Letters to the editor
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Same old system
Re: Tribunal overturns city council’s rejection of new apartment building (Sept. 14)
It really makes one wonder why we, as a city, try to make our own decisions as per citizens wishes when the province will immediately countermand said decisions to appease developers. Whatever developers want, developers get – regardless of citizens’ or local councils’ protests.
The new Local Planning Appeal Tribunal was promised to be a fairer, more citizen-friendly arbitrator than the Ontario Municipal Board, which would never vote against developers’ requests despite local councils’ objections or municipal zoning restrictions. It looks to me as if it’s the same old crooked system with a fresh coat of paint.
M. Reindl
Brantford
Par for the course
PM’s focus
Adapt to cope and survive
Re: Freedoms eroded (Letter, Oct. 17)
The letter writer appears to have taken it upon himself to declare that we are on our way to a dictatorship. The loss of our freedoms has been unmasked, nay, trampled upon by multiple legislative boots.
The cry of “Shame! Shame!” from opposition benches falls on deaf ears. We are more muzzled than masked. Yet, I see freedom still, just in different forms. Skype or Zoom as you will but avoid having to fly to the Atlantic provinces. Go shopping or hiking but wear a mask. Adapt to cope and survive; many are.
This point-of-view will not serve all equally or make them happy, but, then again, it never has. It might even be a plate of tripe. Best to hold our governments accountable in the long haul though.
Doom and gloom have served no one well other than doomsayers.
Tony Broscomb
Brantford
Democracy no sham
Sometimes, when you read what people write, you have to wonder: What are they thinking? The letter writer’s protest of government actions during the pandemic as trampling of individual rights is, to say the least, narrow minded and selfish. We, as a democracy, elect our peers to guide in good times and difficult times, too. They in turn must rely on science to guide them in their decisions. I don’t think that makes our democracy a sham. I’m sure the letter writer and others who have the same misguided attitude are helping to prolong this virus. We all need to do our part to put a stop to this virus so we can all get back to normal — whatever normal is.
Andrew Robertson
Brantford
Short-sighted city council
City councillors are selling Arrowdale Golf Course so it can be developed for housing. All they are thinking about is an influx of cash and not the long-term health and sustainability of our city. Our planet is being stripped of its urban green spaces at an alarming rate, and city council is fine with that. Urban green spaces provide many benefits for cities: they help absorb carbon emissions which results in cleaner and healthier air for residents; they help keep cities cooler as they do not hold onto heat like pavement does; they reduce pollution by filtering harmful air pollutants; they contribute to urban biodiversity by providing a natural habitat for many different animal species; and they offer much-needed outside recreational opportunities for city dwellers. Urban green spaces improve the quality of life for urban residents in many ways. It’s too bad city council is acting in such a shortsighted way and getting rid of one of the last significant green spaces in Brantford’s core.
Michael Bolton
Brantford
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