3 days ago
Today's letters: It's time to upgrade the dress code, not just the pay, for Canada's military
Military sometimes scruffy and unkempt
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With the Mark Carney government announcing its intention to increase defence spending, through not only new equipment but also pay raises and bonuses, perhaps now is the time to drop the Trudeau-era relaxed dress regulations, which allow for both long hair and beards often seen on the troops meeting with the prime minister.
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Introduced as an attempt to attract new recruits, the relaxed dress regulations have taken what was once a professional-looking, clean-shaven and well groomed military into a force that looks scruffy and unkempt — hardly a look that inspires confidence in a military that is not only tasked with defending the nation but is often the international face of Canada.
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City council has many challenges, and one recently revealed was the state of its aging infrastructure, from water mains and sewers, to fire equipment to aquatic facilities. A city staff report on the city's Asset Management Plans estimates that over the next 10 years, a $10.8-billion gap is forecasted between projected infrastructure needs and planned funding. These forecasted needs reflect asset renewal, growth, service enhancements and climate change adaptation and mitigation costs. That's a lot of money.
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More than 40 per cent ($4.8 billion) relate to water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure. Just over one-third of this will be paid for by debt, the rest through water rate charges. The mayor calls this 'good debt.' (This leads me to question the $331 million of new debt for Lansdowne 2.0, but I digress.)
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The remaining $6-billion funding gap is for such city assets as arenas, swimming pools, fire stations and equipment, etc. For example, the average age of the city's aquatic facilities is 40 years, and more than one-third of them are listed in poor or very poor condition. The average age for arenas and ice rinks is 45 years, with more than 14 per cent in poor or very poor condition. We have already seen the closure of the Belltown Dome arena due to aging equipment. These issues are not going away.
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So where is the $6 billion over the next 10 years needed to keep our facilities going? The report is silent about this but obviously the bulk will be from taxes. Council may want to consider imposing a specific, dedicated levy to fund these infrastructure needs. Most people want to see the city's facilities maintained and expect council will make the necessary investment.
