Re: CBE eyes unique strategies to deal with full schools, July 9
Maybe a good title for this letter could be: The real Calgary Stampede is about to begin. Thanks to Eva Ferguson’s article about the proposed strategies that our impoverished CBE is considering to maintain quality education, I am now jumping off the fence into the NDP’s garden.
Such strategies will convince many parents to remove their kids from the CBE and send them to private schools, or homeschool them, thus further reducing funding for public education, a system that interfaces well with democracy and cultural diversity.
Although private education is mandated to teach democracy and cultural diversity, it’s in the public system where we find a great coming together of many diverse cultures providing first-hand experience for kids to understand and co-operate with others, and move confidently into adulthood.
Why would anyone support a political party that can’t prioritize the public education and well-being of its future voters? Now, with so many traumatized youth, additional teachers and resources are needed.
Peter Lougheed graduated from the CBE and successfully led a true progressive party, which no longer exists.
In the near future, the real Calgary Stampede will take place — as we all jump onto our NDP horses and gallop to the legislature.
Marlene Harris, Calgary
Praise for Drew’s view On the Road
Mike Drew, thanks for sharing your ride, with the descriptive wording and exceptional pictures.
I always enjoy your weekend experiences.
Brian McConaghy, Foothills County
Stop handouts to failing organizations
This insanity has to stop. The CBC Corp. is losing hundreds of millions of dollars every year, and in spite of that is paying its executives bonuses?
For what exactly? Bonuses are supposed to be for superior performance on the job and increasing the corporation’ s profit. Is that what is happening here? Of course not.
This is nothing more than government handouts going to the media arm of the Liberal party, and the CBC then decides to bestow these bonuses on its executives who should be ashamed of taking the money. But of course they will keep taking the money for as long as it keeps getting handed out to them.
We need a new government who will defund the CBC, which has become nothing more than a mouthpiece for the Liberal party. No one advertises with it anymore; its advertising income has dropped precipitously because no one is watching the CBC.
The Canada Post Corp. is in the same position. Losing hundreds of millions of dollars every year, which gets replaced by tax dollars you and I pay — and for what?
So we can get a bunch of useless flyers stuffed into our mailboxes every day, which will then be thrown in the garbage without even looking at.
Stop the insanity.
Bill Stemp, Calgary
Rebranding is for the birds
It amazes me how the citizens of Calgary were invited to vote for a bird to represent Calgary, but not a peep was said about a new city logo.
Karen Russell, Calgary
Halt the grizzly hunt
So now people can apply to hunt our precious, iconic, endangered grizzlies.
This change was initiated by the minister of Fish and Wildlife, who, as it happens, used to be a hunting outfitter. There has been no definition of what a so called “problem bear” is or who is going to identify them as such.
The statistics given by the minister have been called into question by wildlife biologists, and I would tend to believe them.
This appears to be yet another ill-thought-out policy of our present government.
Mary King, Calgary
Money would be better spent on Inglewood pool
The city spent $5.7 million for the new Blue Sky City logo. What was wrong with Be Part Of The Energy?
We are a young energetic city. Energy does not have to relate only to the energy sector — far from it.
Bob Bahan pool was closed for emergency electrical repair, the cost unknown. However, there is apparently no money available for the electrical upgrade at the Inglewood community pool, which would cost $600,000. There may be other upgrades needed but probably not $5.7 million worth.
Obviously, the city would prefer to have housing built on the pool site — generating more in property taxes than a community coming together for fun and healthy activities.
Was the city’s plan over the past years to let the Inglewood pool gradually deteriorate? This would mean that a housing development could replace it as part of the planned brewery lands development.
Inglewood, the oldest Calgary community, is vibrant and growing. More young families have made it their home, yet there is still a great mix of other age groups. However, the city and council priorities are obviously not focused on the people of Calgary and what they would want for their communities. Instead their priorities seem to be on wasteful, unnecessary projects and the almighty dollar.
It will be a sad day for Calgary when this historic pool closes.
Ethne Dickinson, Calgary
Speaking for the Stampede animals
Re: Innovation improves animal welfare both at Stampede and in the field, July 9
Cultures evolve and traditions should too, especially when they hold no necessity and are harmful to others. I find it embarrassing for any media that continues to glorify animal practices at the antiquated Calgary Stampede, where animals are roughed up, raced, roped and die each year for human entertainment.
We have enough science backing the complex sentience of the animals used during the Stampede to know that these animals suffer fear and pain. Additionally, they are not consenting participants.
It’s time to stop giving Stampede apologists airtime, and for the Stampede itself to evolve toward a festival that doesn’t use or harm animals.
Animal health, and our humanity, depend on it.
Jo-Anne McArthur, founder of We Animals Media
City slogan has deeper meaning
In contrast to Chris Nelson’s take on the city’s new slogan, I find it cleverly declares Calgary to be a progressive and optimistic city in which to work and live.
On the surface, Blue Sky City would seem to refer only to the source of radiant energy this wonderful city enjoys year round. In wider terms, the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the term as, “to offer ideas that are conceived by unrestrained imagination or optimism.”
Sounds like the city I decided to move to 27 years ago.
Mark Hudon, Calgary
Better ideas for the brand
As our city again rebrands itself, this time as the Blue Sky City at an initial cost of more than $5 million, I cannot help but wonder why the city powers did not look for something more inspirational that most citizens would agree with and actually remember.
I offer just two that sure could use the money: Calgary: City of Overgrown Weeds, or Calgary: City of Potholes.
Paul Griffin, Calgary
U.S. voters face difficult choice
When the debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden ended, I was sure that people would be commenting on the outstanding display of egocentricity that came from Trump. But, nay, it was the quieter more puzzling nature of Joe Biden that was seized on.
What impressed me the most, at the end of this debate, was the way Trump seemed to see every interaction through lenses that were totally ego-focused — even to the extent of ignoring the topic he was asked to talk about and, instead, going his own way to make his ego the winner, and never mentioning the topic. He ignored basic rules of debate/social interaction, and turned it into a boastful rant of lies.
Now, there are concerns about Biden’s mental acuity (age) but he is well socialized, approachable, listens, absorbs information, processes (and has much history to his credit on finding the way forward), relates to others and works with them.
These last two are critical factors.
We can’t hold age back nor change personality makeup, so critical choices will have to be made in putting forth candidates.
Olga (Liz) Wilson, Calgary