Why families of users oppose safe injection
Joe Cressy and Walter Cavalieri’s article on safe injection sites (NOW, June 30-July 6) brings up many good points.
People may wonder why there’s any resistance to safe injection sites. Unfortunately, it is not logic that drives most opposition.
Those of us who have had family members go down the road of drug addiction and seen our loved ones go from healthy and productive to poor and starving and sometimes end up on the street are among those who oppose safe injection sites.
Even though we should be the biggest cheerleaders for this logical step, it is we angry, hopeless and sad people, who have wished our loved ones dead in our darkest moments to stop the lying and fear, who are some of the biggest opponents.
Name withheld by request, Toronto
Needle damage undone
Thank you for your article affirming the need for supervised injection sites. This need is critical and urgent! The sites themselves will be discreet and easily integrated into the city.
There are many ways to make the lives of people who use substances more bearable and healthy, but enhanced access to naloxone and supervised injection services are priority steps. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make this happen despite fierce stigmatization, ignorance and opposition.
Deborah Waddington, From nowtoronto.com
Behind GoodLife’s goal to be number one
Re Not So GoodLife, by Michelle Da Silva (NOW, June 30-July 6). I was one of the rebels who started the union drive at GoodLife.
GL’s goal is to become the world’s biggest fitness outfit. To that end, it’s taking over gym chains worldwide. How is it paying for this expansion? By paying their employees below market rates and hiring part-time workers to avoid paying benefits, among other things.
Not mentioned in your story is GL’s high-speed revolving door of employees. This is a designed business plan.
Personal trainers have huge quotas of clients they are required to bring in and function more like high-pressure salespeople. Most do not last long. No intimidation here.
Scotty Robinson, Toronto
Fatheads
Candy Palmater (NOW, June 23-29) seems to be the millennials’ version of Rita MacNeil, or am I being size-ist? Despite all your any-body-shape-is-good party line, I remember NOW had no qualms about mocking Rob Ford as a fat pig. On your cover.
Just saying.
Bill Grove, Toronto
Nothing to fear but aging nukes
Ontario Power Generation CEO Jeff Lyash writes that environmentalists fighting for closure of the Pickering nuclear plant are basing their arguments on fear (NOW, June 30-July 6). Fear of what?
A plant with a long record of hideously expensive breakdowns and Canada’s worst loss-of-coolant accident?
A plant with a weak radiation containment system that would never be approved today sitting beside the source of our drinking water supply?
What Lyash really fears is that people will take a close look at the dubious case for keeping Pickering. In 2015, Ontario exported more power than Pickering produced – and often lost money doing it.
Monica Whalley, Toronto
Pickering shutdown would be wise
Re Make Toronto A Nuke-Free Zone, by Angela Bischoff (NOW, June 23-29).
On a clear day you can see the Pickering behemoth from the R.C. Harris water treatment plant on Queen East in the Beach. Yikes.
Toronto’s political leaders have the opportunity now to endorse a plan to shut the plant down. This would be wise fiscally, environmentally and in terms of protecting public safety.
This huge plant has operated well beyond what it was designed for. Time to shut ‘er down.
Janet McNeill, Toronto
Genius plays hat tricks on your head
Re Jude Law Out Of Control In Genius (NOW, June 16-22). Actually, legendary literary editor Maxwell Perkins never did take off his hat. The two theories are that he used it to force his ears forward because he had trouble hearing (been there), or so that people coming to his office would think he was about to leave.
Kathleen Dixon Donnelly, From nowtoronto.com
De Palma surprise
I’m an admirer of the early work of Brian De Palma and agree with most of what Norman Wilmer has to say in his piece on the TIFF De Palma series (NOW, June 16-22).
However, given that Quentin Tarantino made Reservoir Dogs (1992), Pulp Fiction (1994) and Jackie Brown (1997) in the 90s, I was surprised to read that De Palma was the ‘Tarantino of the 90s.”
Can I assume that Tarantino is indeed the Tarantino of the aughts (even though De Palma made some movies in that time period, too)?
Jeff Brown, From nowtoronto.com
Imperial patio preference
I’m wondering why the patio at the Imperial Pub has never been featured in your annual patio guide (NOW, June 16-22).
Is there a logical explanation, since a number of your staff use it?
Genny Lane, Toronto
Alcohol-free beer – what’s up with that?
Re You Don’t Have To Get Wasted All Summer (NOW, June 1). I’ve never understood the idea of removing alcohol from beer. Beer tastes awful compared to almost any other drink on the planet. The purpose of beer is to catch a buzz. If I don’t want a buzz, I’ll drink something that tastes good and doesn’t give me awful beer breath and bloating!
Thomas Greene, From nowtoronto.com
