Letters, Nov. 18: Albertans kept in the dark on health shakeup

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It seems a perennial activity of the Alberta government to restructure AHS. Unify, decentralize, regionalize, with more ideas coming.

Albertans aren’t provided the context or the data about the current situation, or a view of the planning process for these changes. We are kept in the dark.

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My fear is that we have another Dynalife boondoggle shaping up, given that the same ministers are saying pretty much the same rhetoric in the same vacuum.

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Randy Harris, Calgary

Province’s spending priorities misguided

Re: Food insecurity worsened in 2022 for Canadian families …”, Nov. 15

It was profoundly sad to read the statement that Alberta, the wealthiest of provinces, has the second-highest rate of food insecurity in Canada.

But, we do have a $30-million “war room,” recently discarded most of an $80-million batch of ineffective cold medicine, are spending $8 million each on two marketing campaigns full of half-truths, and will now spend $85 million to cause chaos and uncertainty in our health-care system.

This use of tax dollars is the saddest statement of all.

Shirley McIntyre, Calgary

Threats can’t be ignored

Pleas for understanding and civil discourse will fail unless we free ourselves from the illusion of symmetry in how the Israel-Gaza conflict plays out in Calgary. Antisemitism on the one hand, Islamophobia on the other. We foolishly believe that there are two equally meritorious sides to everything.

However, in the real world, while hostility to Muslims sadly exists here, it is antisemitism that has exploded since Oct. 7. Our Jewish community is still reeling from the shock and living with a mixture of bewilderment, anxiety and despair.

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It doesn’t help that large and hateful anti-Israeli protests take place weekly at city hall, and that none of the participants or organizers acknowledge the breathtaking horrors that Hamas perpetrated — except to excuse, minimize and justify them.

When the Jewish community organized a smaller outdoor rally of support for Israel, it was advised by police to hold it elsewhere out of security concerns. It did.

We must move beyond “both sides-ing”. Our police and justice system must take action against all these threats before they metastasize into actual violence.

David Busheikin, Calgary

PM inflaming Israel-Gaza rhetoric

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent comments regarding Israel’s behaviour in the Hamas-initiated conflict are sadly wrong.

How would he react if a fictional country, say where Alaska sits, committed atrocities against communities in Nunavut and built its operation centres under hospitals in a densely populated area? And what if this fictional country was committed to the eradication of Nunavut, was not interested in any compromise and additionally prevented its own citizens from leaving?

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That’s the reality of this conflict, and his comments embarrass Canadians by misreading the facts. They also risk emboldening hateful behaviour here.

I urge the PM to rethink his words, issue an apology and stand firm with our fellow democratic trading partner.

Israel lachovsky, Calgary

Explore options for affordable housing

The city of Calgary needs to build and enable mobile home parks like the ones they destroyed off Blackfoot Trail and 16th Avenue. This is a quick way to affordably house people and utilize tiny house technology.

But no, we’re going to house people on top of one another in anthills that take years to build.

Enable people to quickly finance a tiny home or mobile home with a place to park them.

Maureen Khallad, Calgary

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