(Jed Tallo/GazetteStaff)
Frustration and anger with the arrogance and corrupt behaviour of Doug Ford’s government is palpable. People across the province are organizing protests on Sunday, February 1.
We need a leader who will reinstate funding to our public education system, to our public health care system and restore our environmental protection organizations. We need a Premier who answers the housing crisis with funding for deeply affordable housing in both urban and rural centres. It is also critical that the Premier of Ontario work with the Federal government to reduce inter-provincial trade barriers as we build a stronger Canadian economy.
There may be a Conservative party leadership review in February. In addition to joining the Feb. 1st protest, please write to MPP Tyler Allsopp to demand that he vote non-confidence in Doug Ford. Mr. Allsopp won the 2025 election with the support of just over 22 percent of registered voters. If he wants to continue to represent Bay of Quinte a new leader must be chosen.
Some of the many scandals and issues I’ll be reminding MPP Allsopp of are: the Greenbelt scandal; the Ontario Place/Theme catastrophe; the Ontario Science Centre fiasco; the Skills Trade Funding scandal; reduction of $1,500 per student for education; closures of programs at Loyalist College; financial support for private health care facilities; amalgamation and reduction of powers of local Conservation Authorities; Bill 5; Bill 33; the Speed Camera debacle; the lack of true consultation with Indigenous peoples on the Ring of Fire; alcohol sales in stores without requiring acceptance of empties; legalizing On-line betting and allowing advertising; closing Harm Reduction Centres despite their clear success; proposal to privatize our drinking water; destruction of bike lanes; and plans to build another mega highway, counter to all research.
Make a sign (or not, just come out!) and join other concerned County citizens at 1:00 p.m. at the LCBO corner on Sunday, February 1. Public action does make a difference and it’s also great for your mental health!
Penny Morris, Picton
Re: PEC Court Case (Editorial, January 22). While Karen Valihora may not know what an official mark is, I do. I registered them for my public sector employer (an Ontario Agency).
These are uniquely a Canadian thing, part of trademark law, but not a trademark, and are reserved for ‘public entities’.
They are not difficult for a public entity to obtain (under para 9(1)(n) of the Trademarks Act), provided they pay the required fee and have the Register of Trademarks give public notice (in the Trademark Journal).
In the case of PEC, that is file number 926453, filed by Harold Van Winssen (Templeman LLP), and registered 2021-08-11 on behalf of the County of Prince Edward.
Many lawyers know that an official mark can be overly broad, and because of limited oversight in their granting, a real issue for those trying to use a business name or similar mark that incorporates that mark. The application for this service mark was in 2020, and if people were using PEC before that time, that can be problematic (the limited oversight issue).
The practice at my employer was to grant the right to use a similar name (as in, incorporates the service mark) for a fee, where that person sought to use a similar name. I don’t know what the practice was at Shire Hall.
Richard Pearse, Prince Edward County
Re: Letters (January 22). I would like to address a recent Letter to the Editor regarding the travesty in Gaza.
It is disturbing how the debate over a word — in this case the word “genocide” — can be used to divert and cut off public discussion. The abject cruelty that is being inflicted on the people of Gaza and the West Bank is well documented by journalists, by NGOs and by citizen reporters. Virtually every building, including schools and hospitals in Gaza has been flattened, tens thousands of innocents killed. Over a million are displaced in flimsy tents and living in mysery and fear. Children are starving and freezing to death because of denied supplies.
So if one objects to using the word “genocide” to describe this cruel horror, okay. Because perhaps no word is dark enough to describe this rank inhumanity!
Perhaps as disturbing is the assertion that Palestinians must be “re-educated” as part of rebuilding. It brings to mind other ugly and similar attempts to erase subjected indigenous cultures in Stalinist Russia, in Nazi Germany, in Ireland, in Mao’s China and in the residential schools of North America. Palestinians do not require “re-education.” They need the cruelty to stop and for us to stop debating definitions and do something to end it!
R. Henning, Quinte West
See it in the newspaper
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