There’s a reason we celebrate Mother’s Day
Sir: Mothers are there to wipe away the tears, to hug you when you need it and kiss that boo-boo away. My mother did that and more.
When I was nine years old I became very sick and spent months in bed. Every afternoon she would make a pot of cocoa in her best china teapot, and we would have cinnamon toast cut into little squares and eat them for our snack.
We would listen to the Happy Gang on the radio (In 1944 there were no TVs) and sing along and laugh at their jokes. Then she would carry me over to the window so I could wave to my friends as they were coming home from school.
Afterwards, she would put me back to bed, wrap a warm quilt around me, and wait till I fell asleep.
My mother did this every day for months, and yes, that teapot is front and centre in my china cabinet 78 years later.
Elizabeth Miles
Corunna
Photo radar would cut speeding, noise, near park
Sir: In the April 21 article, “Drivers Win: Residents give two thumbs down to photo radar,” Sarnia Councillor Bill Dennis states: “Our citizens simply do not want it - no matter what we call it.”
I obviously missed this public survey, and don’t believe one was done of the residents living in the area of Christina Street, Cathcart Boulevard and Canatara Park.
With the good weather now here and summer coming, traffic volume (autos and motorcycles) at this intersection is increasing significantly, as it does every year at this time.
Many drivers (not all) use the intersection as staging lanes for drag racing-like starts.
Speeding, squealing tires, and loud exhaust systems contribute to making unsafe and annoying conditions at an already busy intersection of pedestrians and autos. The situation peaks on Fridays, weekends and holidays.
Good locations for photo radar (Automated Speed Enforcement) and noise control would be Christina Street from Errol Road to Lakeshore Road, and Cathcart Boulevard from the entrance of Canatara to Colborne Road.
Furthermore, the point made by Coun. Dennis that photo radar “is viewed by many as a cash grab” is lame. The logic of using a cash grab to stop speeders (breaking the law) does not hold up.
Survey the residents of this area and I’m sure the City will receive a different response!
Terry Furlotte
Sarnia
Government red tape fueling housing shortage
Sir: Everybody is talking about house inflation and the shortage of supply, and people are blaming immigration, foreign buyers, investors, developers, builders, cheap interest rates, and realtors.
All levels of government are scratching their heads to come up with solutions, but don’t seem to fully understand the fundamental causes of price increases and supply shortages. So far, their announcements and policies have been of little use.
Governments have gained the most from higher housing prices, through increased taxation revenue at every level. All housing is heavily taxed and the money ends up in government coffers, providing a steady stream of cash to pay for services.
Meanwhile, municipal planning staffs are overrun with regulations and undermanned to handle the problem, and occasionally blamed unfairly.
The real culprit is overregulation. Even with the federal and provincial governments promising money and subsidies for every type of housing, they are not correcting the fundamental problem of less red tape and roadblocks at every level. We need streamlining and more people at the municipal planning and developing stages to guide the process from start to finish.
Housing should be a local issue, handled by each municipality. There are plenty of resourceful people and companies that, given a chance to operate in a better building environment, could create all the supply we need.
We desperately need to increase supply to equal the demand and get us back to a level of affordability in every housing category.
Some regulations are necessary, but it’s time to streamline and eliminate overregulation and red tape. A cleaner, faster approach is the path to more abundant and affordable housing.
Mario Fazio
Sarnia
Sarnia’s Relay For Life returning to in-person format
Sir: For over 20 years, Canadians, including Sarnia-Lambton residents, have united with communities across the country to support the Canadian Cancer Society Relay For Life and provide hope to all those living with and beyond cancer.
After two years of a virtual format we are excited to announce the return of Relay For Life in-person events. We’re looking forward to safely gathering, raising funds to support Canadians with cancer and honour those we love.
CCS is committed to implementing physical distancing and protecting the wellbeing and safety of people living with cancer, event participants, our donors, volunteers, staff, and supporters.
On Saturday, June 11, we invite all Sarnia-Lambton residents to join this year’s Relay For Life and come together to give hope to people affected by cancer.
With the help of local residents, we can make a difference in the lives of Canadians with cancer at every stage of their journey.
Join us on June 11 and register at relayforlife.ca. This year's event will be held at Valley Axe Sarnia. For more, please contact us at [email protected]. Best regards,
Melissa Schilz
Canadian Cancer Society
Sarnia