Latest news with #MikeHarcourt
Edmonton Journal
2 days ago
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Saturday's letters: Public services are priority, not books
Article content The baseball game was action-packed and the extra events that were ongoing throughout the game were very entertaining. We saw a mascot race, cool science experiments and an agility dog show. We would recommend a Riverhawks baseball game this summer. Let's go, Riverhawks! Kathleen Eistetter's Grade 5 students, St. Mary School Separatists should move to U.S. Re. 'Alberta, join team Canada,' Mike Harcourt, May 24 I am a proud Albertan, or at least I was. I am sickened whenever the UCP announces another ridiculous proposal without sufficient assessment or backing from the majority of Albertans or without weighing the actual costs or potential results of these escapades.
Vancouver Sun
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Letters to the Sun: Metro needs a non-political oversight body that reports to the people directly
Re: Former premier and Vancouver mayor Mike Harcourt calls for radical change at Metro Vancouver We have to realize that the real problem in Metro Vancouver is the revolving hordes of elected officials (federal, provincial and municipal) who are all well meaning in wanting to do public service. Mike Harcourt's proposal only lessens the number. It is still politicians trying to do the best in areas that most lack expertise, as pointed out in the report. A model that would eliminate the expertise deficiencies of the politicians would be to turn most of what Metro does into non-profit utilities. This should include water, waste water and solid waste, and TransLink. Governments should allow these utilities to issue bonds (like savings bonds) to raise money for the infrastructure that is needed to meet the needs of the a growing region into the future. Good transparent governance is essential with a non-political oversight body that reports to the people directly. A daily roundup of Opinion pieces from the Sun and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Informed Opinion will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. This will also eliminate the need of different levels of government for funding that will get harder as each political party give us tax cuts and thus not enough money to fund an efficient running of a country. John Consiglio, North Vancouver Re: King Charles III and the glorious weirdness of Canada's monarchy I enjoyed reading Ben Woodfinden's comments in the Sun about King Charles's whirlwind visit to Canada. Surely no one can deny the irony of Canada inviting the King of the United Kingdom to assume the role of King of Canada and read out the speech from the throne to open our parliament — in an effort to demonstrate our sovereignty. The King of Canada does not live in Canada, has no residence here, and has visited only six times in the past 25 years. Wearing a red tie hardly makes up for not speaking out against President Trump's outrageous calls for the annexation of our country. Nor does it make up for, under the circumstances, inviting Trump to meet him in London for a cosy state visit. Perhaps his visit to Canada has done no great harm other than to somewhat diminish our claim to being a sovereign nation, but it certainly has done no good. Richard Hoover, Delta Re: B.C.'s prosperity depends on a strong post-secondary system Our country and province face unparalleled opportunities and crises. The saying 'never let a good crisis go to waste' comes to mind. Three-quarters of our exports go to a country whose president says that the U.S. doesn't need anything Canada has. Canadian exporters face four years of chaotic, constantly changing White House executive orders, rendering long-term planning a futile exercise. Meanwhile, the global system of international trade of goods and services is up for grabs. There is a critical need to diversify our exports. This entails new products, new companies, extensive research and development, and a workforce with a different skills set. At the same time, the White House is dismantling the American constellation of research universities, such as MIT, that have delivered technological 'golden eggs' for decades. Any history of Silicon Valley highlights the critical role of Stanford University in turning farm land into the homes for multi-billion dollar corporations. The flood of world-class researchers from continental Europe to the U.S. during the Second World War vaulted American universities to the top of the rankings. Today, three generations later, world-class American researchers and talented, highly motivated graduate students will be searching for a new home. Why not Canada? Any strategy for diversifying our economy is preconditioned on a strong post-secondary education sector. If our governments have vision, our universities can recruit top researchers who can help us reinvent our industries and create new ones. We will also need to retrain our workforce. Canada needs dynamic post-secondary education institutions with the resources to create a range of new programs, in partnership with industry, from just-in-time skills-based training to specialized graduate degrees. Instead of dismantling our colleges and universities, our governments should be empowering them, giving them the resources to help create the future. John Shepherd, Richmond Letters to the editor should be sent to sunletters@
Global News
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Former B.C. premier says Metro Vancouver should be merged to ‘6 to 8 municipalities'
As the Metro Vancouver Regional District faces ongoing scrutiny in the wake of a scathing report on its governance structure, one of the elder statesmen of British Columbia politics is throwing out a radical solution. 'I think we should go down to six to eight municipalities from 22-plus that we have now,' said Mike Harcourt. Harcourt served as B.C. premier from 1991 to 1996, and as mayor of Vancouver from 1980 to 1986, experience he believes gives him insight into the regional government's current woes. 6:05 Governance review prompts Metro Vancouver to make changes He said with the Lower Mainland's population closing in on 3 million, it's time to rethink the way the region is managed. Story continues below advertisement '(We should have) a regional police force, and I think we should look at the fact that some mayors are earning more than the prime minister and the premier are,' he said. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'So there's a lot of issues like that, and it's time to have a fresh look at it.' Harcourt envisioned a series of geographically driven amalgamations. The City and District of North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Bowen Island and Lions Bay should be one municipality, he argued, as should Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody and Anmore. Surrey and White Rock should recombine, and the two Langleys should be a single municipality, he argued. Those six to eight mayors would represent their municipalities on a re-envisioned Metro Vancouver regional council, he suggested, along with representatives that are directly elected by voters. But Harcourt's blue-sky thinking doesn't appear destined to go anywhere fast. 2:11 Committee recommends Victoria and Saanich amalgamate Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon described the proposal as a 'lofty idea,' but stressed that any amalgamation talk would 'have to be led by local governments.' Story continues below advertisement He pointed to the case of Victoria and Saanich, which held a citizens' assembly that recommended a merger, a prospect that will be put to voters in the near future. 'I think that's the best course of action to go forward,' Kahlon said. Winning buy-in from the affected municipalities might be a hard sell. Amalgamation talk is nothing new to the two North Vancouvers, and always generates strong opinions. A referendum on a merger failed in 1968 despite overwhelming support in the District, and a District proposal to study the idea in 2018 was received coolly by the City — which cited concerns about preserving its lower tax rate and surpluses. The City of Langley, likewise, rejected a citizen-led proposal to merge with the Township in 2012; more recently, it was the Township pushing to further split the communities as it triggered a breakup of the two municipalities' shared policing agreement. Those and similar roadblocks in other municipalities, however, haven't stopped Harcourt from suggesting a fresh look at the regional map. 'I am not vehemently saying do it immediately,' he said. 'But I think its a good time to look at what would make good governance for that kind of growth.'
Vancouver Sun
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Letters to the Sun: Mike Harcourt's commentary on Alberta becoming tiresome is brilliant
Re: Alberta's getting tiresome. A call for unity and collaboration in Canada Mike Harcourt's column is brilliant, short and clear — ie. perfect. I'm beyond tired of hearing Danielle Smith whine about how nobody recognizes how wonderful and misunderstood she and her province are. Spare me. Harcourt's article reflects beautifully how the vast proportion of Canadians really feel. Valerie Coles, North Vancouver A daily roundup of Opinion pieces from the Sun and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Informed Opinion will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Re: David Eby's use of special advisers under fire again with Michael Bryant appointment I applaud Alec Lazenby for bringing this poor decision by Premier Eby to the public's attention. Can we not think outside the box for once? What about hiring a group of university students who are in various fields of endeavour to study this problem? They could be paid very well, say $5,000 a month for three months, to do an in-depth study, interviewing residents, landlords, shop keepers, the unhoused. Their reports could be individual and then a complete report made comprising the best ideas. Do we always have to hire old white men at ridiculous sums to do what I'm sure would have gained the province no insight at all? Wendy Dauphinee, North Vancouver Re. David Eby terminates Downtown Eastside consultancy contract that came under fire I want to keep this short, because it's already taken up a lot of space. Over the past week, there's been a flood of media about the now-cancelled provincial appointment in the Downtown Eastside. But that's not the real headline. The real headline is that people are dying every day from drug overdoses, homelessness is skyrocketing, and the criminalization of poverty is deepening. What started as political theatre became a distraction. But, on the front lines, we are not distracted. We remained (and remain) focused on supporting the community, saving lives, and advocating change. The Downtown Eastside doesn't need a czar. And this moment underscores that it was never about one person: It's about community. What's needed are community-informed and Indigenous-led solutions, real spending on housing, safe supply and voluntary treatment, policy directives that don't punish people living in poverty, and leadership that listens across all levels of government. We need to stop politicizing people who are poor. At the same time, we can't ignore that poverty is political. If it weren't, poverty wouldn't persist. Amanda Burrows, activist, organizer, executive director of First United. Re: As Canada's new housing minister, Vancouver ex-mayor Gregor Robertson faces daunting challenge Thanks to former Vancouver mayor, Gregor Roberston, my house inflated in value by a couple of million dollars. However, he did not lower the cost of housing for any demographic or add to any housing stock. He is famous for adding a bike lane, called the 'golden mile' — an expensive pet project that seriously disrupted commuters trying to reach their places of employment downtown, where they try to make a living. In spite of Prime Minister Carney saying that Roberston has experience in housing, he picked a proven loser. R. Johnson, Vancouver Re: Mark Madryga vs. Kristi Gordon: How Global B.C.'s top two meteorologists disagree on climate change It was really heartbreaking to read about how a Global News meteorologist Kristi Gordon has been targeted for putting things in perspective about climate change. I am pretty sure these are climate change deniers who do not want to listen to an inconvenient truth of our times. Kristi is doing her job and we must appreciate her for that. We don't need to hear from those who don't even believe in science — and if they have any problem with her weather reporting they can simply change the channel instead of spewing venom. Weather reporters aren't dumb, but these deniers certainly are. Gurpreet Singh, North Delta I would be content if the home delivery of mail were cut back to Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Community mailboxes create a hardship for the handicapped and elderly, who have to walk outdoors for some distance to reach the mailbox. In winter weather or on rainy days, that would be a challenge. Has Canada Post considered the three-times-a-week alternative to daily home delivery as a way to cut costs? Peter Moogk, Vancouver
