Today's letters: Canada must find more tanks for Ukraine

Just four tanks? How embarrassing

Re: Canada donating four Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine ‘in the coming weeks, Jan. 26.

Reports that Canada is sending only four of its 80+ Leopard 2 gun tanks to support Ukraine are an embarrassment. First, four tanks, modified for Canadian usage, are not a useful tactical element for combat or from a logistical point of view. These tanks would need to be modified to meet the same standards as another country’s Leopard tanks in order to be fully integrated into training and logistical systems. A squadron/company (i.e. 14 tanks) would be the basic useful tactical element allowing a sufficient critical mass or number of tanks from a training and logistical stand point.

Second, given the number of tanks in the Canadian Forces inventory, when compared to other European nations with similar numbers of Leopard 2s (Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, and others), Canada looks like the “cheap cousin” with such an apparently low commitment to Ukraine.

J.A. Summerfield, Winchester

Tank donation a token number

Canada is ending four Leopard 2 tanks to the Ukraine. In my view, Canada should be sending 10 tanks.

I realize that there are transport, training and maintenance considerations. But the RCAF has five Globemaster transport aircraft, so that would be two trips per aircraft.

Four Leopard 2 tanks to the Ukraine? A token amount. The Canadian government can do better.

Chris Boal Nepean

Give this reporter a medal, please

Your paper should give a medal, a promotion, his own office, and a hefty raise to David Pugliese. This military affairs writer finds the courage, fortitude and obstinacy to filter through webs of mystery and numerous “no comments” from our brass in uniform and the suits at Procurements Canada when queried on defence spending.

For instance, as reported by Pugliese, Defence Minister Anita Anand, in June 2022, “downplayed concerns about problems in the country’s military procurement system, instead saying there are many success stories.” Yeah? Name one in the last 20 years.

The list of failures and incompetence by our government, plus outright and unchecked profiteering, goes on and on. It would seem all the suppliers have their fingers in the pie, from aircraft that still can’t fly as planned, to icebreakers that can’t sail the Arctic from November to April, to frigates with poisonous lead pipes and engines that break down in vessels whose warranty has expired after 12 months.

There are still no planes for the Arctic; instead, we have to rely on 55-year old Twin Otters. We have new guns and rifles that jam. What is shocking is that few politicians of all parties don’t seem to care. And the public is poorly informed, therefore not concerned and, sigh, life goes on and suppliers get richer.

Jacques Dufault, Orléans

No proof these men were ISIL members

Re: Canada can no longer skirt the ‘foreign fighter’ problem, Jan. 25.

I agree with Terry Glavin that all Canadian detainees should be repatriated from Kurdish-controlled northeast Syria, but his description of them as “psychopaths,” “ISIL families” and “foreign fighters” is needlessly inflammatory.

Federal Court Justice Henry Brown’s decision very clearly stated: “Notably the (government) Respondents do not allege any of the Applicants (detainees) engaged in or assisted in terrorist activities. The Respondents affirmed this position at the hearing.”

Later in his decision, Brown wrote that Canadians are entitled to hold any opinion they like as long as they don’t cross the line into criminal wrongdoing: “However, there is no evidence to that effect before this Court.” In other words, if the government had any evidence that these Canadians had been up to no good in Syria, this was their opportunity to share it. Possessing no such evidence, Canadian officials — who have based their refusal to repatriate on Islamophobic “national security” tropes and vague allegations of nefarious associations — must now halt their illegal practice of banishment and end their years-long complicity in the arbitrary detention of their own citizens.

In addition, there is no such person as “Jihadi Jack.” That name, and all the menace it implies, was the creation of a U.K. tabloid that could not discern the significant difference between being an ISIL member and being in ISIL territory (as tens of thousands involuntarily found themselves, including Jack Letts). Letts’s own words were part of the Federal Court record. He said he opposed and was jailed by ISIL on three occasions, and was trying to flee ISIL territory in 2017 when he was captured by the Kurds. 

It is remarkable that all this fuss is being kicked up over the return of four men imprisoned for years under conditions akin to torture. They are battered shadows of their former selves who, in the words of Jack Letts, have forgotten what the sun looks like. Guilt by alleged association should never trump the presumption of innocence, yet the media frenzy in this case sadly appears to have concluded otherwise.

Matthew Behrens, Ottawa

Ottawa deserves its tourist ranking

Re: Ottawa ranked 4th worst city for tourists, Jan. 26.

Anyone who lives in Ottawa will not be surprised by this. You only have to walk by a group of tourists to hear a young voice scream “No, not another museum!” My heart screams along with you, youngster.

But without museums ad nauseam, what else does Ottawa offer a diverse group? An indoor Wonderland? Nope. A zoo? Nada. An aquarium? Zip. An interactive library? Nyet. An indoor beach with a wave pool? Keep that swimsuit packed.  An indoor farmers market with cafes and tables? You wish.

Move along; nothing to do here, folks.

Judy Warren, Ottawa

An interesting take on the convoy protest

Re: Sussex Drive art gallery showing photo exhibit of the ‘hidden beauty’ of convoy protesters, Jan. 26.

In a society that is so polarized these days, it was nice to read a story by Peter Hum that took a different approach to the Ottawa convoy protest.

While you may not agree with the protest or the people who took part in it, I was pleased to see that there were some who did not give in to fear or preconceived ideas and took it upon themselves to engage with the protestrrs and document the event through photographs.

The same edition of the Ottawa Citizen published an opinion piece by Coun. Ariel Troster which, after a few derogatory political speaking points aimed at the protesters, painted a rosy picture of how the federal government and city need to sit down and talk about what to do with the now cordoned-off Wellington Street.

I find this dichotomy of outcomes from the convoy protest interesting, for on one hand we have a gallery exhibit of photographs which anyone can enjoy, and on the other we have a sealed-off street that no one enjoys.

Ed Storey, Nepean

Why Wellington should remain closed

As a member of the citizen group “Supporters of the Loop” and the wider Ottawa community, I am writing to advocate for Wellington Street remaining closed to passenger vehicles.

We have an excellent opportunity to envision a new downtown core: one that is walkable, connected by public transit and highlights the beauty of Parliament Hill and our other downtown national institutions.

As the former co-chair of the Ottawa Community and Police Action Committee (COMPAC), I can attest to the importance of public spaces and the impacts they can have on the long-term health and safety of our community. I urge the city to keep Wellington Street closed for the moment and instead take the opportunity to plan a new space that sets Ottawa up for long-term success.

Ketcia Peters, Greely, Transitloop.ca

24 Sussex cost estimate off-base

Re: Renovation costs for 24 Sussex don’t even attempt to make sense, Jan. 25.

I see that another survey was done and Canadians are split on whether renovations should be done to the official residence of the Prime Minister. At the reported renovation/repair cost of $36.6 million, I am surprised that more people are not opposed.

For that amount of money I think anyone, anywhere, could probably build one or two such residences. The most expensive part of a build like this would be the land and that is not a consideration in this repair cost quoted by the National Capital Commission. This is the government’s typically bloated way of doing business, where all costs are inflated and with no consideration for the taxpayer.

There should be an open and transparent tender process for a general contractor capable of doing this work. I am sure that many contractors would line up for this gig at a fraction of the cost.

Robert Lamont, Ottawa

Let’s blend history and modernity

Why not get on board with the popular architectural trend of mixed styles: retain the heritage facade of 24 Sussex Drive or part of it, and build a contemporary extension above and around it?

This would offer some respect to its history while providing contemporary functionality. Something for everyone.

Calla Fireman, Ottawa

Why should PS have special status?

Is anyone else fed up with listening to the public service unions and their rights? I would like to understand why they think public servants (whom we pay) should have special status above the rest of hard-working Canadians?

Both during the pandemic and presently, people were obliged to leave their homes and go to work, arrange child care and commute. This is what the unions are groaning about? This is life, people. Step up to the plate, do what is right and earn your keep like everyone else.

You’ve been very fortunate so far. It’s time to join the rest of the world, even if you are only being asked to be out there part-time.

Lesley Stewart, Ottawa

PS home-offices are cheaper to run

Many articles have been written about public servants being ordered back to the office. From my perspective there is one overriding consideration: taxpayers pay for public servants’ commercial office space, but public servants pay for their home-office space. Downtown office space is more expensive than suburban home-office space. Consequently, public servants should work at home unless there is a compelling operational reason for them to be at work.

So, Government of Canada, cut your spending and send workers home.

Norman Vinson, Ottawa

Learn geography, Citizen journalists

This newspaper has a geography problem when it comes to the city of Ottawa. It seems that every mention of a location in the city refers to the old, pre-amalgamation boundaries of Ottawa. Just recently, a fire on Russell Road was described as the “east end of the city.”

Maybe, in 1985, Russell Road was pretty far east, as far as Ottawa was concerned. But today, there are a good 26 kilometres from Russell Road to the eastern boundary of Ottawa and Clarence-Rockland. Which, for a bit of context, is actually farther than the straight-line distance from Parliament Hill to the Canadian Tire Centre.

Living in Osgoode Village, which is bumping up to the southern boundary of the city of Ottawa, I have to shake my head when I see a reference in this paper to anywhere inside the Greenbelt as being “southern” Ottawa. If you’re saying that the airport is “south,” what would you call Greely? The deep south? Kars or Burritts Rapids could only be described as “here be dragons”?

I’d challenge you to take a look at the actual physical boundaries of Ottawa and start using geographic descriptors that match the sheer size and scale of this city. Stop making those of us in the rural parts of the city feel like we’re not even on your map.

Kevin Finn, Osgoode

A skateboarder who inspires

Re: Ollie’s dream, Jan. 24.

I just got around to reading the article about the young, visually impaired skateboarder. Way to go, Bud.

Roger Duffy, Osgoode

What does public health care mean?

The headlines these days are full of conflicting views on private versus public health care. I had always thought that private health care simply meant the recipient pays the total cost of the treatment. The traditional objection to this is that since private companies are motivated by profit, costs will go up for everybody and the rich can then waltz up to the front of the line and get superior service on demand.

But now Premier Doug Ford says the province will continue to pay the full cost for treatment at private clinics. So what is the advantage of public health care? Do I need to worry about who actually owns the building I’m being treated in or who paid for the rug under my feet so long as I am being treated properly and affordably? Will my taxes have to go up to cover costs? Somebody, please advise.

Jim Lyons, Orléans

Snow doesn’t stop this driver

I want to commend my Ottawa Citizen delivery driver for the excellent service I receive. Thursday, after the big snowstorm, I went down my driveway in knee-deep snow hoping to see my Citizen but not counting on it. But there it was, in my mailbox!

I am very happy, since reading the Citizen is the highlight of my day. My driver is worth their weight in gold!

Monica Hill, Petawawa

1. Today's letters: Canada Revenue Agency employees should be in their offices

2. Today's letters: Hail to Brooke Henderson