Produced in Canada
We should have the right to know where what we consume is produced (Canada Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs – Report on Business, Oct. 22). Clothing labels identify country of origin, which allows buyers who choose to do so to avoid items that were likely produced in sweatshops.
Labels on much of our food no longer identify where it's from. For example, frozen and canned vegetables and fruits once labelled as "Produced in China" now say "Processed in Canada," making it difficult for those of us who want to avoid food that is likely grown under suboptimal environmental conditions.
We all need to be able to make informed decisions about what we eat. We should follow the lead of the Americans so Canadians can make those decisions, too.
Geoff Williams, Stratford, Ont.
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So the Harper government will retaliate against U.S. protectionist labelling with tariffs – which ultimately will be paid for by Canadians. That will surely bring those damn Yankees to their knees!
Ab Dukacz, Mississauga
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I am an American, breezing my way through northeastern Canada as a tourist. I happened to see your article about disliking the country-of-origin rules.
I actually don't like the taste of American beef; it is a product I used to enjoy but I find the heavily corn-fed beef tasteless.
Canadian beef still has flavour. Possibly the Canada-as-country-of-origin designation could work as a banner of pride: I certainly buy Canadian bacon and Canadian maple syrup for their flavour.
Amy Davis, Anaheim, Calif.
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Not too inspiring
Re Strategic Voting For Mayor Has Its Perils (Oct. 21): One could wish for a candidate named Chory in Toronto's mayoral election.
Quite apart from Olivia Chow's and John Tory's endless nattering about transit, consider who would best lead the city in the event of a catastrophe, natural or man-made. Unfortunately, the slate doesn't include Michael Bloomberg or Naheed Nenshi, so we must make the best of what is on offer. Not too inspiring.
Helen Godfrey, Toronto
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Toronto mayoral candidates Doug Ford and John Tory both hold themselves out to be fiscally conservative. What would they say to an entrepreneur who invested in a building which a market analysis convincingly demonstrated would never be more than partially tenanted?
That is exactly what they are proposing by the predominant construction of subways: Far more expensive than LRTs in both capital and operating costs, they take longer to build, are less convenient to access and, in the case of Scarborough, highly unlikely for their capacity to be reasonably utilized.
Either Mr. Ford and Mr. Tory know that and do not have the courage to acknowledge it, or just as bad, they are willfully ignorant of a significant and unnecessary public expense.
Some fiscal conservatives.
A.J. Diamond, Toronto
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Brewski discontent
Re Beer Battles (letters, Oct. 21): I don't know what Jeff Newton, the president of Canada's National Brewers, has been drinking when he writes that Ontarians pay the lowest beer prices in Canada (letters, Oct. 21).
Here is one example of the difference in pricing between Ontario and Quebec. In Aylmer, Que., 24 bottles of Beck's cost $28.95 plus taxes and deposit for a total of $35.75 at a dépanneur. At the Beer Store in Ottawa, 24 bottles of Beck's costs $45.95 plus deposit for a total of $48.95.
It's worth the drive to Aylmer.
Simon Bevan, Ottawa
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TFW overhaul
Re Lack Of Statistics On Aboriginals Opens Door For Foreign Workers (Oct. 20): Cases cited in this and other articles occurred prior to our comprehensive overhaul of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Before having access to the program, employers are required to advertise these positions to Canadians for a minimum of four weeks, using various recruitment methods. They must also demonstrate that they have made explicit efforts to reach out to aboriginals and groups who are underrepresented in the labour force.
Employers mentioned in these stories demonstrated that they tried to recruit Canadians, including aboriginals, to fill these positions, but to no avail.
Employers must now specify how many applications they received from Canadians and explain why they weren't hired before having access to temporary foreign workers. Our changes also put in place more and better labour market information, introduced stronger enforcement and tougher penalties for employers who break the rules, including a cap on the number of low-wage temporary foreign workers an employer can have at a work site.
We are looking at ways to improve labour market information, including on aboriginal reserves, to better assess employer requests for temporary foreign workers. Employers who have been dishonest about their efforts to recruit Canadians will face severe consequences.
Alexis Conrad, director-general, Temporary Foreign Worker Program
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Demand for rhinos
I can't help but feel a sense of defeat reading Wildlife Reserve Can't Keep Rhinos Safe (Oct. 21). We must turn our attention to the Asian market and the demand for these illegal goods.
Asia as a whole has shown little respect for wildlife, demonstrated ever so clearly by dolphin slaughters, shark-finning operations, and the ever-increasing demand for ivory and other products from endangered species.
Where there is demand, there will be supply. We must figure out how to end the demand before it is too late for not only these species, but our ecosystems as a whole.
Jessica Barrett, Mississauga
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Its purpose, pray tell
Re Ripples Of A Living Church (Oct. 21): Australian Cardinal George Pell says "healthy communities do not spend most of their energies on peripheral issues [involving] the wounded, the lukewarm and the outsiders."
Hmm. I thought that was the purpose of faith and Christianity.
David J. Langlois, Russell, Ont.
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Brébeuf's bad call
Re Elite Private School Fires Teacher For Decades-Old 'Erotic' Films (Oct. 21): Brébeuf College missed an opportunity to teach its future leaders about consequences to their actions.
An open, honest discussion about what you can find if you look hard enough would have been more beneficial. It was the perfect opportunity for administrators and students to show some understanding of a world with changing values, a chance to be a future leader.
Sydnie Crockett, Woodstock, Ont.
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So it is the school's moral imperative to protect the sensibilities of their porn-surfing students?
Peter Cerovic, Toronto