City can't wait on infrastructure upgrades | Letters to the Editor

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The accountant in me wonders how the projected budget surplus of $11.16 million was arrived at. Presumably it is the “sum” of pluses and minuses. What are they? Are we not, as tax-paying citizens, entitled to be provided with this data? Instead we are presented with a lot of gobbledygook.

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Andrew Lumsden, Vanier

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Perhaps it’s time to get out of the street ‘name’ game

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How unfortunate is it that people are forced to live on an Ottawa street rather foolishly named after the future and now totally despicable president?

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And then there is our city allowing streets named after truly laudable people go to hell. This is the case with Frank Bender Street here in Orléans. The truly horrid shape this roadway is in at Innes Road in no way reflects the stellar civic-minded person I once knew in my friend Frank Bender.

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Given that we cannot predict the future, and given that we do not care to maintain the infrastructure we name to honour truly good people, it might be best to get out of the game as far as naming streets after persons of note.

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Let us instead name things after universal good intentions and qualities.

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It’s not “rocket surgery” to honour these persons of note in better, less permanent ways than in concrete and asphalt.

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Thomas Brawn, Orléans

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Took a dangerous drive in the rain on Boundary Road

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I recently took Boundary Road from the 417 en route to my Osgoode home. The new paving is appreciated, but holy cow does the new black pavement soak up the headlight beams.

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The rain was coming down in torrents and it was impossible to pick out the centre stripe, and there are no painted and reflectorized shoulder lines.

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Super dangerous, and the glare of oncoming headlights exacerbated the situation. It’s only a matter of time before there is a serious collision on that stretch! Six-and-a-half hours of our drive home from Nova Scotia were in the rain, but that last half-hour was hellish.

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Eric Stewart, Ottawa

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Could municipal candidates address the pee problem?

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As parents and grandparents, we truly enjoyed this summer taking the children to playgrounds and splash parks. There is, however, one infrastructure lacking.

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What happens when the child says, “I have to go pee. I have to go for No. 2?” Not everyone lives across the street, and many drive to these locations. The ask is not to construct restrooms, but perhaps have portable toilets on location.

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I am certain all parents and grandparents have experienced this challenge. Maybe the mayoral and councillor candidates can provide some options as we approach the municipal elections.

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José Semrau, Ottawa

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I’m on a strict non-American diet

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It is one thing for the Canadian government to impose strategic counter-tariffs and import restrictions on the U.S.A. during the current conflict in order to protect Canadian values and interests, which is very much appreciated.

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Beyond that, I have personally taken matters into my own hands, and I encourage other Canadians to do the same. There will absolutely be no travel to the U.S. while the conflict lasts. I will also avoid all U.S. products for which similar suitable Canadian products or products originating in countries other than the U.S. are available.

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As a simple case in point, among groceries, I have substituted “Sunny Fruit Sultana Raisins”, which originate in Turkey, for California raisins — and they are excellent!

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While this may require some adjustments to our eating or other habits, so be it. If there is a price to pay in the short term, let us pay it if it leads to long-term gain.

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Let us be truly Canadian!

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Gunter Rochow, Cumberland

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