Letters: Airport expansion allows Montreal to soar

Re: “Airport expansion harmful to health, opponents say” (The Gazette, May 9)

As a frequent traveller, I have learned that an airport is more than just a transit point; it is a city’s handshake — the first point of entry where visitors gauge our civic pride, efficiency and attitude.

If we want Montreal to remain a world-class destination, expanding and modernizing our airport is not just a luxury; it is a necessity. Our airport is the gateway to our festivals, our international business community, and our long-term economic growth. Creating a modern hub for inbound and outbound travellers ensures we remain competitive on the global stage.

While I respect the concerns of those focused on the health and environmental impacts on surrounding communities, we cannot allow these concerns to stagnate our city’s evolution. We must find a way to balance ecological responsibility without hindering the modernization that fuels our economy.

Montreal cannot afford to stand still while the rest of the world moves forward.

Elizabeth Bright, Côte-St-Luc

CAQ unwavering in its attacks

Re: “Bill 101 expansion will backfire: EMSB” (The Gazette, May 14)

Since taking power, the Coalition Avenir du Québec has enacted a litany of legislation purportedly to “protect the French language” but which in fact has diminished and hobbled long-standing educational institutions in the English sector.

From its attempt to abolish English school boards to the cancellation of a major infrastructure project at Dawson College, to raising university tuition for out-of-province students and clawing back foreign student tuition to “rebalance the network” in favour of French universities, this government has not wavered in the use of identity politics that seems focused on destabilizing the English community.

This week, the CAQ launched its latest salvo with a plan to extend Bill 101 to adult vocational training — with no consultation with the sectors that will be most affected by fewer students being able to train in the trades.

At the same time, there is absolutely no proof that any of the limitations imposed on English institutions work to protect the French language.

What is it going to take for all Quebecers to be valued equally, and treated equitably?

Susie Wileman, N.D.G.

Who’s insulting whom exactly?

Re: “Why is Washington still so angry over bans on U.S. alcohol?” (The Gazette, May 4)

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick calls Canadian boycotts on U.S. alcohol sales “insulting and disrespectful to America.”

Someone should tell him that Canadians see the U.S. trade war and repeated threats to Canada’s sovereignty as insulting and disrespectful to Canadians.

Tom Browne, Montreal

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