Today's letters: Support for Pierre Poilievre; concern about the climate

Poilievre is a determined public servant

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre will be prime minister. His record is impressive:

• Defeating, against the odds, the defence minister of the day in 2004 at just 24 years old;

• Moulding his constituency profile after the popular late Walter Baker — no church bake sale, cultural event or community fair to be missed;

• Using local issues to bring national attention to core matters such as choice in child care, whistleblower protection and immigration.

He is a determined public servant who clearly understands and communicates his vision for Canada.

To underestimate Pierre Poilievre is to his critic’s peril. I have enjoyed watching him grow into this role over the past 18 years and know better than most his grit, fighting spirit and devotion to our country.

Lisa MacLeod, MPP, Nepean, former campaign director and EA for Pierre Poilievre

We need to keep those masks on

I totally disagree with the federal government’s recent revision to the COVID mandatory masking policy. We need/must continue to mask. COVID is still present and highly contagious.

A family member and their spouse, with four vaccines, came down with severe COVID symptoms, and into their 12th day of testing positive continue to be very sick. Please, continue to wear our masks. It’s not a lot to ask.

Penny Anderson, Orléans

Two things our city can do on climate change

Climate change is on the minds of all, not just in the mayoralty contests. However, any efforts in Ottawa will have a negligible impact on extreme weather events; these are a result of global emission levels which we cannot eliminate on our own.

What can we do? I suggest we focus on reducing Ottawa’s air pollution and accompanying emissions — a noticeable and worthwhile local effect with parallel global benefits and measurable value for money.

Two strong candidates:

• Retrofit the hundreds of existing school buses with electric motors. This reduces fossil-fuel emissions, and ensures our schoolchildren are not breathing diesel fumes. This is less of a problem than with OC Transpo vehicles, as the batteries can be recharged midday as well as overnight.

• Defer the opening of the new route from the Trillium Line to the Ottawa Airport until that four-kilometre spur line is electrified. The current plan calls for additional diesel-powered trains. Why would we want to tie ourselves into more emission-producing trains and infrastructure with a long lifetime? OC Transpo has prepared the new tracks for conversion to electrified operation already; let us look at following through on that now.

Jay Miller, Ottawa

1. Today's letters: Aftermath of Hurricane Fiona; the future of St. Brigid's

2. Today's letters: Ageism in the Ottawa election; protecting green space; that east-end bridge; and more