Contractors remove the statue of Edward Cornwallis, a controversial historical figure, in a city park in Halifax on Wednesday.Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press
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Energy spat proposal
Here is how the friction between Alberta and British Columbia can easily be resolved (Notley Threatens Trade Battle With B.C. Over Trans Mountain, Feb. 1).
Albertans want jobs and to get its bitumen to tidewater to sell it on the world market. British Columbians want a pristine environment unpolluted by oil and air that is free of the chemicals used to make the bitumen fluid. As well, they do not want a dangerous oil storage facility sandwiched between a residential community and a major university.
These wishes will all be fulfilled if undiluted bitumen is put in heated insulated rail cars to a port using the existing railroads. When undiluted bitumen is spilled it does not flow, is easily cleaned up, and there are none of the carcinogenic and toxic vapours that diluted bitumen releases when spilled.
The oil companies should like this as they could stop shipments at any time if they become uneconomical, and we should all like it because shipments can be readily stopped if that becomes desirable.
David Huntley, professor emeritus, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C.
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Tearing down history
Halifax's decision to remove the statue of its founding historical figure, Edward Cornwallis, came as just one more indication that ignorance has replaced reason as the only sentiment that matters to today's politicians – and even more sadly a large part of our population (Halifax's Cornwallis Statue To Come Down, Jan 31).
Better to cry into our microphones while apologizing for past atrocities than try to understand the environment within which those events occurred.
Ancient Roman society happily and wholeheartedly (by all available accounts) took part in events that we would now consider beyond barbaric. Should we urge the Italians to tear down the Coliseum because of it?
When we walk through our streets and parks and see these historical figures, my guess is most young people don't really even notice them. If they do, though, and it prompts them to pull out their pocket computer and figure out who these old white men were, they are learning. They can decide for themselves if what these people did ultimately benefited our collective history and the society it has created.
Sanitizing our history does nothing to educate people. It creates a void, an ignorance, and in a time when the wealth of human knowledge is available to the vast majority of an increasingly distracted society, ignorance will be the tool of those looking to repeat history for their own ends.
Michael Harvey, Whitby, Ont.
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Statues of controversial historical figures, such as Mr. Cornwallis, were erected at a time of British colonial racism. Few historical figures have an unblemished past; most are associated with both good and bad events.
Mr. Cornwallis was the founder of Halifax, but he was also a British imperial racist typical of that period of Canada's history. Removing the statue of him can be interpreted as an attempt to hide his racism. But keep the statue, and it reminds us to celebrate just how enormously Canada has improved.
Reiner Jaakson, Oakville, Ont.
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Northern lights
What a wonderful contribution Sima Sharifi and her husband, Arnold Witzig, have made to the future well-being of the Arctic (Couple Give $60-million To Arctic Award, Feb.1).
Their generosity and understanding of the North is in the best interests of Canada and its citizens.
Amid the negative news of the day (think bread price-fixing, think gassing of monkeys by Volkswagen, and then there is Donald Trump), along comes this Vancouver couple to remind us there are people in this world who are honourable and hopeful for the future of our planet.
Their gift extends beyond the $60-million. It inspires others to take action on behalf of our precious planet. Ms. Sharifi and Mr. Witzig deserve special recognition .
David Gladstone, Toronto
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Unseen at home
So Netflix has purchased for distribution Les Affamés, a Quebec movie named best Canadian feature film at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival (Netflix Buys Quebec Zombie Movie Amid Tensions Over Streaming Service's Investment In Canada, Feb. 1).
But, as it seems to be common in the Canadian film industry, the deal is about the producers, and not the audience. While the film will be available to international audiences in March, it won't be available to Canadian audiences until next year, by which time it will be ancient news.
Once again, Canadian viewers are being discriminated against. I hoped that the film would be distributed in time for the 2018 Canadian Screen Awards in March, so Canadians would have a chance to see one of the nominees, but this delayed distribution will do little to promote Canadian film to Canadians.
Andrew Chong, Toronto
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Peace through power
Letter writer Gordon Yanchy-shyn encourages diplomacy instead of nuclear proliferation (It Frightens Me, Jan. 31).
Most would love a peaceful world, but unfortunately lots haven't felt the same way from the beginning of history. Some will will always want what others have. If we didn't have a powerful deterrence, the only "catastrophic deaths" would be us and our allies, not our enemies.
Cherryl Katnich, Maple Ridge, B.C.
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Boo on Bettman
Why do Canadian hockey fans vilify Gary Bettman (Much-Booed NHL Commisioner Bettman Has Advanced The League Over 25 Years, Feb. 1)?
It's simple – he doesn't support men's hockey at the best-versus-best level. To many hockey fans throughout the world, a club tournament (the Stanley Cup) just doesn't measure up to the Olympics,which has never pleased Mr. Bettman.
The consequence: a bizarre 2016 World Cup with "Team under-22 North America" and "Team Europe," and the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics with no active NHL players.
So, we haven't seen and won't see Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid playing together, be it in the past, present and likely the future (such as the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics four years hence). Contrast that with the (pre-Bettman) Canada Cups, when in 1987 we saw Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux playing together in the best hockey tournament we've probably ever seen … or will see, thanks to Mr. Bettman.
John Loch, Bedford, N.S.