Opinion | I am 79 and fitter than most my age. My secret is decades of city cycling - Toronto Star

Readers weigh in on stories in the news.

Cyclists make use of the bike lane along Bloor Street West at Bedford Road in Toronto. Lance McMillan/Toronto Star

Doug Ford’s government is officially taking bids to remove 19 km of bike lanes from Toronto’s streets, Sept. 1

I am an almost 79-year-old grandmother. My bike continues to be my main transportation since moving to Toronto in 1979 — even in winter when there is no snow or ice.

I have not heard anyone talk about the health benefits of cycling. I’m pretty sure it is why I am in better shape than most of my cohort. I feel far safer on the bike because of bike lanes. While I do not live in Etobicoke, I have used the quite lovely lanes that were put there. It will be a travesty if Premier Doug Ford gets his way and has them removed. It is quite frightening that he seems to hate Torontonians in general and cyclists in particular.

Vehicle drivers have no idea how terrifying it is when a vehicle goes too fast and too close to you. I had many such heart stopping moments until bike lanes. The other thing I have done is add some very large artificial flowers to my front and two back carriers. They are bright and easily seen. Research shows that if a driver thinks you are an old woman on a bike, they give a wider berth. This has been my experience, and I also get smiles — even from drivers.

Why would Danielle Smith vacation in the U.S., as we fight a trade war with the U. S.? Sept. 9

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith holidays in the U.S. because she can. She is a contrarian and an exceptionalist. Her own narcissism is fed by not being a team player.

Dolly’s gone. Gloria’s gone. The next cool old lady is you, Sept. 6

To Denise Balkissoon‘s impressive list, we should add Margaret Atwood, a quintessentially Canadian voice who’s always been a tough interview and who absolutely nailed the manosphere threat posed by U.S. President Donald Trump in her novel “The Handmaid’s Tale.” I would rather she were on our new $20 bill than King Charles, though no doubt she would demur.

The Women’s Movement and indeed all women, took a body blow when the extraordinarily qualified Hillary Clinton, and then Kamala Harris, lost the elections to an ignoramus, a man who chose equally cruel men for his cabinet (Pete Hegseth, Scott Bessent — who recently compared Canada to a dachshund who needed disciplining by a German shepherd — Howard Lutnick, Stephen Miller — the list goes on.) The women he has surrounded himself are those willing to justify his lies, like Hope Hicks (though she baled early), Pam Bondi, Tulsi Gabbard, Kristi Noem and yes, Karoline Leavitt. The tough Susie Wiles, who called Trump “an alcoholic personality,” has been sidelined. One need not guess what Gloria Steinem, always warm despite her razor-sharp intellect, would think about a UFC match staged on the front lawn of the White House. Fortunately there are tough female intellectuals who are pushing 60 and eloquently nail what’s going on, foremost among whom is Naomi Klein.

There are only 2 ways to win this trade war, and both of them suck. Mark Carney needs to hurry up and pick one, Sept. 9

In his opinion piece Mark McQueen states “Canada could use this money ($100 billion) to build two pipelines east to the Atlantic and two west to the Pacific, plus the LNG plants necessary to get this energy to international markets.” This is totally misguided advice. Most Canadians support climate change solutions.

The federal government’s own report states that “most aspects of Canada’s climate will stabilize in the second half of this century if global CO2 emissions immediately start to decline and reach net zero in the 2070s.” However, the report goes on to say that “climate change will continue to intensify strongly in all regions of Canada if emissions continue to rise throughout the century.”

Relying on an economy based on fossil fuels is a false solution for Canada’s future that will contribute to the climate problem and result in stranded assets as the world moves toward cleaner and less expensive energy solutions. A real solution for our nation’s future is to make major investments in a clean energy grid provided by renewables and energy storage.

Ontario municipal elections see modest gains in competition: report, Sept. 9

As the municipal election campaign gears up, let’s have a debate about critical issues affecting civic life, including making city services more efficient and effective. One issue, in particular, stares at us each day if we care to look: homelessness. People who are medically compromised, including those with serious mental illnesses, sleeping on city streets and inhabiting encampments. Today, I called emergency services for an elderly gentleman in obviously very rough shape, sores on his feet, and legs, a wheelchair standing by, and garbage surrounding him. Initially I walked by, but I was compelled to turn around and act. Too often, we, me included, pass these citizens as we go about our day, hardened into what seems to be a reluctant acceptance of this as the new status quo. We shouldn’t accept this inhumanity. It diminishes all of us. Clearly we need a multi-pronged approach, the right housing, wraparound services, better treatment and care for the mentally ill, and the serious involvement of all levels of government to address this insidious and odious stain on all of us. 

So municipal hopefuls let’s hear your plans and dogged determination to tackle this issue.

A Toronto teen was hit by a car near the site of a removed speed camera. Now his family is suing, Sept. 10

I often drive on a street with several schools and have seen how drivers ignored both the speed limit and speed cameras. Recently the city installed several speed bumps on that same street. The speed bumps do what the cameras never did — they force drivers to slow down which makes the road safer for everyone. If safety is the goal forget speed cameras and, much as I don’t like them, install speed bumps on roads in school districts.

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Opinion articles are based on the author’s interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events. More details