Letters to the editor | 'Beam me up from Fredericton'
The ATV evening news with Mr. Murphy had a story concerning an initiative, or contest of some sort, to have Fredericton declared a winner in a search for an "Intelligent City."
The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce and others were interviewed.
I suggest that the UNB cancellation of the Women's Varsity Hockey program will disqualify the city from any chance of winning.
This retrograde step smacks of gender inequity on a grand scale.
Women's hockey is, perhaps, the fastest growing sport in Canada, yet UNB has opted out.
Beam me up from Fredericton ... "No sign of intelligent life here!"
Stuart Beaton
Antigonish, N.S.
Disappointed by graffiti
Last Fall, I watched as a lot of people put an effort into making a trail behind the Superstore in Nashwaaksis for people to enjoy the habitat and wildlife.
Recently, I was able to take a walk down the trail.
Again, much work had been put into putting up signs, posters, to help educate people on the various joys of nature, etc.
Much to my chagrin, most of the signs had been defaced with graffiti by probably the same mentality of people who overturn benches, destroy planters, etc., in the dark of night, when most citizens are asleep.
I would personally like to write a letter to these people to thank them for their destruction, but they probably cannot read anything unless it is only four letter words.
It must be extremely discouraging to put this much work into something to see it defaced so needlessly.
Rick Brown
Fredericton
Searching for an answer
I realize there are explanations for my question; I am just hoping to actually hear a good one.
When I look out my backdoor in Fredericton and see the sight of water within 20 feet and rising, and then see the level of the headpond so far down, it raises this question. Why?
Why can't the level be brought back up for even a day or two on the headpond and allow a bit of a reprieve to those of us who have to face what appears to be the inevitable?
I might rest better if I only had an answer.
Doug Boyd
Fredericton
Many questions raised
Looks like the chickens are coming home to roost.
That seems evident from the shocking April 16 Globe and Mail article, slamming the testing procedures of Merck & Company, maker of both Vioxx and Gardasil.
Gardasil, remember, is the vaccine the N.B. Dept. of Health decided last year would be administered to "potentially sexually active" Grade 7 students.
The article references two new studies, just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, accusing Merck of knowingly "misrepresenting" health risks associated with once-popular Vioxx.
The specific accusations are serious and give the government's clearance to the anti-Human Papiloma Virus Gardasil vaccination program an entirely new aspect.
This is the same program a McGill University epidemiologist, the Canadian Medical Association and the Advisory Council on the Status of Women warned was "premature and could have unintended negative consequences?"
Merck is specifically accused of holding back on information it presented to regulatory health authorities.
Unbelievably, Merck employees "ghost" wrote many of the scientific articles promoting Vioxx and subsequently searched out willing doctors to appear as authors before they were submitted for publication.
That odious practice was quickly qualified as "prostitution" by the above medical journal.
How can our minister of health even think of maintaining this vaccination program promoted by a drug company whose shameful performance with Vioxx may well have been replicated with Gardasil?
Thaddée Renault
Fredericton
Environmentally friendly rail
The province's double-trailers expansion is probably intended to prepare the public for an even more (if possible) unwelcome development - triple trailer outfits (LCVs) on the new Trans-Canada Highway and its "feeder" roads.
As for the Maine corridor highway, it would only accomplish the destruction of the already existing rail corridor there, which Mr. McKenna helped save during the CPR abandonment hearings of 1994.
With a combined, world-wide energy and pollution crunch already starting to come down, any further expansion of the most fuel-inefficient, highest-polluting transport made is exactly the way not to go.
The only real answer is to bring back, at par, less cost, and in modernized form, the environmentally friendly rail made with piggy-back and container systems taking the heavy end of shipping, as they did before and can do again.
Lewis Morgan
Nasonworth, N.B.
Early immersion needed
It took incredible vision for provincial leaders years ago to understand that for the two cultures in our province to truly live and work together, a respect for each other had to be fostered.
The early French immersion program in our anglophone schools has been the most successful of any attempt to do just that.
The academic results of the program, while impressive enough on their own, are amplified by the symbolism of growing numbers of anglophone parents enrolling their children in a program where they do not just learn the language, they learn to respect it, along with the culture and those individuals within it.
Bernard Richard's comment, that the sight of 500 anglophones marching on the legislature demanding their children have the opportunity to be taught in French, would have been a preposterous idea 40 years ago.
It makes one appreciate how far we've come in a short period of time.
Yet, here we are today and this current government is now willing to eliminate the very program that, not only symbolizes, but has effectively become the engine that has been driving the shift in our province towards a truly successful multicultural province.
The destruction of such an integral part of our social fabric in order to implement a system proven to be riddled with flaws, with little, if any, valid research to support it in such a short period of time, is reckless and irresponsible.
The government must reverse the recent French second language programing changes that were made without proper consultation with stakeholders.
We must allow all parties involved to work together to develop a coherent and effective plan to improve our education system - one which includes the early immersion program that has brought us so far in such a short time.
Sue Park
Saint John, N.B.
Hockey is our passion
I just wanted to put a word of thanks out to all who donated by way of items, or financially, or of time, to the Stanley Minor Hockey Auction 2008.
To the many community members and hockey families that attended - appreciation is sent your way.
This year, we surpassed our committee's expectations for the final outcome in our total, which was all because of the great support we have for this special event.
The youth at Stanley Minor Hockey says thank you.
Many special thanks to our volunteers: Alton Bubar, Cheryl Edney, David & Kelly Fairley, Mike Hoyt, the Young Family, Shyanne Merrill, Jennifer Hurley-Brewer, Carolyn Dee, Shelley Baggs, Tim & Michelle O'Hara.
Thanks also to Stanley High School for the use of the cafeteria, Steve Everrett, Rob Pinnock and his team at Fox.
Thanks to all the hockey families that went over and above your expected requirements and to our Agrena staff: Ross Thomas, Chub MacKinnon and Dick MacKinnon for doing all you do for us all hockey season.
Hockey is our sport and passion, and it shows.
Roxanne Young
Fundraising Chair for Stanley Minor Hockey
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Comments (9)
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If one does a quick google search, one will very likely come up with information
on drug companies that show prescription drugs being the third or fourth highest
causes of deaths in the U.S. Imagine that!
There is a book called "Creating Ilness," wherein it is pointed out how pharmaceuticals
create or invent new illnesses, then foist their new drugs on doctors, who actually
believe these new illness exist and prescribe their drugs.
We often hear that shooters in schools, for example, are depressed, but what is
omitted is the anti-depressants they are usually on. Nowadays, pharmaceuticals
are successfully sued for prescribing some of those drugs, which are known to
cause both suicidal and homicidal tendencies.
The new religion: the new priest, the doctor; the new high priest: the specialist.
The new church: the drug store. The new god: the pharmaceutical.
Ever notice how there are more drug stores than grocery stores in cities?
This is such an embarassment for our Government and Province. Graham needs to reign in his Minister of Education and his formidable ego. Now.
I do not believe that during the Fredericton march all parents were necessarily in love with the French culture as Sue Park describes. Perhaps alot of them realize if their children are not bilingual, there are no jobs for them in the province. Bilingualism for anglophones I believe is more about the ability to survive, live, stay, and feed oneself in the Province of NB. No one wants to leave NB, but if you cant speak French now, you might as well. Being a unilingual Canadian is looked down upon now.
now, of learning a second language. Bringing Quebec into this equation doesn't
hold water. That's another province, with a different dynamic. The issue is N.B.
Unilingual persons here may very well have a tough time of it, but that's a two-way
street, applicable to both linguistic groups. It's based on the premise of equality,
entrenched in law. What has not been fair has been the taking away of opportunity,
without merit. The present government removed EFI based on arrogance, ignorance,
a flawed report, with total disregard for the wishes of the people. That is the issue
to really contend with. French, or any other subject, is merely that, another subject,
and the best time to learn is early in life.
It has nothing to do with economic prospects, it has to do with personal acheivement and cultural understanding. 87% of the world's population speaks more than one language and I feel that I have missed out by not havig this skill.
My children are in French Immersion because I want them to be the best citizens of the world that they can be. If New Brunswick is left to the unilingual anglophone whiners it will never be 'First' in anything.
The statement may not make you popular in some sectors, but
when one reads letters, for example, from the anglo society, one has
little trouble identifying the core problem to the rhetoric...
No doubt we could all do with improvements in various parts of
our lives, as that pertains to education, but while some of us may
not excel in some areas, it doesn't suggest others cannot or should
not be given every opportunity in those selfsame areas...
I was one of those Anglophone parents in Fredericton that day and I am in love with our dual culture. I have many dear friends who are Francophone and I will fight for them as hard as I fight for myself. So sorry to tell you but your argument has no merit!
Parents have to stand together on this issue.
Its seems some are finally.
Alot of good comments again this time around.
But honestly. A few parents cannot bring about the change wanted.
There are alot of parents who believe EFI should not go.
Its time for all to step forward and take a stand.
Stop waiting for someone else to do the work for you.
Good luck to the parents who have enough passion to follow through on their vision. Hopefully you'll be joined by alot more.