The fact this is happening at the same time there is a documentary out about Harold Ballard (Offside: The Harold Ballard Story) is very sad, as it shows things have not changed in the hockey world. Nearly 44 years ago, a three-day soap opera occurred, which included Toronto Maple Leafs owner Ballard’s lack of respect for a human being when he dismissed coach Roger Neilson.
After a player campaign to have Ballard change his mind, he “unfired” Neilson. What followed remains one of the most entertaining — make that embarrassing — episodes in Leafs history: Ballard decided that Neilson should appear behind the Leafs bench with a paper bag over his head. Ballard later said they were just having some fun with it. Yes, but at whose expense? Neilson, who was reluctant to say the least, refused.
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A 24-year-old Bruce Boudreau played in 26 games for that 1978-79 Maple Leafs team — although at the time of the above incident he was skating with the Leafs’ top AHL farm team in New Brunswick.
All these years later, as he is being disrespected, I wonder if he has thought of Neilson, his once NHL coach. Maybe at his last game, it was time for Bruce to appear behind the bench with a paper bag over his head with the writing “Bruce, there it is” to make a mockery out of the whole situation and to shame Canucks management for being so cruel to a gentleman, a former player, and a great hockey coach.
Russ MacGregor, Williams Lake
Elections B.C. responds to ‘stiff fines’ column
Re: Without stiff fines, B.C. municipal election cheaters can prosper
We agree that penalties need to be meaningful to be an effective deterrent and enforcement mechanism. They also need to be proportional to the circumstances and fairly applied. Penalties in equivalent cases should be the same, no matter who the subject is.
We consider each case individually when determining the amount of a penalty. We also consider whether the intent of the legislation is being met. In many of the cases to date that lacked authorization statements, the sponsor of the ad was clear and their contact information was available. We have no reservations about levying larger penalties in cases where subjects deliberately deceive the public about who is sponsoring an election advertisement.
Daphne Bramham writes that under the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act (LECFA), the “maximum fine for organizations is $10,000. For individuals, it’s $5,000.” This is true for some infractions, such as failing to include an authorization statement. Larger penalties for other infractions are possible. For example, a candidate who exceeds their expenses limit is subject to a fine of up to double the amount by which they exceeded the limit. They would also lose their seat if elected. In addition to monetary penalties, LECFA establishes offences which include fines of up to $10,000 and imprisonment for up to two years for individuals, and fines of up to $20,000 for organizations.
Also note that there were legislative changes to LECFA in 2015 and 2017, in addition to the changes in 2021. In 2015, election expense limits were introduced. In 2017, contribution limits were established. In 2021, administrative monetary penalties and the pre-campaign period were established. We continue to review files from the 2022 general local elections and will publish any additional monetary penalties as required.
Melanie Hull, Elections B.C., Victoria
The aesthetic value of nature
In introductory economics class, we learn that there are certain things in the world that can’t be measured by a number. Such is the case of a forest or a pristine river, which can bring us a lasting sense of pleasure that exceeds any objective calculation of its worth. When it come to city planning, we often make the mistake of ignoring the aesthetic value of nature for the sake of growth and development. Policymakers would do well to include such intangible value in their housing plan.
Kevin Zhao, Vancouver
Does Vancouver really want swagger?
Swagger is not a word used very often, but it suddenly seems to be in vogue — both locally and in the U.S. First, the Thursday edition of The Sun reports that Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim wants the city to find/recover its swagger, which was defined as pride. The same day I read a story in The Economist magazine about a firm famed for its swagger that has started to sag. That story asks, “Can Goldman (Sachs) recover its swagger?” My thesaurus has the following terms for swagger — bragging, arrogance, conceit, self-importance. I think they apply to the banker, but not to Vancouver.
Bryan McConachy, West Vancouver
Letters to the editor should be sent to sunletters@vancouversun.com.
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