Friday, Feb. 3: Why hasn't the federal government announced plans for the coronation? One reader thinks we need to put in more effort. You can write to us at letters@ottawacitizen.com
Where are Canada’s royal preparations?
Long live the King! Charles III, the King of Canada, has a special connection to Arnprior as his great-great-grandfather Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales, visited Arnprior in 1860. Our country is a constitutional monarchy and so I ponder why preparations have not been made to celebrate the coronation, which will take place in less than 100 days.
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Why has the federal government not announced details of Canadian participation and where are the plans to celebrate across Canada? Will there be a national holiday proclaimed?
For instance, as the coronation is on a Saturday, could there not be a “day of service” inspired by the event: volunteering in our community or doing random acts of kindness? What about funding, similar to the jubilee grants, for a watch party, a parade, civic proclamations or more?
And don’t get me started on the disappointment many feel that there was no Jubilee medal created last year to mark the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne. Even many Liberal backbenchers were upset and many MPs, including our own representative, took it upon themselves to award the Jubilee Pin to people who have made a difference in our community. (I am extremely thankful that Cheryl Gallant, Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MP, recently presented Monique Yashinskie with the Queen’s Jubilee Pin, in honour of her work as the executive director of the Robbie Dean Family Counselling Centre.)
What about a Coronation Medal, in the Canadian tradition, to be awarded broadly to Canadians who mirror the King’s life of service, innovation and concern for the planet and people facing challenges everywhere?
When will the government issue an official portrait of the King to hang in our community buildings? Why has no paper currency bearing the King’s image been issued or announced? Why has the Royal Canadian Mint not issued or announced plans to mint coins bearing the King’s image?
The coronation will strengthen our constitutional monarchy and we must do everything possible to celebrate this occasion. God Save the King!
Tiffany Lepack, Arnprior
Why the government uses consultants
Re: Conservatives continue to grill Liberal government on McKinsey contracts, Feb. 1.
The federal government’s reliance on consultants is a logical response to the diminishing number, over decades, of public servants with expert knowledge.
In the grip of management fads, the central agencies and their minions in other departments downgraded “lifers” able to create well-considered reports and memoranda to cabinet, and favoured mini-mandarins rotating among departments, reorganizing whatever lay in their path, presenting “decks” of incomplete sentences, and mouthing resonant babble about paradigm shifts and a hundred other buzz-phrases.
Thus the necessity of buying organized thought from outside consultants.
Joseph Gough, Orléans
Open up hills for tobogganing
Recently, while skiing through the Arboretum, I passed the hill where my three children and I spent happy hours tobogganing or sliding on magic carpets. But it was empty, with a danger warning that it was an unsupervised hill and too dangerous to use.
We can’t avoid risk in everything we do and the city or NCC should reassess this closure.
Michael Wiggin, Ottawa
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