Letters to The Sun: Trudeau's successor should look to successful nations across the Atlantic

Published Jan 10, 2025  •  Last updated 0 minutes ago  •  3 minute read

Would former B.C. premier Christy Clark make a suitable replacement for Justin Trudeau? Photo by Chris Young /THE CANADIAN PRESS

Re: Former colleagues say Christy Clark shouldn’t be underestimated in federal Liberal leadership race

Justin Trudeau began with good intentions but, like Conservatives, he believed the discredited myth of trickle-down economics, where corporate success supposedly benefits workers. This has never been true — profits enrich only CEOs and shareholders. Instead of fostering resilient, sustainable local economies, Canada remains tied to volatile resource industries, leaving workers vulnerable.

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Meanwhile, the “free” market locks many Canadians out of the housing and stock markets, deepening inequality.

Trudeau’s successor must chart a new course, looking to successful nations across the Atlantic, rather than to our failing neighbours to the south. Canada needs a leader who is accountable, with the vision to ensure corporations pay their fair share to fund housing, the clean energy revolution, and healthy communities, thus ensuring a better future for all of us.

Is Christy Clark this leader, or just more of the same?

Suzanne Crawley, Victoria

Thank you for highlighting the issue of glaring headlights

Re: Those blinding high-intensity headlights everywhere: Are they legal in B. C.?

This problem needs to be urgently addressed by the various ministries of transportation, with updated rules around headlight brightness and directionality, to reflect newer LED technologies. There are standard makes and models of cars and trucks with blinding headlights.

RCMP and Vancouver police are merely enforcement. They don’t set the rules. I can’t imagine a call to 911 to “report” some vehicle with excessively bright lights getting any traction.

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For everyone, and in particular as we age, this problem will only get worse.

Hirschel Wasserman, Vancouver 

Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers need more support

I’ve been wanting to write this letter for a long time. It is fitting to send it this month being Alzheimer awareness month. I have lots of experience with dementia both personally and professionally. By the way, most people don’t know that Alzheimer’s is just one type of dementia. It is crucial to find out what type of dementia that a loved one has so their prognosis is more clear.

The government can do a whole lot better to support families so loved ones can remain at home as long as possible and improve the long term care experience, but family and friends need to step up. There is always something you can do to support the caregivers. I could elaborate extensively but just to name a few.

Offer to commit to visit and allow the caregiver to get out to do some errands.

Talk to the person, chat about old times. Do simple activities such as a puzzle.

Do a few simple chores with the person who will need your full direction — garden a little or take the person for a walk, a drive or coffee.

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So in my experience it is the healthy folks that have forgotten about the person with dementia. Dementia is not contagious, or an affliction people get because they aren’t active enough, mentally stimulated, or don’t eat properly. I challenge people who read this to look around and reach out to help a family member, a good friend or neighbour and be part of the solution.

Maureen Roper, North Vancouver

Report excessive salt to protect creeks

Re: Road salt threatens salmon: study

In the snowy winter of November 2022 I took a photograph of a large, uncovered salt pile on the parking lot at Lougheed Town Centre mall because I was concerned about runoff into nearby Stoney Creek. I contacted the mall management company and the pile was removed.

In December 2022, while going for my routine afternoon walk on the east side of Burnaby Mountain, I was disappointed to discover a thick layer of salt covering the north end of North Road. The open ditches along this segment of North Road drain directly into Stoney Creek via Ailsa Park in Port Moody.

Similarly, I have observed thick deposits of road salt in the Willoughby neighbourhood of Burnaby. The worst dumping appears to occur when the large salt-spreading trucks are maneuvering to turn around on cul-de-sacs such as Lyndhurst Street (whose gutters drain directly into Stoney Creek).

Hopefully the results of this science study combined with greater citizen awareness (thanks to The Vancouver Sun reporting), will prompt local residents to report and request the removal of excessive salt applications.

Derek Wilson, Port Moody 

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