The Editor,
I am speechless, of course, to hear that Hills residents contributed to the devastation of Canada’s economy, the environment, and our good reputation, which will affect our future economy, for self-serving objectives. I want to know if these contributors to a criminal event now intend on contributing to the hefty price tag that their actions have helped create.
Let’s take stock.
The estimate for the 23-day siege on Ottawa has been set at $30 million. The compensation awarded to Ottawa businesses in Centretown has been set at $20 million, as an ‘initial’ gesture, says Ottawa’s mayor.
The Emerson Manitoba/U.S. border blockade cost Canada a whopping $73 million a day, for seven days.
The Coutts, Alta./U.S. border blockade cost $44 million per day, for 18 days. Are we feeling free yet?
The six-day siege on the Windsor/U.S. border cost an estimated $300 million per day in lost trade; another estimate put the loss at $390 million per day.
I think you’ll need a calculator for this.
That blockade put 100,000 automotive jobs at risk, with a ripple effect that could devastate Windsor’s economy. I know — Windsor was my hometown. I fled after university, as did eight of my nine siblings. Because any hiccup in the primary industry of a one-horse town like Windsor can and has devastated the whole city. Up the line, auto assembly and manufacturing plants in Cambridge, Woodstock and Ingersoll are also now feeling the damage. Detroit’s economy could fail in a mirrored effect to Windsor, which would then be reflected back on Windsor. In all, Ontario’s auto industry contributes an estimated $13.9 billion to the GDP of our economy. This has now been jeopardized, as well as our ability to access (buy) cars in future. And I have not even touched on our damaged commercial reputation on the international stage, which will further affect our economy.
The moral of this story is that a truck driver with racist views, a punk-band singer and an ex-nurse are not in fact qualified to run our country. Could we please just allow our government to continue doing the job we elected them to do? Keep the culprits of this disaster behind bars so that the remaining 37 million, seven-hundred thousand, three hundred and eight respectful Canadians who are contributing to society, not the destruction of it, can enjoy our hard-won ‘freedom.’ And to my original point: I want to know, who, among the contributing donors of the ‘Self-indulgent Riders’ will pick up the cheque?
Denise Markhame
Val-des-Monts, QC