magazine / jf12
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January/February 2012 issue |
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Reverberations
Animal planet
I was astonished at the level of detail in Scott Linstead’s photos of the tiny jumping spiders (“Jumping spiders,” December 2011). The two closeups
of the spider heads showing their impressive sets of eyes was so interesting to see. The shot on page 39, at a first quick glance, almost looked like a hummingbird
or butterfly with its colour pattern. Thanks for publishing these photos!
Tyler Hanley
St. Thomas, Ont.
Kudos to Canadian Geographic for highlighting the dismal plight of honeybees (“The secret death of bees,”
December 2011). But your piece would have been stronger if it said more about a key threat to these pollinators: pesticides.
The David Suzuki Foundation reports that “even small amounts of pesticides can affect bee longevity, memory, navigation
and foraging abilities.” Your article concludes that Canada’s new bee diagnostic lab may help scientists assist these insects,
but we don’t need to wait for more studies before we take action. We can protect bees right away by urging the provinces
that haven’t banned toxic lawn products — Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia — to do so this year.
Gideon Forman
Executive Director, Canadian
Association of Physicians for
the Environment
Toronto
It’s a pity that the person who conducted
the initial SwiftWatch studies
that resulted in Bird Studies Canada’s taking an interest in chimney swifts and
continuing the program is not mentioned
in the article in the December 2011 issue
(“Wishing for a swift recovery”). This
very dedicated volunteer, Winifred
Wake, started SwiftWatch in London,
Ont., in 2004, following close observations
of swifts and their roosting sites
in 2003, and she coordinated the program
for several years before Bird
Studies Canada took over SwiftWatch
and extended it to include other parts
of Ontario.
Anita Caveney
London, Ont.
Discharge charges
I just had to correct a statement regarding raw sewage discharge in Ottawa that was made in a letter printed in the December issue (“Capital futures”). Peter K. Marchant of Pickering, Ont., states that “Ottawa continues to dump raw sewage into the Ottawa River.” I want to correct that allegation.
The City of Ottawa constructed a large interceptor sewer system and primary treatment plant to treat municipal sewage in the early 1960s, as did many other municipalities in Ontario. That facility, the Robert O. Pickard Environmental Centre, was upgraded with secondary treatment and greatly expanded in 1992. The total cost of the project was $350 million, with funding from provincial and municipal sources. The centre has operated within provincially mandated discharge parameters ever since and is one of the most up-to-date treatment facilities in Ontario. An additional note regarding the situation on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River: the City of Gatineau also has a secondary treatment facility discharging to the Ottawa River that has been in operation since the mid-1980s.
Wayne Bennett, P.Eng.
Ottawa
The buck stops here
Regarding the sidebar on the Susan B. Anthony dollar (“Coin quickies,” December 2011): this U.S. coin preceded the loonie by eight years. The two main reasons it died were that it was almost identical to the quarter and that the U.S. dollar wasn’t pocket change yet. A good reason for the acceptance of the loonie was that by the time it was introduced, our low-value dollar was pocket change.
Eric P.
— via internet
Mega-concern
The fact that the quarry in Melancthon, Ont., is happening (“Quarry conundrum,” “Discovery,” December 2011) is the result of inadequate government regulations to protect farmland. Quarries have been given exemptions under the law. It’d make more sense to have such a quarry somewhere north of Orillia, Ont., and haul the gravel down to Toronto by rail, not trucks.
Eric Jelinski
— via internet
The root of the problem is the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe that would attract 80 percent of Ontario’s growth to the part of the province with the best farmland. This plan to increase the population in this relatively small area by 3.7 million people over 25 years is to please the Toronto development industry at the expense of the province. We need this mega-quarry only for such foolish mega-growth.
Rob Strang
— via internet
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* Letters may be edited for length, accuracy and liability.
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