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Re: “Another CAQ decision, another blow to McGill” (Opinion, Aug. 15)

The Coalition Avenir Québec government’s recent funding changes for construction and renovation projects at universities, which disproportionately affect McGill, are yet another troubling chapter in the government’s ongoing assault on one of Montreal’s most prestigious institutions. It’s not just a blow to McGill; it’s a blow to the fabric of Montreal itself.

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Let’s be clear: The CAQ government’s policies aren’t just detrimental — they’re downright destructive to the very essence of what makes this city vibrant, diverse and intellectually rich.

The CAQ government is undermining an institution that has been a cornerstone of higher education in Montreal for two centuries. McGill attracts students and faculty from around the globe, enriching the cultural and intellectual landscape of the city. Yet the government seems determined to stifle this flow of talent, perhaps in an attempt to reshape Quebec’s education system into something more insular and less connected to the broader world.

This government’s policies are short-sighted at best and dangerously provincial at worst. Montreal’s status as a world-class city is closely tied to its universities, with McGill leading the charge in innovation, research and cultural exchange. By chipping away at McGill’s foundation, the CAQ government is effectively hammering nails into the coffin of Montreal’s future prosperity.

But this isn’t just about one university. This is about the CAQ’s broader agenda, one that seems hell-bent on promoting a narrow, inward-looking vision of Quebec that leaves little room for the kind of global engagement and multiculturalism that McGill embodies.

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The irony is thick here. The CAQ claims to champion Quebec’s distinct culture, yet it’s eroding one of the key institutions that make Quebec distinct on the global stage. It’s like cutting off your nose to spite your face, except in this case they’re cutting out Montreal’s brain to spite the rest of the world.

It’s time to call out the CAQ for what they are: saboteurs of Montreal’s future, cloaked in the guise of provincial protectors. The city deserves better, its students deserve better and McGill deserves better. Let’s hope that when the dust settles, there’s still enough of McGill left to keep the light of knowledge burning in Montreal.

Lindi Ross, Carignan

We all need the truth about health care

A huge thank-you to Allison Hanes and Aaron Derfel for their excellent recent articles exposing the confusion and potential erosion of rights to use the language of one’s choice in the health-care system. It seems the CAQ government is trying to pull the wool over our eyes by insisting no rights have been jeopardized. It should not take journalists, excellent as they are, to ensure we have the truth on issues as vital as access to health care.

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Recently my husband and I had our first appointment at the CHUM. From start to finish, we felt respected and helped, and everyone spoke French and English on both sides. If the government would just back off, things would work fine without people having to deal with anxiety and fear. It seems there is no recognition that having a health problem requiring help is already very stressful. Government roadblocks would make this even worse.

Talking to people in other provinces shows us how damaging the CAQ government’s policies have been to the reputation of Quebec. How very sad, and how ill conceived.

Lynn Hovey, Baie-D’Urfé

Block the flooding before renovations

Re: “Flooded basements could become flats” (Letters, Aug. 17)

Darren Luck brings up some excellent points on how recently flooded basements could be repurposed into “granny flats” or basement apartments for children, caregivers and so on. However, while these ideas have great merit and make sense, before zoning laws are changed and permits requested, the source of the inundation would have to be eliminated — if that is even possible — or the units could flood again. One wouldn’t want to waste money on renovations and run the risk of tenants floating up the stairs or out the window.

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Judie Amyot, Pointe-Claire

Bring flights back to Mirabel airport

Re: “Trudeau airport an embarrassment” (Letters, Aug. 15)

The solution to logjams for drop-offs at Trudeau airport is to reopen Mirabel airport for international passenger flights.

I have lived in the northwest Dorval and southeast Pointe-Claire areas for 70 years. The last year has been pure hell. This summer, no one can sit outside with family and friends because of screaming overhead jets, and you have to close all the windows of your home to cut the noise.

Yes, we hear “get used to it, you chose to live there.” But it’s really over the top now. We are constantly woken up by delayed takeoffs and landings during restricted hours. At Mirabel, planes can fly 24 hours a day.

It’s time to move major flights back to Mirabel, extend Highway 13 north and build a REM line to that airport. It’s time to greatly reduce urban noise pollution and sleep deprivation.

Charlie Hurtubise, Pointe-Claire

Everyone has the right to feel safe on the streets

Re: “Cyclists must know the law, for everyone’s sake” (Robert Libman, Aug. 3)

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When will Montreal’s administration start making our city a safer, more friendly place for pedestrians, seniors and people with limited mobility?

I fully support Montreal being a bicycle-friendly city, but not by being more dangerous and challenging for others. There are seniors and people with decreased mobility who are unable to ride bicycles, and they may not feel safe using public transportation. Many métro stations have steep steps and no elevators. Some buses go very fast, stop suddenly and turn corners quickly. There can also be long waits for the bus, often in inclement weather, and long walks to and from bus stops.

That leaves transportation by car or taxi. Some parking spaces have been reduced, and there is often no place to stop to let people get out in front of their destination.

Limiting the mobility of people can only increase their isolation, because it decreases social contact.

As Robert Libman says, while most cyclists are responsible, “reckless or irresponsible road use by cyclists does cost lives,” and certainly does increase the risk to pedestrians who just can’t get out of the way as fast as they used to.

Jo Ann Goldwater, Montreal West

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