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Letters, week of July 13

Kudos to Journal photographer for his great sense of timing Sir: For once I am not writing to express my abhorrence at the cruel and vindictive way Sarnia city council is treating Mayor Bradley.
Letters to the editor

Kudos to Journal photographer for his great sense of timing

Sir: For once I am not writing to express my abhorrence at the cruel and vindictive way Sarnia city council is treating Mayor Bradley. The Integrity Commissioner should pay Bradley a Commission.

No, I write to convey my admiration for Glenn Ogilvie, The Journal photographer, who continually has many excellent pictures in the paper.

What intrigues me about Glenn is his ability to click the shutter at precisely the right moment. This was demonstrated by a photo he had on the front page of the June 8 issue. It showed two pretty young women from Mexico, visitors to Sarnia, who were demonstrating their exuberant approval of Centennial Park by jumping high in the air with upraised arms.

It was caught by Glenn’s clicking the shutter at exactly the right instant. That’s what I call timing.

George Allan

Sarnia


City’s proposed tree bylaw a solution in search of a problem

Sir: Sarnia has proposed a tree protection bylaw that is a solution seeking a problem.

The city’s urban area is already well endowed with trees, yet city staff is proposing a bylaw that will likely end up in actually reducing tree coverage.

It is unfortunate they did not formally assess the ability of urban Sarnia to absorb more trees before proposing this bylaw. However, some rough idea may be obtained by simply taking a look at the tree coverage of Sarnia’s urban area on Google Earth.

When allowance is made for the areas taken up by roads, houses, malls and other open areas, it is clear there is more than ample tree coverage already provided by homeowners in urban Sarnia. Newer houses provide less coverage, not only because they are new but also because lot sizes are smaller and less accommodating of large trees.

Before this regressive proposed bylaw is considered by city council it should have staff analyze the data it has collected to show what actual urban homeowners have to say. The views of others, who have no skin in the game, should have little bearing on the passage of this bylaw.

In my opinion, Sarnia City Corporation should withdraw this proposed bylaw and leave well enough alone. Sarnia has done very well without it.

Saorgus Mc Ginley

Sarnia


Problems at City Hall can be rectified at the ballot box

Sir: Kindergarten is out but the childish acts continue at City Hall.

First, let’s get rid of an untruth. The Integrity Commissioner is not Sarnia’s new bogeyman. Most Sarnia taxpayers would rather have a real bogeyman than watch the childish actions by some of our so-called councillors and staff, who were voted in or hired to run our city and work with one of Ontario’s longest-running mayors.

Do the citizens of Sarnia want the problems at City Hall cured? I do, and the fix is easy.

1 – Hire a Molly Maid to clean out the unwanted crap.

2 – Call an election now so we can start the summer, fall and new year clean of backstabbing.

3 – Hire one of Sarnia’s retired finest, who spent many years serving and protecting the citizens of Sarnia, to add local integrity.

4 – Have the councillors read the comments of the taxpayers who have supported this city — some of us as multiple property owners for over 55 years.

5 – Convince the following ladies to run for councillor — B. Rade, M. Bird, J. McKay, A. McGowan, N. Wilson — to replace the current female councillors and hopefully at least a couple of the males who also need to go ASAP.

P.S. To the Molly Maid. If they hire you, please do a good job. I’ll supply the paper towels and toilet paper.

Jim McMurray

Sarnia

 


Mayor could file an OHSA complaint for council’s harassment

Sir: I agree with letter writers Marie Findlay and Mark Armstrong (June 29) that it is painfully clear that council has attempted to defame Mayor Mike Bradley, and it is in preparation for one of them to run for mayor in the next municipal election.

I also believe the council has knowingly violated the Occupational Health and Safety Act by their harassment and bullying actions.

OHSA sets out the rights and duties for occupational health and safety of all parties in the workplace, and provides for enforcement of the law in cases where compliance has not been voluntarily achieved.

Mr. Bradley does not have to file a complaint to the Ministry of Labour. Someone else in that workplace can do it for him.

“Workplace” means any land, premises, location or thing at, upon, in or near which a worker works, and “workplace harassment” means engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker in a workplace that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome.

It is important to distinguish between normal worker conflict and workplace bullying. Bullying is defined as repeated, persistent, continuous behaviour, as opposed to a single negative act and is generally associated with a power imbalance between the victim and perpetrator.

The following are examples of workplace bullying behaviours:

social isolation (silent treatment), rumours, personal attack of a person’s private life and/or personal attributes, excessive or unjustified criticism.

Duane Skuce

Sarnia


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