Letters to the editor

Help the Tamil refugees

To the editor:
RE:Thomson Report


The history shows many waves of destitute boat people without hope have ended up on our shores to have a glimpse of protection and new life. As always Canada rose up to the human tragedies by giving new lives and in turn benefited from the immense contribution by these immigrants towards life and economy.

The 492 Tamil refugees who have ended up on our shores by risking everything they possessed by undergoing this treacherous journey for months across the pacific, need the same promise for their endangered lives. They are no different than most of the citizens, whose ancestors arrived in this land in boats looking for protection and promise. They are fleeing from a killer regime, which conducted dirty war slaughtered 40,000 Tamils and maimed 50,000 more and bent on to create pogroms to eradicate Tamil’s presence by persecuting them in Sri Lanka, as noted by all the Humanitarian agencies including the UNHCR. Tens of thousands of Tamils are still kept in government run internment camps.

Stereotyping, stigmatizing and traumatizing these defenceless people and saying to them, you are unwanted, untouched, unwelcomed, you are guilty until you proven innocents, not only mean-spirited and but also unlike Canadians. Commenting on a recent animal cruelty charge and judgments, some said our judges should be reminded of the slogan “defend the defenceless.”



Esan Satkunarajah

Don't judge the mother

To the editor:
RE:Adult's bad decisions can kill kids


I realize that the mother made the wrong choice to cross the road at night. I realize that choice cost her a child. But how many of you out there have the right to judge? How many of you parents out there are so perfect that you have never made a mistake that could have harmed or killed your child?

I see parents with children speeding through school zones on their cell phones! I see many things everyday that could be a danger to children and their parents are right there not paying attention! Nobody lives in this woman's shoes! Does anyone understand that she just lost everything she owned to a house fire and how devastating that is? All her memories are gone. Then a week goes by and her hotel expires at noon and she is on her own with her small child.

Where was the public and the programs to help this mother and son? Does anyone realize that maybe she was at a lose as to what to do or where to go to get some help? Does anyone realize what may have been going through her head to be homeless and feeling like she had nowhere to go? I am tired of people saying she is a bad mother! She is not. She made a bad choice and it cost her a child! Something she will live with for the rest of her life!

I think this mother has suffered enough and will continue to suffer for the rest of her life. Nobody is perfect with there parenting skills and nobody has the right to judge.

Kym Fargo

Give the house boaters a chance

To the editor:
RE:No free parking spaces for boats


I am disgusted with the people of DWK, these houseboat owners are not asking for free parking. I bet they would all be willing to pay for a parking spot, if they could find one. It would sure beat the cost of having to rent a crane to pull the houseboats out of the water, and then pay for storage on top of it all. Would any of you really want to pay for that?

When all of these people decided to purchase these boats they all had parking available, but when they got kicked out of their spots they had nowhere to go, and not any one of these people complaining about the boats has offered a solution.

Now with this water right battle it is now not just about the house boaters it is about every person who owns a boat, rents a boat, or borrows a boat. Now it's time we all need to set our differences a side and deal with this as a community. If DWK can win this battle that means NO ONE can anchor anywhere on DWK property.

Let's all be reasonable here, these house boaters are not just out there to ruin people's views, or to piss people off. Where do you expect them to go? And now one of the owners who most have you have shunned is trying to help the community out. So let's do the humane thing and help make the lake stay the same. Give these people a chance.



Katie Leask

Overpass should be beside the mall

To the editor:
RE:Adult's bad decisions can kill kids


Truly anyone of us, driving sober, could have hit the child. Crossing six lanes of traffic in a 60k zone, outside of a controlled walk, in the dark, after 10 p.m. at night, and knowingly taking your child, which can't even been seen over almost 70% of the vehicles on the road these days, come on! This mother knowingly put her child in horrific conditions and the child paid with his life.

That pedestrian overpass should have been installed across from the mall, why someone hadn't figured that one out is beyond me. Yes, Parkinson Recreation Centre is busy, but it is close to a controlled signal.

The other side of the overpass walk leads to what-lawyers office and other businesses which have people who are doing business not leisure activities. Leisure activities such as mall shopping and dining at restaurants are done by a huge amount of tourists, that don't know the city and are bound to be looking for a quick end to their means, (shortcuts), and truly it would have been an enormously better decision to put the overpass there.


Catherine Knox

I'd rather pay for more signs

To the editor:
RE:Car crashes through dead end road


I totally agree with the area residents who stated in the article that more signage is needed. Since the Glenmore bypass opened I have been waiting for the City to erect signs on both Snowsell Street and Cross Road that would alert motorists and make it crystal clear that Snowsell Street ends and there is no access to the Glenmore Bypass.

I hope someone from the City is made aware of this accident and the other incidents involving drivers who decide to drive through the newly planted greenery and use the multi-use pedestrian pathway to illegally access the Glenmore bypass.

As a taxpayer I would rather pay for the signs than for repeated damages caused by confusion and by ignorance.


Michelle LaFleche
Snowsell Street resident