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If only Navalny had not returned to Russia

I am deeply saddened by the death of courageous and principled leader Alexei Navalny. I regretted his decision to return to Russia and the cruel vindictiveness of President Vladimir Putin.

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I wish that Navalny had stayed abroad after he recovered from his near-fatal poisoning by agents of the Russian state, so that he could have continued to speak out and inspire so many others around the world. Unfortunately, he would still have been on Putin’s hit list.

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We all need to be aware of and speak out against threats to democracy around the world.

Elaine Petermann, Ottawa

Navalny was Russia’s best hope

I was as surprised as most people to learn of the untimely death of Alexei Navalny. In a court-video appearance the day before his death, he looked to be quite healthy.

Navalny exposed high-level corruption within Russia, including that of President Vladimir Putin. He was a leading opposition candidate for the presidency, and he had the ability to draw large crowds. Keeping him in prison was an effective way for Putin to limit the field of candidates in the upcoming election — essentially to himself only.

After a near-death from a poison agent, and a miraculous recovery in Germany, Navalny chose to return to the perils within Russia; unfortunately it cost him his life. In my opinion, he was Russia’s best hope for a better, humane government; one other countries could respect and deal with. That hope has now gone.

Bruce Switzer, Ottawa

Rename the street of the Russian Embassy

Re: Name Russian Embassy street after Alexei Navalny, Feb. 21.

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Letter-writer Robert Hage’s proposal to rename Charlotte Street (the street that houses the Russian Embassy) to Navalny Street is outstanding. The question is: do we have a mayor and councillors who can see the merits of this proposal and act on it?

Colin Henderson, Ottawa

A Nobel nod to Navalny’s wife?

Several Citizen readers have already made the comparison between Nelson Mandela and Alexei Navalny: brave men who fought for peaceful change, freedom and injustice from inside prison walls. Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts and the Nobel rules apparently only allow nominations for individuals who are alive (Navalny would have been a worthy candidate before he was killed, and had he been chosen, might still be alive).

With that in mind, perhaps his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, who has promised to keep up her late husband’s peaceful struggle for freedom and democracy, will be nominated.

Kris Nanda, Ottawa

Under Putin, more war is inevitable

Vladimir Putin must be rolling on the floor laughing at the West as it spews empty words over the death of Alexei Navalny. The West seems to be treating this like some schoolyard spat.

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Putin couldn’t care less about what the West thinks as he continues his lifelong quest to have the former Soviet Union back in place. The tension in Europe must be extremely high: historically, Europe has always been the main battlefield.

The current situation seems similar to the late 1930s in Europe when countries were busy appeasing Hitler. Like the Nazi regime in the 1930s, the Russians are building a battle-hardened military ready for the day Putin decides to step over the line and create his version of Poland.

History suggests that, whether we want it or not, and for whatever reasons, war is inevitable. Actually, it has already happened: the war in the Ukraine. Lest We Forget.

Bill Reid, Ottawa

Kemptville jail: There were better options

Re: Jail opponents left disappointed after judicial review bid rejected, Feb. 16.

Kemptville residents have good reason for opposing the province’s plan to build a 235-bed jail in their community on the prime agricultural land of the former Kemptville Agricultural College.

The court hearing the jail opponents’ request for judicial review noted that both the mayor and deputy mayor of North Grenville learned on Oct. 9, 2020 of provincial plans to establish an Eastern Ontario Correctional Centre in their midst as a “complete surprise.” Further, the court noted that provincial public servants had invested two years’ effort at public expense on the jail plans while forgoing any search for an alternative site.

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It is incredible that these provincial correctional planners remained fixated on the agricultural college grounds for a new facility, oblivious to the nearby still-extant lands of the former Rideau Correctional and Treatment Centre, south of Burritts Rapids and north of Merrickville. This facility, with an integrated farm where inmates could learn skills valuable upon their release, was demolished in 2013.

The land of the former Rideau Correctional Centre is a more appropriate use for a new Eastern Ontario Correction Centre than is the prime agricultural land of the Kemptville site.

George Neville, Ottawa

Bad judgment on drug dealer case

Re: Case against Alleged Dealer Tossed, Feb. 20.

How can our Charter of Rights be so broken as to allow a drug dealer to avoid a trial simply by having a child in the house? Hint to all drug dealers: start homeschooling your children. This would appear to give you immunity to carry out whatever illegal activities you want in your home.

Also, how could this person be allowed to look after a child? I certainly hope that steps are being taken to remove the daughter from his so-called care.

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It is truly a sad commentary on our country when our laws defy all common sense.

Keith Dawson, Ottawa

Is the CAS involved over drug case?

Hopefully the police did the right thing and reported the alleged dealer to the Children’s Aid Society for child endangerment.

Who in their right mind would have a child in a home filled with illicit drugs ?

Jill White, Ottawa

Drug use: rights without responsibility

Re: Letter, Drug use is making Centretown less and less safe, Feb. 21.

When law-abiding people in Centretown and Carlington are thinking of moving away because of rampant drug use, it is time to say enough is enough. When an addict in Belleville says he went to 19 drug-related funerals last year yet he still uses, it poses the question why we keep spending scarce funds and resources. Belleville wants the province to give it $2 million to build a shelter and detox centre.

People are using illegal drugs with no consequences, and we ludicrously provide safe injection sites for them. Everyone has rights but no one has responsibilities. When and why did we let this happen? Lock up these drug users and make our neighbourhoods habitable again.

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Judy Warren, Ottawa

Housing people might address the problem

The neighbourhood of Bank and Gilmour Streets, where I have lived for more than 20 years, has seen a marked decline since the pandemic, due to open drug use and once-trendy restaurants and boutiques being taken over by pot shops.

Meanwhile, too often developers are buying heritage properties to build expensive high-rise condos.

Perhaps if the homeless people in the neighbourhood could afford a home, they would not resort to drug use.

Kathryn Murphy, Ottawa

Ottawa needs an independent heritage agency

Re: What happened to protecting heritage? Feb. 21.

Randall Denley’s statement that those in power in Ottawa are “an ever-changing cast of characters without any local roots or concern for this city, even though it’s the capital” is one of the major problems with Ottawa.

The city is a dumping ground for government, military, diplomats, high tech workers and so on. Many come from other places and their ingrained allegiances are with other places. Ottawa‘s heritage has suffered greatly, with mansions torn down in Rockcliffe, and buildings in the core being demolished because of bureaucratic ineptitude or indifference.

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The “core” really is the city, and the new, tall and architecturally dull industrial-looking high-rises have greatly decreased the architectural allure of this city. There’s nothing wrong with tall buildings: New York City and Chicago are good examples of creating a wow factor. But except for architecturally significant structures such as Parliament Hill, the Chambers Building, the Château Laurier, the old railway station and a few others, edifice appeal is a disgrace.

There really should be a separate and powerful institution, similar to the NCC, entirely responsible for maintaining, promoting and continuing the heritage aspect of Ottawa. Ottawa needs a European approach, for architecture is the clothing of the city.

Sadly, the city is frequently shamefully and poorly dressed.

Douglas Cornish, Ottawa

Pricing carbon is a sound climate-change policy

It was wonderful to see the Rideau Skateway open for a few days starting last holiday weekend. Many skaters crowded the ice before the inevitable closure when temperatures warmed again. The canal is one more indication of the changing climate that has triggered the wild fires, flooded cities, and brought horrific storms and drought to Western Canada due to rising temperatures.

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Hot years ahead are predicted, which emphasizes the urgent need for climate action. This is no time to question the necessity of Canada’s price on pollution.  It is the most economically efficient and fairest way to transition our economy off fossil fuels, and includes carbon rebates to Canadians.

The main cause of the present affordability crisis is not carbon pricing, but global economic disruptions such as the Ukraine war and corporate greed.

Carbon pricing is one of many complimentary policies which must be supported to lower greenhouse gas pollution and maintain a liveable world.

Penny Henderson, Ottawa

New idling bylaw would solve nothing

The City of Ottawa recently invited residents to submit their views on a proposal to revise the current and largely unenforceable three-minute engine idling bylaw to one minute.

Does Ottawa have any documented proof, or has it conducted in-house scientific studies, that can show there will be a measurable improvement in urban air quality if engine idling is reduced to one minute? I doubt it.

Not long ago, I spent almost a year driving a fuel-efficient small car to deliver auto parts to service shops and garages throughout the city, 40 hours a week. To optimize deliveries and vehicle expenses, my daily delivery routes deliberately avoided rush-hour traffic bottlenecks and the engine was turned off when making pickups and deliveries. Despite that, the onboard GPS mapping unit indicated that the vehicle was stationary (that is, idling!) 30 to 35 per cent of the time. The car was averaging two-and-a-half hours per day stopped at traffic lights and stop signs.

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So, while traffic lights and stop signs keep sprouting up like mushrooms, Ottawa seeks to deflect its end of the blame for increased tailpipe emissions by faulting drivers for idling their engines.

Further, an army of bylaw officers stationed at traffic lights will be able to hand out tickets like “candy at a parade” because almost all of the traffic lights in Ottawa exceed one minute in duration.

Bert van Ingen, Nepean

Closing schools for the eclipse is plain silly

Re: Total solar eclipse: Everything you need to know about April 8 in Eastern Ontario, Feb. 22.

When I was a young boy, I had the wonderful experience of watching an eclipse. My dad created a viewer made up of several layers of black and white negatives. I was a school principal in the 1990s. I wanted the students to also enjoy watching an eclipse. Welder’s glass over a small hole in a cardboard box was used as a safe viewer. Every parent in the school signed a permission slip so their child could watch an eclipse.

Closing schools because of the eclipse is madness.

Blair Phillips, Nepean

Applause for the OPL’s ‘book sanctuary’

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Re: Endangered books welcome: Enter into Ottawa Public Library’s ‘book sanctuary,’ Feb. 20.

Kudos to the Ottawa Public Library for continuing to make all books available to all readers. Hopefully other libraries will follow suit. Canada is a free and democratic country and everyone should be respected equally.

The freedom to read material of our choice is but an important chapter of our way of life. The “book sanctuary” at the library is an excellent solution to the issue and would seem to respect the rights and freedoms of all. Good work.

Pat Tierney, Cardinal

Royal commission needed on health care

Re: Fixing health care — we must examine the system as a whole, Feb. 20.

Dr. Michael Multan’s valid observation that there is a crisis in almost every domain in Canada’s health-care system points to the urgent need for a royal commission on how it must be fixed.

We have turned in the past to royal commissions on health services to shape public policy: the Hall Commission in the early 1960s and the Romanow Commission in the mid-1990s. It is time for another; nothing facing Canadians can be more important.

Gary William O’Brien, former Clerk of the Senate, Nepean

Pay health-care workers whatever they need

When you are sick, a doctor is a blessing. Doctor and nurses work ridiculous hours. Just pay them whatever it takes; you don’t have be a rocket scientist to figure that out.

Robb Rowe, Kanata

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