycare.

Parents need to stop treating it as such. Eric Collins, Calgary

NDP’s spending is out of control Re: “United right party is talking nonsense,” Letter, May 29.

Jim Ozon, if you are so worried about a united right policy, tax rollbacks and the like, you haven’t considered that there are two sides to the government ledger — revenue and spending based on taxation.

The spending part of the equation for the Rachel Notley NDP is out of control and there is no miracle involved in Albertans’ wish to throw them out. Simple dollars and sense — and dare I say math? Nick Nelson, Calgary

Time to teach B.C. economic lesson Re: “B.C. deal ‘not good for the interests of Alberta’,” May 31.

The NDP and Green Party have formed an alliance in B.C., and now are going to try and do everything in their power to stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion.

Why don’t we do the same thing in return? Why can’t we stop sending the clear-cut, environmentally destructive lumber across Alberta to market?

Or better still, how would B.C. react if we charged them fees for moving their resources from northern B.C. through Alberta to eastern and southern markets?

I think it is time our country acted like one country, not nine little ones, and one very short-sighted one — that being B.C. I just hope our provincial government has the guts to make that happen. Tom Spenceley, Calgary

Compost money better to charity Re: “Composting isn’t for everyone,” May 29.

I couldn’t agree more with Mike Priaro, and I am sure there are a great many other Calgarians who feel the same way.

I am fortunate to own a house built in the mid-1980s, and hence, have a decentsized backyard, a good portion of which is dedicated to a vegetable garden. Everything remotely biodegradable (excluding chicken/fish bones) during the course of the year goes into it.

The resulting soil is very rich and produces far too much for my consumption, with the excess going to the food bank. I frequently do not put my black garbage bin out every week and could routinely go three to four weeks without pickup, especially in cool weather.

As a senior on a fixed income, in 2018, I would much rather contribute the $6.50 to one of the charities I modestly support instead of it going into the black hole of taxation hell. Doug deRoaldes, Calgary

Deciphering the sounds of spring

May is the time of year in Calgary when you wake up to the sound of a motor, but you have to get up and go to the window to see whether it’s a snowblower or lawn mower. Helgi Leesment, Calgary