Carpenters build new homes in Ottawa on June 1.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
System failure
Re “Trump uses White House speech to renew claims of election fraud, accusing China of stealing voter files” (Online, July 16): Donald Trump seems completely justified in continuing to question the integrity of the U.S. electoral system.
I mean, look who was elected President in 2024.
Larry Grossman Toronto
Ticked off
Re “B.C. could be the province hit the hardest by Trump’s new tariffs” (Report on Business, July 23): We should fight back with retaliatory measures.
The burgeoning tick population in Canada finds some of its origins in the United States. Unless Donald Trump manages the American tick problem, we should impose comparable tariffs.
I call this tick-for-tat diplomacy.
Brian Anthony Toronto
Great responsibility
Re “Ottawa convenes federal wildfire response group as three blazes encircle Boston Bar, B.C.” (July 23): I read that more than half of forest fires are started by people.
If that’s the case, why aren’t we seeing revised versions of the Smokey Bear program to educate society about the devastating nature of forest fires and how to prevent them? We should also hold accountable those who start them.
It’s easy to blame forest fires on climate change, but we’re not powerless in trying to adapt to warmer and dryer summers and reduce incidences of fires at relatively low cost.
Charles Slagorsky Calgary
Too late
Re “Canada’s conversation about new submarines is failing to ask the most important question” (July 16): The current plan to deploy new submarines by 2032 is far too slow, leaving Canadian Arctic waters vulnerable to sovereignty challenges. The present Victoria Class submarines can’t fill the gap.
The Royal Canadian Navy’s Uncrewed Underwater Surveillance System project offers a promising solution. Its timeline looks delayed by internal bureaucratic procedures, despite the technology being readily available and used by other navies.
The government should recognize the present risks to Arctic sovereignty and act decisively by deploying advanced underwater sensor systems within the year, rather than waiting for lengthy procurement processes to conclude. Rapid implementation is essential to protect Canada’s interests in contested Arctic waters.
This should be a project of major national interest.
Philip Bury Edwardsburgh/Cardinal, Ont.
More than money
Re “Toronto MPP Stan Cho resigns from Ford cabinet after outcry over hotel expenses” (July 18): Stan Cho repaid every dollar, to the penny, as he put it. This is not the end of the story.
This is the Ontario the government has built: Money appears, quickly and quietly, for the comfort of the people who govern, and disappears everywhere the rest of us actually need it.
Students see their grants gutted while the Ford government shuts down freedom of information, legislating the Premier and cabinet above the kind of scrutiny that caught Mr. Cho.
He seems less like a public servant and more like a trust fund child shocked to find out other people pay his bills. He can pay back every dollar, to the penny, but he has not earned back the trust of the young people in his riding of Willowdale, who are told to tighten their belts while he loosens his at their expense.
Is this how Willowdale wants to be represented?
Ehsan Mosaheb Youth liaison, Willowdale Provincial Liberal Association; president, York University Young Liberals; Toronto
Strangely, this does not evoke outrage in me. Rather, it evokes sympathy for the MPPs who have been so unceremoniously outed.
It is obvious to this observer that their daintiness has not been taken into full account when asking them to venture into the harsh environs of the outside world. After all, they are being asked to show up in person for a few days of work per annum.
Rather than cut back on their luxury hotel stays, taxpayers should be asked to cover the extension of these benefits so they can be fully rested, coiffed and moisturized, should they ever be required to return to the shabby environs of Queen’s Park.
Gerrard Weedon Toronto
Crashing down
Re “In the housing market, what goes up must (must not) come down” (Opinion, July 18): What seems to get missed in these discussions is the relatively young-ish group who manage to scrimp and save and, perhaps with assistance from their parents, buy into the (inflated) housing market. Plenty of them are mortgaged at levels approaching seven figures.
What happens to them if the housing market takes a dive based on some sort of government intervention? It seems to me this group is the most at risk of all of us.
Craig Paterson Hornby Island, B.C.
Grass greener
Re “Fifty years on, Olympic Stadium still casts a shadow over Montreal’s architecture. Will a new bus garage change that?” (Opinion, July 18): A Montrealer can perhaps be forgiven for taking for granted just how excellently so much of the city’s public space is being used.
Salsa dance lessons in the gazebo in Little Italy, the closing of Mont-Royal Avenue through the warmer months and the biggest success: the Quartier des spectacles, a permanent location for free social and cultural events that attract both visitors and residents alike.
Toronto has excellent public spaces. It’s just that, well, nothing really goes on in them. Heaven forbid one could buy a beer or coffee in any of them.
Montreal puts culture and people first. Those of us in Toronto, suffering under stale civic leadership, look at Montreal’s cost overruns as rather cute.
Eglinton Line, anyone? How we doing on the Ontario Line? Over budget too, last I heard.
David Roy Toronto
Shared byline
Re “Marissa Stapley is enjoying her Lucky ride” (Arts & Books, July 18): “Stapley’s other novels have been optioned or reoptioned – including Three Holidays and a Wedding, by Netflix.” This novel is co-authored by Uzma Jalaluddin and bears all the marks of Ms. Jalaluddin’s style.
Stan Szpakowicz Kamloops, B.C.
Bravo, Wardo
Re “Former Blue Jays pitcher, two-time World Series champion Duane Ward dies at 62? (Sports, July 20): My dear wife was a huge fan of the Blue Jays and Duane Ward in particular. She also loved The Globe and Mail cryptic crossword.
Whenever there was one or two clues left that really puzzled her and she could not complete it before the day ended, she would assign the task to me, saying it needed to be “Duaned” – her way of saying it needed a reliable closer.
This word worked its way into our family language so that it applied to any task that was ultra-important and needed special attention to be completed successfully. So “to Duane” became a verb.
Duane Ward was a true local hero. His skill and reliability will be well remembered.
Frank Dixon Toronto
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