Re: George Brookman’s column Downtown Calgary Facing Overwhelming Crisis, Sept. 20, 2024:
I agree that more needs to be done to effectively address the challenges facing houseless, vulnerable people living in our downtown and elsewhere in Calgary. We already know the “more” that will have the biggest and most long-lasting positive effect for houseless people is adequate, appropriate and affordable housing.
A safe, warm place to live is key for everyone — why aren’t we marshalling every resource to make this happen? Marry housing with investments in proven but woefully underfunded alcohol and drug treatment resources, emergency drug recovery/supervision sites so people continuing to use don’t die from that decision, and remedial education/employment opportunities.
We and all orders of government need to focus on what vulnerable people say they need most for that chance at becoming a contributing member of society again — housing and supports.
Joe Ceci, Alberta NDP MLA for Calgary-Buffalo
Embrace new vision for Green Line
Re: Calgary mayor blasts Province of Alberta
Mayor Jyoti Gondek needs to stop behaving like a petulant child over the province’s decision to rethink the Green Line. It reflects poorly on her and the city.
Instead, let’s be grateful for the province’s reality injection on a project that had clearly lost its way.
Let’s behave like a mature partner with the province and work with them to establish a viable project. The province hasn’t abandoned Calgary’s Green Line, they’ve repeatedly reiterated their desire to see it proceed.
But they understandably expect it to make technical and economic sense, even if the mayor and council have lost sight of those imperatives.
Doug Walker, Calgary
Province is solely to blame
Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen can stop pointing fingers at members of Calgary council and NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi.
He needs to look in the mirror, along with Premier Danielle Smith.
It is Dreeshen and his boss who bear the full brunt of this fiasco. They are the reason Calgarians now have to pay the $2.1 tab for a Green Line that no longer exists.
All your backtracking and spinning won’t fix this now. There are no words to say how unacceptable your actions are.
Jo-Ann Mason, Calgary
No public cash for private schools
Let me be one of the first to respond to the most disappointing announcement that the UCP government has decided to use public government dollars to fund private schools.
It is not surprising that this leadership has done this. It is just one more step in their desire to make Alberta more like the American system, instead of reflecting values that Canada has held for a long time.
Canadian schools and others, such as in Finland, have always provided better education results than the United States because of strong public funding. These institutional changes will be very hard to roll back.
I believe that we will be a poorer society because of these decisions.
Marianne Stankievech, Calgary