Protesters opposed to the expansion of the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline block an entrance to the Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby, B.C.Darryl Dyck/The Globe and Mail
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Happy environmentalists
As a member of a group that spent four years fighting the now-defunct Energy East pipeline, I can confidently say to Gary Mason that environmentalists are not at all "disappointed" when a corporation "pulls the plug" on an ill-conceived project (Where's The Limit For Protesters, Politicians In B.C.'s Pipeline War? Feb. 9).
The end of an effort to prioritize a bitumen-filled pipeline over the health of water, fish, people, land and climate fills us with joy. Also, we have no regret for unused "battle plans." Our hard-working and creative group doesn't need any "reason for being" other than enjoying this gorgeous planet.
Donna Sinclair, North Bay
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Mr. Mason notes, "There have been environmental groups gearing up for this fight for years. It's given them a reason for being." He has it exactly wrong. Environmental groups in general would much prefer to have a reason for not being.
Alban Goddard Hill, Belleville, Ont.
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Pipeline politics
While many of us seek the right to a healthy environment, the Alberta government – aided and abetted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau – proudly proclaims its right to pollute the environment and harm health, not only in Alberta but also in British Columbia and around the world, by ramming its pipeline through British Columbia (Trudeau Backs Alberta On B.C.'s Trans Mountain Freeze, Feb. 3).
Mr. Trudeau's defence of his actions is wrong on all counts. Not all resources must be mined, used and exported; asbestos proves that point. Not all jobs are good; we need 21st-century clean energy jobs, not 20th-century dirty energy jobs.
And this hardly protects the environment or humans. On the contrary, it expands the local harm done in Alberta, threatens British Columbia's land, waters and coast, and adds to global greenhouse gas emissions while making it more challenging to reduce Canada's overall emissions.
Trevor Hancock, professor, school of public health and social policy, University of Victoria, Victoria
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While the world should be making every effort to wean itself off fossil fuels, particularly in the form of bitumen, the very least Alberta can do is process its bitumen in province before exporting it via pipeline and tanker. That should provide jobs aplenty, plus rendering the bitumen less harmful.
And should an oil spill occur, Alberta should pay for cleaning it up. That means it better have fool-proof technology, which at this point in time is not the case.
Mary Andrews, Victoria
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Pleasures of walking
Life is too short to wait for the TTC to fix its subway signal problems, let alone build a new subway line in downtown Toronto (Forget The TTC Vision: Just Make The Subways Run, Feb. 8).
I have already discovered the joys of walking rather than waiting for streetcars to take me anywhere in the downtown core. The only real solution to getting to work without a car in Toronto is to actually live within walking or bicycling distance from your workplace.
Walking is a possible alternative within three kilometres and bicycling is possible up to, say, 10 kilometres. That covers a large part of downtown Toronto where condo development should continue to be intensified.
Widening of sidewalks to accommodate the new pedestrian hordes, along with a wholesale mega-expansion of bicycle road capacity, needs to take place to put Toronto on a par with, say, 1970s Beijing. This could be combined with a new ParticipAction media campaign extolling the virtues of urban walking and bicycling. Never mind the subways. It is now time for Torontonians to use their own two feet.
Larry Bukta, Toronto
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Parents behaving badly
Bravo to Madison Sheward's powerful insights into the negative impact that parental pressures place on children in competitive dance and sports (Competitive Parents Need Benching, Feb. 8).
The adverse long-term impact can be monumental. It teaches children to fear taking risks and to bully others.
It teaches that stepping on others can get you where you want to go, rather than building your own strength and finding your own way.
Her words go far beyond the field of sports.
Needs and expectations must be built from within; the ability to try new things builds courage and strength and respects both the failure or success that ensues.
Susan Steinberg, Toronto
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Human achievement
Michelle Kaeser's fascinating and thought-provoking article on her gymnastics career, combined with Winnie Frick's superb illustrations, brought back fond memories of my days as a mediocre gymnast at the University of Toronto in the 1960s (Almost Golden, Feb. 3).
Most on our team were keen competitors but our principle preoccupation was our academic performance. Teammate Barry Brooker, who actually made it to the 1968 Olympics in Mexico, was our strongest performer. I was undoubtedly the weakest.
When competing against teams from the United States, our opponents marvelled that we held formal practices just twice a week, weren't on special diets and didn't hold gymnastics as our all-encompassing preoccupation.
Ms. Kaeser discusses the "hierarchy of achievement" – from "good" to "very good" and on to "excellent."
She ends suggesting that failing to reach the absolute pinnacle calls for coming to terms with mediocrity. She may not have made it to the Olympics but she was by no means a mediocre gymnast. Some combination of good athlete, good writer, good teacher, good neighbour or good citizen can result in an excellent person.
I sincerely hope Ms. Kaeser can reflect on her other obvious talents and take pride in having become an excellent person.
Les Filotas, Ottawa
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Cruel treatment
In 1949, my 21-month old brother was admitted to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto for brain surgery. My mother was not allowed in the room. When finally they were reunited, my brother would not look at or speak to her. I believe this traumatic separation affected the course of his life. It also haunted my mother. On her deathbed she said: "I shouldn't have stood for that. But in those days, doctors and nurses were gods."
Quebec, I beg you to allow First Nations parents to travel with their sick children (No More Pathetic Justifications For Cruelty, Feb. 6). To separate them is torture to both.
Marilyn Gear Pilling, Hamilton