Stuck in the middle

Re “After shackling Canada to Trump’s war in Iran, Carney’s course correction is wise” and “In Iran, Trump is doing what his predecessors should have done long ago” (March 5): Between these two columns, I find the first one is more compelling.

Mark Carney’s decision to tack away from unquestioning support for the attack on Iran, notwithstanding Donald Trump’s doubtless ire, is what principled and strategic leadership demands: the willingness to adjust to developing circumstances and insights.

The Islamic Republic has proved a ruthlessly pragmatic state with a commitment to existential survival, not least under present embattled circumstances, that confounds those who would predict its self-immolation.

Ironically, one can imagine other states as prone to the danger of self-immolation, including some which are central parties to this war.

Andrew Wender Victoria

There are compelling reasons to rid the Iranian people of the theocratic regime recently responsible for more than 3,000 protesters’ deaths. But deposing a government that still has many local supporters might result in civil war, so we are “between a rock and a hard place” of imperfect options.

Because there is no simple decision and no government-in-waiting, we should sympathize with Mark Carney and other political leaders who waffle. Sometimes wait and see is the wisest choice.

Under these circumstances, it may be best to cite international law that prohibits imposing regime change by outsiders, including the United States. When in doubt, abide by the law.

Michael Craig Owen Sound, Ont.

Wrong place

Re “Ottawa says it still plans to pick one builder for new submarine fleet” (March 6): Reading this report, one slides closer to the conclusion that these submarines are likely to be used to “patrol” in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and not under the ice in the Arctic. This raises the question: “On patrol doing what?”

For many years, NATO nations including Canada have been dropping listening devices into the oceans by using aerial surveillance aircraft. Put simply, submarines are not needed to perform this duty.

Palpably, let us conclude that Canada should not be involved in combat purposes directed toward the destruction of missile-carrying submarines or capital ships operating on the surface. If this is a correct view, then there is no Canadian undersea patrol purpose. If there is no proper undersea purpose, then Canada should not be buying submarines at all.

The better question might be, “Is Canada building enough heavy icebreakers that are Arctic-capable and sufficient land-based docking capacity?”

John Seaman Webb Calgary

Going electric?

Re “Shut off” (Letters, March 6): A letter-writer thanks Justin Trudeau, sarcastically, for not enabling forward-thinking policy to allow more oil exports to take advantage of higher prices resulting from war.

He did have some foresight on the flipside of that coin: an electric vehicle mandate and a carbon price to render oil price fluctuations less meaningful to most Canadians’ lives.

David Thomson Vernon, B.C.

Re “Eighteen ideas on how to kickstart the Canadian economy” (Report on Business Magazine, February 2026): Monica Curtis from the Pembina Institute suggests electrifying Canada’s truck fleets to kickstart the economy.

Electrification has an important role, but it would not be a viable solution for all trucking applications, especially heavy‑duty, long‑haul operations where payload, range, uptime and cost are critical. The repealing of California’s all-electric truck mandate highlights this reality.

There should be a multipronged decarbonization strategy that matches technology to use case. To decarbonize medium- and heavy-duty trucking and unlock Canadian competitiveness, we should lean on Canadian expertise in electrification, hydrogen fuel cells and high‑efficiency internal combustion engines running on low‑carbon fuels.

These solutions leverage current infrastructure and deliver immediate emissions reductions. Heavy‑duty electrification can face high vehicle costs, reduced payloads shorter range and charging downtime.

For long‑haul trucking, low-carbon fuels maintain diesel-like performance and enable faster emissions reductions per dollar invested. When it comes to trucking, one size does not fit all.

Ashley Nuell Vice-president, investor relations, Westport Fuel Systems; Vancouver

Bad bet

Re “Ontario helpline saw increase in gambling-related requests after province opened regulated market, study finds” (March 3): At one time, gambling was somewhat of a commitment and involved time and energy to travel to a gambling establishment. Now access to gambling is in one’s pocket.

With enormous profit potential, gambling businesses have flourished and their subsequent advertising, supported by provincial gaming commissions, bombards us. The sadness and expense associated with mental health damage from addictive gambling will likely be enormous.

How can our provincial governments advertise and encourage activities that can cause such public grief? In my opinion, it is a shameful money grab that is both shortsighted and negligent.

A 300-per-cent increase in young gamblers should elicit alarm bells to our elected politicians, who should propose legislation to reduce this harm.

Rod McNair Toronto

Give and take

Re “Ontario investigated 900 allegations of OSAP fraud last year, government says” (March 3): What has happened to personal agency?

Until the mid-2010s, the Ontario Student Assistance Program consisted primarily of loans. The balance shifted increasingly toward grants, until the government recently announced a return to the program’s original emphasis.

OSAP was designed as a needs-based system and never intended to provide broad subsidies. Some students now argue that the shift back toward loans will harm lower-income applicants. That concern is understandable, but it may not gain much traction.

Postsecondary education, particularly university, is not a universal entitlement. If a student earns admission, it is reasonable to expect they will shoulder a meaningful share of the cost. Taxpayers already invest heavily in the opportunity itself: buildings, faculty, research infrastructure, administration.

Expecting those same taxpayers to cover roughly three-quarters of an individual student’s education can appear ungracious, even excessive. It may sound harsh, but taking ownership of that effort ultimately benefits students the most.

Brian Sterling Oakville, Ont.

By association

Re “I don’t want to live forever. I want to live a day longer than my dependent son” (First Person, March 3): The First Person essay often brings me to tears; sometimes nostalgic tears, other times happy or sad. But this made me feel something different: shame.

As a physician, I am ashamed to hear of the essay-writer’s experiences with her son in doctors’ offices. If these aren’t spaces where someone with a disability can feel comfortable and cared for, then where else?

Rose Leishman MD, CCFP; Victoria

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