Letters to the Editor: August 14, 2024

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No greenhouses on Talbot Trail

With dismay, I heard Premier Doug Ford and Minister Stephen Lecce announce the expansion of Enbridge’s gas supply to Chatham-Kent, intended to build homes and support the greenhouse sector.

Homes and the greenhouse sector do not go together.

Housing for greenhouses amounts to bunkhouses for people who arrive in Chatham-Kent to work in greenhouses. These aren’t the homes Ontario voters feel short of when they look to the province for housing support.

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In fact, greenhouses threaten existing housings.

Electricity, gas and municipal water outside urban C-K serve farms and rural residences.

Farmers and their neighbours appreciate country life. They have been here for generations. They paid assessments for installation of town water.

Understand the greenhouse complexes being constructed are more factory than farm. People don’t choose to live near factories.

People who live on Talbot Trail are most vulnerable to greenhouse encroachment.

It is regrettable for many reasons, including waste of farmland and serious implications for water, that more greenhouses will come.

The industry has deep pockets, and no farm family can walk away from what it will pay for land.

The municipality is responsible for protecting rural residents’ investment and quality of life.

There must be distance between homes and industrial greenhouses. Greenhouse complexes cannot be built in areas as densely housed as Talbot Trail.

Chatham-Kent residents elect council to work for them. Zone to prevent greenhouse construction on Talbot Trail.

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Christie Coatsworth, Blenheim

Recycling can wait

I read the letter from Adrian Perron, Try composting (Aug. 8).

He’s correct regarding fruit flies, but he forgot about what cannot go in the green bin.

Diapers, incontinence products, wipes, pet waste and kitty litter must go in the garbage. Many of these items attract flies, which is leads to maggots. Flies are not a problem in cold weather, but they are from late spring through autumn.

Garbage pickup should be weekly during warm weather. Cleaned-out plastic and metal, which wouldn’t attract flies, could easily wait two weeks.

Tom Pint, London

Improve alerts

We recently received an emergency alert about a missing child. Requesting, that if we see this child, we are to call right away.

Here are my concerns:

Do you think a photo should’ve been included? The alert asked us to contact immediately if we see the child. Unfortunately we had no idea she looked like.

Should they not have included the child’s height and weight? This too would of been very helpful.

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I believe they should post the first name of the child first. I could be wrong, but I believe they posted the last name first. Which would be OK if they use proper English and had a comma between the last and first name.

This emergency alert system is a wonderful idea and a great tool to help. But all tools need to be used correctly or they are useless.

Darlene Hyman, London

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