Letters to the editor

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Hold off selling the old city hall

Re: Wanna buy city hall? (Oct. 29)

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The city accommodation task force report offers a fascinating vision for the future of a work-from-home public service in the city. Before councillors start counting their dollars by selling the “surplus” city hall, perhaps we can explore how it can be repurposed to benefit citizens.

For many years, the city has underserviced its seniors. We have one senior’s centre for 30,000 seniors. There are no plans for another one. If we had one school for 30,000 children, that would seem wrong.

The city will boom in the next 20 years, as will the number of seniors. How could the city hall become a type of seniors centre, complete with a café for new revenues (a KPMG efficiency recommendation)? The city’s cultural policy is still promising a small theatre space. What about the council chamber as a performance space for concerts or theatre? What other social and cultural assets need support to contribute to living in Brantford?

At a time when the city plans to dispose of Arrowdale Golf Club and the likely demise of the Dufferin Tennis Club, the city needs to remember that sports, arts, theatre, and clubs are the cultural glue that builds community.

The architecture of the old city hall is unique. Before it is seen as surplus, the city should explore how the property can fix a deficient in the cultural and social assets of the city.

Ed Bernacki,
Idea Factory

Cedarwood Village is her home

Re: Long-term homes say they are working hard to meet provincial rules (Oct. 29)

I am a resident at Cedarwood Village in Simcoe. I was very upset about last week’s article and felt that we were poorly portrayed.

Cedarwood Village has been my home for many years. I have yet to hear from someone who actually lives in long-term care throughout this whole discussion of what is best for us. The newspaper articles and CBC Marketplace report grouped us in with terribly abusive homes and that is not the case here. We are respected and treated as we would be in our home.

Staff shortages are an issue with all long-term care homes but I’m pleased to hear that the provincial government is beginning to address the problem. The staff continue to work hard and bend over backwards to meet our needs, no matter what their day looks like. Any special request is accommodated right away and any issues are fixed as soon as humanly possible.

In my opinion, we should be in the top 10 best homes in Ontario. Everyone here has worked hard to keep us free from COVID-19, too. We are well taken care of and happy.

I am also the president of the residents council, which is our voice in changes that affect our lives. It makes me angry and sad to read such a negative portrayal of my home. We are not neglected or abused. We do have the right to choose and to express our own opinions. We always actively participate in changes here.

Cedarwood Village is my home and I am proud to say that, along with many other residents who live here.

Brenda Wardle
Simcoe

What is America?

Americans voted and the world is watching. Tuesday’s  election is about what is America? Is America the land of dreams with opportunity, freedom and justice for all or the land founded on violence and racism by tax dodgers? This election has been a struggle to witness and I hope it will have an orderly end. It has been difficult to watch a leading nation of educated and wealthy people be so tribal and short-sighted. In a letter I wrote following Trump’s election, I stated that “democracy is a fragile balancing act that can be easily undermined and perverted by disinterest and ignorance.”  That remains true today. The American democracy suffers from a constitution written for a nation that no longer exists. This combined with the narrow-mindedness of the electorate is a volatile mixture that exacerbates the nation’s polarization. The counting in the election soon will be over but the question remains: What is America?

Henry Lowry
Branford