Tarzanland is no place for an asphalt jungle Sir: It would seem we seldom see a nice, quiet wooded trail that cannot be improved by pavement. Case in point is the proposal to asphalt a path through our cherished “Tarzanland” in Canatara Park. Many streets in our community COULD use a large dose of that… Read more »
Builders and developers are contributing to housing shortage Sir: Mario Fazio’s guest column of Sept. 9 (“Government caused housing mess and now wants to fix it?”) caught my interest. Mr. Fazio puts the blame on governments and their environmental and archeological regulations, while absolving developers, builders and foreign buyers of blame. But we should look at… Read more »
Requiring people to have vaccine passports a bad idea Sir: Brian Clarke’s letter of Aug. 29, “Vaccine passports needed if we’re to return to normal living,” contains so much twisted thinking it’s hard to know where to start. His support for vaccine passports is only one step away from forced vaccinations (though he would, apparently,… Read more »
Bob Sutton Canadians are aware that toxic political “debates,” both during and between elections, are causing many of us to disrespect the institution of government and the processes of democracy itself. It’s time we stopped letting platform promises be the sole focus of those seeking elected office. It’s time for us to question candidates directly… Read more »
Future of the waterfront: escalators and a Ferris wheel? Sir: After reading the article “Survey says: City waterfront needs more things to do” (Aug. 12), I had to wonder if the 1,800 people polled were actually residents of Sarnia. The only way that the waterfront could be better connected to downtown would be by adding… Read more »
My earliest memory of my hometown is strolling hand-in-hand through Victoria Park (today’s Veterans Park) with my great aunts, Frances and Lily. The year was 1951 and the park contained the old Carnegie Library and a great bandshell where the Sarnia Citizens Band and others would play on weekend evenings. Auntie Frances and Auntie Lily… Read more »
Marg Johnson I found the below on Facebook recently and it really hit me, the relevance of how we’re unable or unwilling to give ourselves a break. THINGS THAT CAN BE EQUALLY TRUE You are resilient AND need a break You gave your all AND need to back out You are independent AND still need… Read more »
It’s amazing how important landmarks can disappear and quickly fade from memory. Take, for example, Russ Kirk’s gas station. It stood on the northeast corner of Russell and Wellington in Sarnia, and though the building is empty now I once had to bend backwards to read the Esso sign as it swung, creaking up above…. Read more »
In October of 1915, a young Sarnian named Robert Arthur Batey left his home on Julia Street and walked into an army recruiting station. He was carrying a letter from his mother, Blanche, 34, granting consent for her 17-year-old underage son to enlist in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. She was painfully aware of Robert’s passion… Read more »
Nadine Wark As a young girl growing up in Corunna, freighters passing by on the St. Clair River were a familiar sight. If I wasn’t hearing them, I was seeing them between the trees, or getting closer to them at the ferry dock. Back in the day, these mammoth ships would pass between the Corunna… Read more »