Saturday's letters: Boycott travel to the U.S.

Published Jan 11, 2025 ??? Last updated Jan 11, 2025 ??? 4 minute read

American President Donald Trump (right) welcomes Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the White House in Washington, DC, on October 11, 2017. Photo by JIM WATSON /AFP via Getty Images

It seems to me that the best way to get Donald Trump’s attention and make him think again about trying to wreck our Canadian economy is to have some pretty good pushback of our own. Canadians love to travel all over the world. Maybe, we should boycott U.S. travel and spend our money and time enjoying other enticing travel abroad.

Anita Moore, Edmonton

No need for kindergarten tests

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Re. “Teachers’ union pans mandatory testing for kindergarten students,” Jan. 9

The UCP government thinks they know everything. If the educators think there is no need to test the kindergarten children, please respect their professional opinion. The test could be an early labelling of a five-year-old who may not be ready for the test. How do the child and the parents feel when the child is being considered as having “learning disabilities?”

I am sure any kindergarten teacher can identify those students who are behind in reading, without using the test. My other concern is whether the government will provide for funding to hire more education assistants to help those children. Administering the tests without follow-up support to those students gives no meaning to the whole process.

Evelyna Huang, Edmonton

Anti-car policies hard on Glenora

Coun. Anne Stevenson has certainly had a great effect on the residents of Glenora in her O-day’min ward. Her urban planning agenda of “cars are bad, LRT/bikes are good” has made a real difference to some of her constituents. Thousands of mature trees have been cut down to be replaced with young trees that won’t be as effective as carbon sinks as the old ones for 25 years. Where’s the “saving-the-world” green in that? West LRT-oriented construction has made Stony Plain Road largely impassable between 124 and 142 Streets for years and has made access to all Glenora neighbourhoods difficult, to say the least. It’s possible that Anne’s constituents think of her great work for them — every single time they try to get downtown or head west.And the future? The West LRT road design makes access into homes south of Stony Plain Road even more restricted for anyone driving from their work downtown. What’s not to like? Four wheels bad, two wheels good — ride the LRT.But we should give credit where credit is due. Edmonton council enjoys changing names, so may I suggest that Stony Plain Road be renamed to Anne Stevenson’s Way in honour of her glorious work for the community.John Baker, Edmonton

Trump following Putin’s playbook

Donald Trump makes outrageous threats against Canada, Denmark and Panama on the pretense of gaining economic and military security. What’s behind his disturbing rhetoric? Is he using Vladimir Putin’s playbook perhaps? Anne Applebaum, of Pulitzer fame, describes Putin’s Russia, as follows: ” … a full-blown autocratic kleptocracy, a mafia state built and managed entirely for the purpose of enriching its leaders.” (Autocracy, Inc., 2024)

Does the president-elect, given his admiration for Putin, have similar goals in mind — to transform the U.S. to look more like Putin’s Russia? Consider, for example, the time Trump shared classified information with Russian diplomats in the Oval Office in 2017. Recall Trump as supplicant, meeting with Putin at the Helsinki summit in 2018, when he sided with Putin, contrary to FBI intelligence confirming Russian election interference in 2016.

If Trump’s threats and expansionist aims are more than just bombast, could Canada, Denmark and Panama one day find themselves suffering a fate similar to that of Ukraine? Canada must take strong actions to respond, or find itself in peril.

Eugene Ewanyshyn, Edmonton

L.A. fires show need for emissions cap

What a well-chosen moment not to waver on the proposed emissions cap. Look south, folks. Look at Los Angeles. That’s what emissions do, and what they stand ready to do more of.

Isobel Grundy, Edmonton

Old-time imperialism in store next door

It would appear that Canada has its very own Vladimir Putin next door with imperialism very much in the picture. Welcome to the 19th century.

Valerie Moore, Edmonton

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