В Эдмонтоне призывают осудить угрозу сикхской мечети и не допустить расизма в ходе референдума

Thursday's letters: Referendum puts minorities at risk The reported hate threat against a gurdwara in Calgary should alarm every Albertan. A threat against a place of worship is never an isolated matter. It sends a message of intimidation to an entire community and weakens the sense of safety that all residents deserve. At the same time, Alberta is entering a referendum debate in which immigration has become a central political issue. When political questions are framed in ways that portray immigrants as a burden or a threat, they can deepen suspicion, encourage division, and make racialized and religious minority communities feel less secure. Premier Danielle Smith and all elected leaders have a responsibility to ensure that democratic debate does not become a platform for scapegoating. Disagreement over immigration or federal-provincial relations must not be allowed to slide into hostility toward immigrant communities, Sikhs, Muslims, Indigenous peoples, or any other group. Alberta’s future should not be built on fear. It should be built on fairness, public safety, respect for religious freedom, and equal belonging for all. The hate threat against the Calgary gurdwara must be condemned clearly, and the referendum debate must be conducted without inflaming racism or division. P.R. Kalia, president, Progressive Peoples Foundation of Edmonton Rebrand B.C., whose name has U.S. roots Along with Carney’s plan of retaliatory tariffs, Canada should also impose retaliatory name changes to currently named neighbourhoods, streets, and geographic features, et cetera. that have American origins, starting with British Columbia and the Columbia River. They were both named by Queen Victoria, after American captain Robert Gray’s ship, the Columbia Rediviva. G.C. Meering, Spruce Grove Do something about noisy bikers Is it just me, or is anyone else fed up with the deafening roar of motorcycles echoing across our city? To be clear, many riders use motorcycles as an efficient, affordable means of transportation. You barely notice them because they drive respectfully, blend into traffic, and simply want to get from A to B. Then there are the numbskulls riding machines built not for transportation, but for generating an obtrusively loud — and at times debilitating — racket. On any warm evening, listen to what’s happening on the 109 Street bridge, along River Valley Road, the James MacDonald Bridge, Connors Road, Scona Road, and Rossdale Road. These nitwits are literally shaking windows. Is there no authority enforcing peace and quiet in our neighbourhoods? Can’t the police hear these blockheads and take action? Something needs to be done about these knuckleheads and their machines. John Byron, Edmonton Natural wildland in city desecrated For decades, I have cycled from my home through Fort Edmonton Park over the Fort Edmonton footbridge to Terwillegar Park. This path ran through an enchanting natural wilderness covered in wild grasses and flowers. This gem of natural beauty is enjoyed by hundreds of cyclists, runners and walkers. I cycled there yesterday and, to my horror, most of this wilderness gem has been plowed up. Memo to parks management — this is not development — it is desecration of natural pastoral beauty. Arnold Voth, EdmontonDear Editor: Bigger cities aren’t necessarily better Many of us can relate to Roni Kraut’s thoughtful op-ed about how city hall ignores the concerns of residents, with special reference to infill in Belgravia. As well, we observe that our city councils seem hell-bent on having the majority of citizens live in multiplexes and abandon their cars in favour of LRT — pretty much an impracticality in this city — whether they want to or not. What the author fails to identify is that growth itself is the problem, instead, resorting to the solution of “build better,” whatever that means in practice, and adopting the conventional wisdom that growth is desirable. Is there any scientific evidence that multi-million cities function better than smaller ones? Yes, people come and go, and communities change with renewal, but is there any benefit to overall population increase? Rural communities languish, while our cities expand like mushroom clouds over an atomic explosion, with equivalent negative consequences for their residents. Does it have to be this way? P.J. Cotterill, Edmonton Unbridled density overwhelms Belgravia My husband and I have lived in Belgravia for 41 years. What is happening now is unacceptable. In the June “Belgravian,” 34 out of 42 developments were infills — many with five to 40 units. This level of density is being forced onto infrastructure never designed for it. Our sewer line was replaced over 15 years ago, yet in recent years we’ve had strong sewage odours coming through our sinks. Last week, feces came up through our sump hole. We paid a substantial amount to have the line snaked, only to learn the blockage was in the city‑owned alley line. Belgravia’s sewer system is failing under the load of nonstop infill construction. Bylaw violations around these sites are constant and unaddressed: wrong‑way parking and permit‑zone violations; construction vehicles left for hours without permits; cigarette ends thrown onto streets; overflowing garbage bins and food waste; some infill properties operating Airbnb units; black‑bin‑only disposal causing garbage spread through alleys. This is not “gentle density.” This is unmanaged, high‑impact development with no enforcement and no accountability. Belgravia residents are carrying the consequences while the city continues approving more — including a four‑storey and an eight‑storey building facing University Avenue. We need immediate action: infrastructure assessment, enforcement of bylaws, and a halt to further approvals until the city can prove Belgravia’s systems can handle this level of development. Patrick and Bernadette Kyle, Edmonton Infill’s impact on property values is obvious The City of Edmonton has now decided to commission a study to see if multi-unit infill structures have negative effects on property values. This study is going to take a year! It takes about 10 seconds of critical thinking to reason that the construction of an oversized, multi-suite structure that has no onsite parking constructed in a mature neighbourhoods is going to diminish the value of surrounding single-family homes. Why can city council not figure this out? None of the current councillors have degrees in urban planning yet their ludicrous policies are leaving an indelible mark on the city of Edmonton that can not be erased. Countless restrictive covenants are being registered — perhaps they read the room and understand that Edmontonians do not want the infill blight and reverse their policies. It is a travesty what is happening to our city. Trevor Schmidt, Edmonton Letters welcome We invite you to write letters to the editor. A maximum of 150 words is preferred. Letters must carry a first and last name, or two initials and a last name, and include an address and daytime telephone number. All letters are subject to editing. We don’t publish letters addressed to others or sent to other publications. Email: [email protected] Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. 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