Newcomers, Nutrition, and Canadian Politicians

Off the Mark

Mark Bourrie’s “Who Is Mark Carney, Really?” (November 2025) stayed with me. It’s something many Canadians are still wondering. People seem tired and want someone steady and predictable instead of another politician full of grand ideas. But comfort is not the same as inspiration. When we start valuing competence above everything else, politics can begin to feel like maintenance work instead of a space for imagination. Things might run smoothly, but the sense of possibility starts to fade. A technocrat can fix problems, but a leader makes people believe in something. Carney might bring stability, and maybe that is what the country needs for now. Still, whether he can help people believe in a shared purpose again is something we will have to wait and see.

Lisa Banti Montreal, QC

Doctors on Call

After I read Philippe J. Fournier’s “Quebec Is a Lot More Canadian Than Sovereigntists Want to Admit,” I saw Doug Ford start publicly soliciting Quebec doctors who are furious with their government. I have a hard time feeling proud to be Canadian. He’s not using discreet recruitment tactics—he suggests people call his personal phone number as he attempts to poach doctors. What a fine example of Canadian solidarity! And too bad for those who suffer while waiting for treatment; after all, they’re just Quebecers. Canadians have an international reputation for being polite and kind. To others.

Alain Charbonneau Montreal, QC

Thoughts for Food

I disagree with Timothy Caulfield’s assertion in “Sure, Ultra-Processed Foods Are Bad. But How Does That Help Anyone?” that healthy eating is a “complex” issue. It’s quite simple. We know what’s good for us, not to mention the planet: local fruits and vegetables. Yet we subsidize the monocropping of crops like canola and the fossil fuel–based inputs needed to transport them. Remove these subsidies, subsidize local organic agriculture, and massively increase social supports for low-income people, especially children with their growing bodies. The giant multinational corporations and the politicians they support want you to think healthy eating is complicated, because they benefit when the discussion gets bogged down by definitions and technicalities and the blame game of consumer choice instead of poverty. None of that matters; just support low-income folks for a more healthful economy.

Lawren Richards Salmon Arm, BC

Safe Arrival

As a second-generation immigrant, I think Mihika Agarwal’s “When Immigrants Oppose Immigration” missed an important nuance. I am by no means opposed to immigration, but I think many immigrants fall prey to predatory practices, whether at the hands of employers, immigration consultants, or shady educational institutions. I support immigration, but it needs to be focused on bettering immigrants’ lives—and, by extension, supporting their communities and Canadian society.

Asha Khaladkar Regina, SK