Kiss celebrity backside much, Toronto?
As a long-time reader of your upstanding publication, I feel the need to vent and so decided to write my first letter to NOW. As much as I love cinema, I’m starting to feel nauseated whenever the Toronto International Film Festival (NOW, September 10-16) gets under way. They should probably just rename TIFF the Toronto American Film Festival, because apparently the media in this city (especially a particular blue-bannered newspaper) are more interested in promoting Hollywood instead of the international fare. Keep kissing celebrity backside, Toronto.
Ken Robards
Toronto
Harper’s ideological refugee response
Stephen Harper’s heartless and ignorant response to the Syrian refugee crisis as described in Matthew Behrens’s article (NOW, September 10-16) is another example of this government’s ideological response to so many issues.
It was sickening to read of the inhumanity being shown Dima Siam and her children under deportation orders to be returned to Syria, certainly to inhumane conditions, if not death. Canadians have a chance to start repairing the damage done by 10 years of unenlightened rule by replacing Harper and the Conservatives with a leader and a party that can restore respect for Parliament, the judiciary and diplomacy in our provincial and international relations.
David Bell
Etobicoke
Crisis? What crisis?
Who knew that when Stephen Harper cast his icy gaze upon those caught up in the current refugee crisis he’d continue to do nothing? Answer: anyone paying attention.
Harvey Bushell
From nowtoronto.com
Refugee wave a taste of what’s coming
Lets all wake up and face the facts: the world cannot handle the millions of current refugees or the ones from future conflicts. This is a small taste of what is coming from conflicts and global warming. And yet what are we doing about this predictable future? As always, nothing. You want to save children? Start giving up selfish needs – and vote smarter.
Scotty Robinson
Toronto
MP’s “Judeo-pandering” par for the course
Re Ridings On The Storm (NOW, September 10-16). Jonathan Goldsbie labels Conservative MP Mark Adler’s re-election efforts “Judeo-pandering.” Is John Tory a homo-panderer when he shows up at the Pride parade? Is Tom Mulcair Islamo-pandering when he calls for aid to Syrian refugees? Are politicians speaking out about police carding Afro-panderers?
Daniel Rodick
Toronto
NDP takes its shot in Etobicoke-Lakeshore
Full disclosure: I’m an Etobicoke-Lakeshore New Democrat.
I’m pretty disappointed in your summary of Phil Trotter in Ridings On The Storm. The NDP has the best chance since the 1970s of winning Etobicoke-Lakeshore in this election, and we’re reduced to one embarrassing social media gaffe not even made by the candidate?
Ian Borsuk
Toronto
An ex-Con’s Labour Day awakening
September 7 presented this former long-time Conservative party member with an opportunity to do something once unimaginable: walk along with the “Anything But Conservative” hordes in the Labour Day parade. It was a buoyant crowd. Olivia Chow took the time to shake my hand and chat. There were firefighters, teachers, transit workers and nurses from CAMH. Oddly, a few bold campaigners for Spadina-Fort York Conservative candidate Sabrina Zuniga were handing out leaflets.
I thought about all the veterans enraged by Harper, all the new payday loan and dollar stores that have emerged since Harper was elected in 2006 and the record lineups at food banks. Harper had a choice. He didn’t have to splurge taxpayer dollars doling out billions in tax cuts to the most affluent!
David C. Searle
Toronto
Chris Farley, minus white powder, vomit
What was Norm Wilner watching? Every comment the interviewees made about Chris Farley (NOW, August 12) was cast in the hopeless light of his addiction. Arguably, the documentary [aimed] to shed light on who he was beyond that, although the entire chronology of his life and love for “substances” was made clear from the start. It was mentioned that he was in rehab 17 times! Jesus, what did you want to see? White powder and vomit?
Mark Lassiter
From nowtoronto.com
AC/DC still amazing after all these years
We left Barrie at 5 pm, had a leisurely drive to Yorkdale Mall, where we parked and grabbed some food. Took the subway to Downsview and the free bus to the venue. Arrived in time for most of Vintage Trouble and all of AC/DC. They were amazing, as they were when I last saw them in 1982.
Ian Hunter
From nowtoronto.com
U.S. signs downtown a tourist thing
As much as I can understand the righteous indignation expressed in your Cityscape item about the U.S.-inspired gavel on no-parking signs along Richmond, Adelaide and Simcoe (NOW, August 20-26), it’s reasonable to point out that many U.S. tourists visit downtown.
So let’s make it easy for them to understand our signs: if Toronto residents can’t, how the hell should we expect visitors to?
But it probably doesn’t matter anyway, since chances are some cyclist will still get “doored” by some idiot lost in his/her own thoughts.
Ian Byers
Toronto
Roncey’s Little Free Library gets busy
I read Matt Mernagh’s great article about Roncey’s Little Free Library (NOW, August 18). It seems everyone I know saw the article, and the library has been busier than ever. My husband and I have now read at least a dozen books from the library as well.
Gillian Batcher
Toronto
