Calgary Sun Letters, Oct. 19, 2026: Mayor’s attacks not helpful’

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New Farkas

I do question (Calgary Mayor Jeromy) Farkas’ motive towards our premier. To the mayor, like it or not, the Alberta government and the common people of Calgary are yours and council’s boss. Swallow that. Park your useless attacks that are not common sense anymore. You were once someone I cheered for against Nenshi, now I do not recognize you even as our mayor as you are not the same person I used to applaud. You have changed far too much for my liking, especially with proposed property tax increases.

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LEE RANDELL

(It certainly appears he’s turned over a new leaf, as it were)

Ready for the accusations

No matter the outcome of Monday’s vote, the DTS (Deranged Trump Supporters) will scream the vote was rigged and it was all a scam.

STEVE WILDE

(Whatever the final numbers, someone is going to be unhappy)

Complete history

(Re: ‘Judge history on facts, not emotion,’ Editorial, Oct. 4): I enjoyed your article. My grandfather was orphaned in Britain and was known as one of the Barnardo Boys because he came from one of the Barnardo orphanages in London. He was sent to Canada at age 11 and he worked as an indentured servant, in effect a slave, on a farm in Ontario until he gained his freedom when he turned 16. Although many of the orphans sent were treated badly, he was not. As you stated, some are mistreated, some were not. History is rarely all one sided.

MIKE URQUHART

(Context is important on these thorny issues)

Not the answer we need

In a recent interview with the New York Times, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced it was time to ramp up immigration because the Liberals have taken measures to get the mess left by excessive immigration under Justin Trudeau fixed and that it is now under control. The first thought that comes to mind is that definition of insanity, whereby repeating failed past actions will lead to different outcomes! The fact of the matter is, we still do not have the hard and soft infrastructure like housing, medical practitioners, and social supports and agencies to service a cranked-up immigration system. Let’s fix that problem before making the situation worse. By example, currently in this country we have about six million residents without a primary health care physician and such things as long wait times for various medical procedures are well-documented.

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DENNIS TSCHIRHART, Simcoe, Ont.

(We lack infrastructure, housing, health care and schools. And all of the existing ones are strained. It is an untenable situation)

God save the USA

When are the good people of our southern neighbour, the U.S., going to wake up and realize the problem is their megalomaniac of a leader?! It’s not Ukraine, not Iran, not even Canada! It’s this narcissistic dictator pretending to be the harbinger of all that’s good, all the while forcing his every whim on the world! History is going to show Trump is the worst thing to ever happen, not only to the once-great nation of the U.S.A., but to the planet as a whole. As John Bolton publicly stated, Trump has forsaken advisors that know, and replaced them with a band of bootlickers only concerned with their own jobs. Instead of the saying, ‘God bless the USA,’ it should be ‘God save the USA’!

JOHN HANCOCK

(Seems like people are pretty much entrenched in their own positions at this point)

Free Alberta

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(Re: ‘Self-help formula,’ Letters, Oct. 11) To (letter-writer) Robert McDowell, I live in Nova Scotia due to family responsibilities, but want to get out of here ASAP. They are more than happy to criticize Alberta here, while happily getting welfare transfer payments and still can’t balance a budget, while continuing to vote the Liberals into power. They also refuse to develop natural resources here. It is sickening living here. Free Alberta!

ED SMITH, Halifax

(Seems we’ve heard that story before)

Makes no sense

Everything I read about separation makes no sense. Yes we have been treated poorly by Ottawa but if we are not part of Canada we will be landlocked. The separatists are willing to give away all our resources to the Americans. So we trade one controlling partner for another so how does that make us a free country?

ROBERT BOHACHYK

(Perhaps, in the words of the famous song, freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose?)

Smith’s misstep

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Leger reports only 32% of Albertans believe Danielle Smith supports a pro-Canada stance. In her recent interview on the CBC, she blamed that low support on the news media.
The most read major newspapers in Alberta:
–The Edmonton Sun/Journal both feature commentaries that support her;
– The Calgary Sun/Herald also feature commentaries that support her;
– Postmedia (National Post) also feature commentaries that support her.
Her reply appears without substance.

KEITH CUMMINGS, Telkwa, B.C.

(Some people are having misgivings, which is natural given the emotional nature of the debate)

Why does a map dictate who goes hungry?

One of the things I struggle with  most is understanding how geography can determine something as basic as whether a young person gets to eat. I live in Vancouver, where I can open my refrigerator after school and know there will be food waiting for me. In Sudan, children are facing catastrophic levels of malnutrition after more than three years of war, while shrinking humanitarian funding is making it harder for aid organizations to provide the food and nutrition support people desperately need. Nothing about a map makes my hunger more deserving of attention than theirs. Yet, as global hunger has doubled over the past decade, international aid for basic nutrition is projected to decrease by 32% between 2024 and 2026. Humanitarian funding for food assistance fell by 39% in 2025. Canada has also announced a $2.7-billion reduction to its International Assistance Envelope over four years, beginning in 2026. As a Grade 12 student and an immigrant, I have spent my life seeing how people from different places can make room for one another. My classmates did not care that I came from Hong Kong before welcoming me to Vancouver. My family and friends in Hong Kong did not care that I was growing up in Canada before welcoming me home. I wish our governments approached the world with that same instinct. Budget 2026 is an opportunity for Canada to decide what kind of country we want to be. I urge Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne and members of Parliament to stop cuts to international aid and reinvest in nutrition, humanitarian assistance and the fight against global poverty.

BERNICE KO, Vancouver

(It’s a noble effort, to be sure)

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