Can Poilievre really keep campaign promises?
To the Editors,
I just watched Pierre Poilievre’s new TV ad. He talked about how if elected he would reduce government spending and lower taxes. It would be nice if he meant this. And from how his polling numbers are going up, it would seem there are many who believe Mr. Poilievre can actually deliver on this statement.
So keeping in mind there are 150,000-300,000 homeless at any time in Canada. There are 6.5 million people without a regular family doctor. There is $187 billion deficit in infrastructure, $21.3 billion deficit in healthcare, as well as $3.3 billion in mental healthcare. The Canada government has projected a $40.1 billion deficit for this year alone. I have a question I would like to ask here: which one of these deficits are we okay with growing yearly?
Or maybe we should stop believing these kind of bumper sticker slogans and start voting for people who will actually start working in Canadians’ best interest and not in the best interest of the wealthy. (Insert any Premier Fords latest corrupt development plans here for perfect examples or the oil companies in the oil sands and the Corporate Welfare they receive from our taxes.)
Patrick Cook,
Hagersville
Hagersville Rocks on hiatus for 2024
To the Editors,
Hagersville Rocks. What does that mean? The English language can be tricky… but allow me to share with you, my perceptions. I moved to Hagersville in 2002 and, for a brief time, was employed by the local quarry. And let me tell you, Hagersville rocks do exist, and they leave that quarry daily by the truckload to be dispersed throughout the county and surrounding areas. But also, Hagersville Rocks. As a community, we really do.
I have belonged to various volunteer organizations during the years that I have been in Hagersville and it never ceases to amaze me the things we can accomplish in our little town. Fast forward to 2014 – Hagersville Rocks Music Festival is born. When choosing the name for the festival, we were considering the above-mentioned characteristics of our amazing town, as well as the fact that the event was to take place in the “pit” which was formerly part of the quarry of “rocks”. With the committee formed and dedicated, we have so far, managed to pull off eight incredible years of music and memories (cue Covid for two lost years).
But time marches on and the world around us is ever changing. The County is excited to be breaking ground for a new Active Living Centre. New space for our library, local OPP, pickleball courts, public meeting spaces, etc. As a result, Hagersville Rocks Music Festival will be on hiatus to accommodate the construction that will be taking place at our festival location.
But Hagersville still Rocks. And as our committee shifts focus, please join and support us in our new ventures. The focus of Hagersville Rocks Music Festival was to support our West Haldimand Hospital & Healthcare Foundation. We will continue to do this as well as stepping up and helping out in other areas where we see a need. One of those needs is our local food bank. With Christmas just around the corner, there is a greater necessity this time of year to fill the shelves and have the necessary inventory available to those in need.
Our committee has scheduled a Food Drive for Saturday, November 18, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and we have partnered with the Hagersville Volunteer Firefighters Association to make this happen. You will see our smiling faces at Hagersville Foodland, Ron’s No Frills, as well as the Hagersville Foodbank to collect any and all donations. I have no doubt that Hagersville will show up and support.
This is what “Hagersville Rocks” means to me.
Tanya Ribbink,
Hagersville
