Re: Leslyn Lewis sponsors petition for Canada to leave UN, January 18, 2024
It was not surprising – disappointing, but not surprising – to read of our local MP Leslyn Lewis’ support of a petition brought to her by a BC man that calls for Canada to withdraw from the United Nations.
This is based upon a group he is affiliated with that believes that the UN is plotting some sort of “global genocide”. He is also apparently associated with a group that advocates that Justin Trudeau be tried for treason, although as a once lawyer, Ms. Lewis should clearly know that even a layman’s perusal of the government’s definition for treason makes all of these calls ridiculous. Yet, all of this continues to fall in line with her earlier support for the so-called “Freedom Convoy” that held our nation’s capital hostage for almost a month, as well as her anti-vax stance, and her refusal to disclose her vaccine status.
In short, she is showing herself to be ticking all of the boxes for the full range of far right extremist views that have so corrupted and paralysed the American political system in recent years. Adding to this is her insertion of gender politics into the mix; issues which I genuinely doubt are at the forefront of many of Haldimand’s rural and conservative voter base, but which her opportunistic American counterparts have found beneficial to make into hot button issues, used cynically to increase their public image.
Now, after almost 20 years of Diane Finley, who abdicated responsibility to her riding at a crucial point in its history, we now have a first term Toronto lawyer, parachuted into our rural and agricultural midst and who, after two failed attempts at seizing the Conservative leadership role for herself – the first before she even held office – now seems to be attempting to import the tactics of American “anger politics” into Canada, possibly to bolster her profile before yet a third attempt.
We need a representative who wants to work for their riding. And in Haldimand that means someone who can talk to the agricultural issues of the level headed conservative majority that elected her, instead of embracing the efforts of crack pot conspiracy theorists from the other side of the country.
Unfortunately, if she chooses to do nothing for us while still choosing to run for re-election, she will likely still be with us for as long as she wants, because I find truth in what someone recently told me: in Haldimand, they’d elect a turnip as long as it was painted Conservative blue.
Robert Sorrell,
Caledonia
Final thoughts on the Nanticoke MZO
In previous letters to The Haldimand Press about this issue, I mentioned Stelco’s possible concerns, the need for an operational waste water treatment plant to be installed by the developer before any houses are built, and the need for a four-lane highway to be built before the development proceeds to prevent the issues that caused the collapse of the City of Townsend project almost 40 years ago.
It should be noted that subsequent to the failure at Townsend, the Region of Haldimand-Norfolk was dissolved and replaced with the separate counties of Haldimand and Norfolk. The regional offices and administration building that were built in the proposed city of Townsend, which was at the centre of the region, was now at the edge of Haldimand County. It was decided that this location was not suitable and that a location closer to the centre of the county was required. So the regional facilities were declared surplus and sold at a loss and the offices were distributed throughout Haldimand, until recently when a new office was built in Cayuga.
I am not sure what Norfolk got out of this, but I believe a majority of the cost of the collapse of the Townsend project was at the expense of the taxpayers of the two counties involved and the provincial government.
Personally I don’t want to see this happen again. It makes more sense to me to build houses in Townsend, which has the infrastructure already in place, than to lose land in the Industrial Park and install additional infrastructure in Nanticoke.
I don’t know how much land the provincial government still owns around Townsend after the project failed, but if there is residential property available, perhaps an exchange could be arranged with the Nanticoke developer to satisfy this issue. We would still need the wastewater treatment plant and the four-lane highway.
Bob Rankin,
Caledonia
