Too little, too late
The Province of Ontario has decided to limit cellphone use in schools and ban vaping on school properties starting in the fall. Wait a minute here. You’re telling me that the government is just implementing these measures now?
Stephen Lecce, the province’s education minister, is quoted as saying, “We need to be bold. We need to be comprehensive. And we need to act with urgency today.” Acting bold should have been done years ago before all of this nonsense got out of hand in the first place. There wouldn’t be a need to be urgent if this had been handled properly in the first place.
Kids in kindergarten to Grade 6 will be required to keep their phones on silent for the entire school day. What? Kindergarten? You have got to be kidding me, right? Why on earth does a five-year-old child need a cellphone? Let alone bring it to school with them? What exactly has this world come to?
As for the vaping, why is it even allowed on properties at all? This makes even less sense then the current cellphone issues.
Once again our provincial government is way behind in its decision-making regarding important issues. How much has cellphone use interfered with the abilities of our educators up until now? It’s a knee-jerk reaction every single time with this government. Too little, too late.
Enforcement will be tricky
The provincial government has banned cellphones in class … again. This time teachers will be in-serviced on a PD day because apparently people with two university degrees need to be instructed on how to politely say, “Please put your phone away.” When students refuse, and they will, one option is to take the phone. However, experienced teachers will tell you never try to confiscate an adolescent’s personal property if you want to make it to retirement with your sanity intact.
Next up, send the offending student to the office. Unfortunately, administrators take a very dim view of this practice as it shows you’re not in complete control of your classroom, so most teachers avoid it like the plague. Ultimately the student could be suspended. But suspensions are negative metric no one wants on their record, including the school, so that won’t happen either. It is indeed a perplexing problem. Maybe we should just google the answer. Pass me my phone.
Phil Beard, Dundas
Careful what you wish for
Re: Build housing where we work (April 29)
Ali Ruzgar has some valid points about living where we work. Shorter commutes are always welcome along with their benefits.
However, I bet Mr. Ruzgar is not one of the residents that lives in the east end near Triple M Metals and its non-stop noise and dust emissions. I am also sure that Mr. Ruzgar does not live near the Taro landfill on the mountain with its horrible stench during the past summer months. There is a reason why development is not permitted under the airport flight paths near Mount Hope. There also seems to be some property next to the Maple Leaf processing plant he can purchase so that he can smell the sweet aroma of hot dogs all year long.
John Stefanski, Binbrook,
LRT vs. HSR
Why is the proposed LRT considered a viable project when the former HSR street car system was not, resulting in the tracks being covered with asphalt and the cars scrapped or put in storage? What is the difference?
If there is a realistic explanation, then perhaps the rails could be uncovered and the cars reutilized.
George Donison, Hamilton
Projects often ‘overdesigned’
Re: CityHousing to study Vrancor pitch further (April 24)
This article says CityHousing Hamilton is studying options to facilitate a partnership with developer Darko Vranich and Vrancor Group. I would caution them, and the city planning department, to remember the adage, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Affordable housing is, and should be, a priority in Hamilton at this time. But development projects that overdesign in scale and mass on lots in neighbourhoods not zoned for such developments should not be approved just because the developer offers some form of sweet deal to go along with their project.
If developers want their projects to be approved speedily, I suggest their architects and planners base their designs on the zoning bylaws and building codes for the jurisdictions in which they wish to build and not submit overdesigned projects requiring an overabundance of variance requests. This would ensure there would be no need for design changes that “can be very expensive” and “time-consuming” as Mr. Vranich intimated.
Michele Gunn, Dundas
We should work up to LRT
Prioritizing political legacy and cash infused vote buying over a building a proper business case dooms LRT to failure to meet expectations.
Successful implementation of LRT is reliant on taking necessary first steps. HSR ridership must first be grown to a level to support LRT by funding and implementing the transit growth plan. Bypassing the necessary building blocks and going directly to LRT will result in transit revenue shortfall, overrun on expenses, and will degrade the current service through reduced service frequency and connections to the HSR network.
Funding from upper levels of government should first used to build the foundation for a successful LRT to include, for example: high density residential construction within access the to LRT route; bus rapid transit (BRT) implementation preceding LRT; transportation and road network construction to support a future LRT.
A good business case follows a win-win strategy for all: public transit users, the community and renters or taxpayers.
BRT first will see operations and maintenance of BRT competently delivered by HSR employees.
BRT first is financially viable. Initially budgeted at $850 million, LRT is currently estimated to cost in the billions before a shovel has even been put in the ground.
BRT is a cost effective, team focused, and necessary next step to building a successful LRT.
Don Hull, retired director of HSR and DARTS
‘Paid duty’ likely at play
Re: Put police to better use (April 26)
Regarding the letter complaining about the police cruiser stationed at a manhole on Burlington Street for three hours, and how he felt police resources could have been better spent in other ways such as patrolling.
This type of assignment, along with Hess Village and Tiger-Cats football games to name a few, are covered by officers on their own personal time off. They are referred to as “paid duty assignments.”
Michael Csoke, Mount Hope
Canada looks broken to me
I am getting sick and tired about all the letter writers slamming Pierre Poilievre for his comments about Canada being broken. What kind of rose-coloured glasses are you wearing? Look around you — if the country isn’t broken, it is on its way to it. Racism is rampant, armed home invasions and carjackings are the norm, despite Justin Trudeau’s so-called gun control, there is a shooting somewhere every day, housing is out of reach, the price of a house is the equivalent of Hollywood mansions resulting in people living in cars and tents and the price of food is out of reach. This country has never been more divided. This guy and his peace and love Liberals have divided this country like never before. But he does have a nice sunny ways hair-doo. I have a lot of respect for Jagmeet Singh. I just hope he pulls the plug on his party’s support for these utterly useless turkeys and we have an election sooner than later. And hopefully before the country is truly broken beyond repair.
Paul E. Casey, Ancaster
