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Letters Oct. 16: Grateful to be Canadian, let young people guide us

Be grateful you are a Canadian As a born and raised Canadian, I have lived to experience 14 prime ministers.
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Lansdowne Middle School hosted an advance-voting station Oct. 11 to 14.

Be grateful you are a Canadian

As a born and raised Canadian, I have lived to experience 14 prime ministers. Throughout this time Canada has flourished and excelled with a political and monetary system envied by many other countries and peoples around the globe. Shortly, I shall once again proudly exercise my right and privilege to vote for the person or party of my choice, knowing confidently, regardless of the outcome, my country will continue to thrive, remaining as an international symbol of democracy, freedom and equal opportunity.

To those whose choice of party or candidates fail to get elected, don’t swear and get your “knickers in a knot.” Take heart and be grateful that you live and vote in Canada. You’re guaranteed another opportunity.

Graeme Roberts
Brentwood Bay

NDP’s shabby attack flyer

Behind his orange curtain, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is the wizard of fake news with his shabby attack flyer accusing the Greens of having Conservative “values.”

The NDP leaflets were dumped in the mailboxes of southern Vancouver Island, where the Greens are very competitive in all four ridings. The flyers falsely promote fear that the Greens won’t “defend the right to access a safe abortion” and will not “oppose austerity budgets that cut services families need.”

Singh clearly missed Elizabeth May’s visit Friday to an abortion clinic set to close in Fredericton, N.B., where she said “this clinic must stay open.” And did he not see her repeated attacks on Andrew Scheer’s policies in the leaders’ TV debates?

James McNulty
Saanich

Let young people tell us how to vote

As a 65-year-old, I have a suggestion for us older folks. We have the power to make the younger vote matter.

We need to ask young people which party they support (and why), and then we vote the way they want. That is how we can help make their vote matter and how we can support them in designing their planet. It’s not ours anymore. They have to live with the consequences of voting for far longer than us older folks.

It’s a huge leap, as it’s a complete reversal of the power balance, but if that’s what it takes to get youth to vote, so be it.

Tom Rankin
Kamloops

Vote for less government

Re: “Elect a ‘health and well-being government,’ ” Trevor Hancock column, Oct. 13.

Here we have a request to go out and vote for more government, to tell us what we can grow, what we should eat, how we should think, how we should get around, terminate fossil fuel infrastructure, bring an end to the economic growth that created the entire mess we’re in. From the country’s nanny province, hardly surprising.

So let’s try this. Rather than pursue the condescending manifesto set forth by Trevor Hancock, how about voting for someone unpretentious, someone who calls for greater self-reliance, for less government in our lives and affairs, for more dependence on the private sector and market forces.

Brian Nimeroski
Sooke

A stranger helps to change a flat tire

I would like to send a huge thank you to Rob, who helped me on Oct. 14. I was about to drive out of the parking lot of the Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre when he waved through the window at me and told me I had a flat tire.

He then offered to change the tire for me! What a super guy. It meant that I was able to get to my granddaughter’s house in time to pick her up to take her to her very first circus.

You are a star, Rob. Thank you from Sophia and me — you made our night very special.

Henriette Bradford
Victoria

Send us your letters

• Email: letters@timescolonist.com

• Mail: Letters to the editor, Times Colonist, 2621 Douglas St., Victoria, B.C. V8T 4M2.

Letters should be no longer than 250 words and may be edited for length, legality or clarity. Include your full name, address and telephone number.