The following are letters to the editor published in the May 18 edition of the Minden Times.
Ford: anti-people, anti-planet
To the Editor,
The Glasgow Climate Pact resulting from the Conference of the Parties 26 (COP26) expresses alarm and utmost concern, stressing the urgency for ambitious and immediate climate action.
Once elected, Premier Ford gutted Ontario’s conservation authorities’ ability to protect communities against flooding and erosion, weakened its Endangered Species Act in order to promote development, escalated the use of Ministerial Zoning Orders to push through development on sensitive ecological lands and ripped out existing electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and renewable energy projects that cost taxpayers millions of dollars. His plans to build highway 413 through wetlands and valuable agricultural land will increase greenhouse gas emissions. There are too many other destructive actions to list here but these next two are particularly alarming.
The proposed mining for minerals in the area that Ford calls “the Ring of Fire,” will result in the release of an enormous amount of methane, a dangerous greenhouse gas. Indigenous people call this area the Breathing Lands and have lived off the land there since time immemorial. While we need minerals for batteries for EVs, they can be obtained elsewhere, including the recycling of old batteries. We point fingers at Brazil for allowing the destruction of the Amazon rainforest, but this will be even more disastrous. It will also severely impact the diversity of wildlife, including caribou, on which Indigenous people depend for their sustenance.
Secondly, Ford scrapped the climate adaptation plan that was created for Ontario in 2009. Then he used taxpayers money to create a new adaptation plan which was completed in November 2021. This new plan has not been made available to the public or even Ontario’s Auditor General, in spite of the Freedom of Information act. This is alarming. This report should be made available immediately.
Please consider the above when you vote on June 2.
Susan Hay
Haliburton
Ford: Unsafe at any speed
If you had to characterize Doug Ford as a vehicle, what would he be? Come on, give it a try. I know what I see after watching him these four long years. To me he is a misfiring, gas guzzling, oil burning, smoky exhaust spewing old F-100 pickup. Steering is loose, brakes, suspension and body mounts are shot and the rear end clunks over the slightest bump. In short, this old junker needs to be taken off the road.
To the minority who will benefit from Ford’s re-election he is a sleek shiny drug kingpin’s ride. They will continue to count on him to score their next development hit through which they get a buzz from paving over and building on more farmland and wetlands, and otherwise satiating their exploitative addictions.
To the majority of us in Ontario, and that includes the countless non-human beings we share this province with, Doug is a big old Caterpillar D9 bulldozer deliberately and systematically knocking down and plowing under everything that matters to re-creating and maintaining a civil society living in harmony with nature. Bulldozer Ford has long ago lost whatever conscious awareness he ever may have had about the fact that he is reliant upon the natural world for his own survival. Sadly, members of Ford’s cabal and many of his blind faith supporters share his illusions as the climate cliff moves ever closer.
Given the shrinkage within the collective memory, here’s just one reminder of a program crushed by bulldozer Ford. In 2017, Lindsay was included in the basic income pilot project. Our MPP Laurie Scott was, “certain that the program would lead to improved help for Lindsay area residents.” Before the 2018 election she said, “we will continue to support this pilot project and look forward to seeing the results.” If only you had spoken the truth Laurie. Take a good look in your mirror and imagine being poor!
If re-elected I see Ford as a hearse transporting a coffin full of everything that really matters to people and our planet. Vote to take him off the road!
John Gibb
Minden
