Letters to the Editor: September 12, 2024

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Slow response

Regarding the article Slowing speeders can be a bumpy road (Sept. 7).

I would like to wish Peter Sengbusch good luck dealing with the city on this issue.

I have submitted three petitions to the city to install traffic-calming measures on Beaverbrook Avenue. The last one was in January after an SUV, speeding down Beaverbrook, collided with a vehicle that turned left in front of it.

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The SUV snapped off the metal post of a parking sign, ran down the “traffic calmed neighbourhood” sign, and hit the tree on the boulevard with such force the top of the tree snapped off and shot at our house like a torpedo, hitting it a foot from the basement window. This is the fourth vehicle that has come to rest on our property.

After inquiring numerous times, the answer I received was “the data didn’t hit the threshold to qualify for traffic-calming measures.”

I requested an explanation of the findings and the traffic-calming practices and procedures so we could understand why we weren’t qualifying. To date, (five weeks now) I have not received a copy of the procedures nor have I heard why we didn’t qualify.

We are trying to be proactive, not reactive.

Sandra Brown, London

Police overreach

I was disappointed to read, in the article ‘Water gun’ assault charge all wet, accused’s kin insist (Sept. 10), a citizen in Norfolk was arrested for being involved in a water gun neighbour dispute.

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Intent is required for a criminal charge of assault. Also, the gun is not a weapon as it does not have the ability to cause bodily harm. Then, the police release the name, but not the circumstances.

If the police don’t want citizens to think the administration of justice is in disrepute, don’t lay life-altering criminal charges when you are mediating a neighbour spat.

Russ Donaldson, Sarnia

More to tell

Reading the obit of Ambrose Gardner brought me back to the glory days of the Tillsonburg Livingstons basketball team.

When I was growing up, I could see world-class and Olympic-calibre basketball just down the road in Tillsonburg.

Why not give us the story in depth of Gerry Livingston, who, through his businesses gathered these fine athletes to this small town and from that, an Olympic team emerged and these men touched the lives of many by building lives and families in Oxford County and environs?

I think it’s a natural for your Long Story feature.

Larry Regan, London

Drive less

While I disagree with Roy Banman’s views on global warming, expressed in his letter to the editor Overload coming (Sept. 6), his letter is right about everything else.

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Electric vehicle batteries contain exotic materials that are expensive and toxic. The batteries are prone to catch fire suddenly. Do you want to park an EV in your garage?

A total conversion to EVs would necessitate ramping up the nuclear power plants. None of this is remotely green.

And EVs do nothing to solve the traffic problems in the cities.

The ultimate solution is not palatable. We must stop driving so much. Switching from gasoline to electricity doesn’t help. If we can’t change our driving habits and insist on more compact city planning, we have no future. We will become employees to our cars.

David Nielsen, London

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