w at er lo oc hr on ic le .c a W at er lo o C hr on ic le | T hu rs da y, O ct ob er 8, 20 20 | 6 ABOUT US This newspaper, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 80 community publications across Ontario. This newspaper is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the news- paper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca editorial@waterloochronicle.ca facebook.com/waterloochronicle @wlchronicle WHO WE ARE VP, Regional Publisher Kelly Montague Regional General Manager Nelson Parreira nparreira@metroland.com Regional Director of Media Heather Dunbar hdunbar@starmetrolandmedia.com Advertising Representatives Cassandra Dellow, Jan Bodanka, Matt Miller, Lisa Humphreys, Sheri-Lyn Blair, Chris Rego Managing Editor Robyn Wilkinson Online Editor Adam Jackson Reporters Bill Jackson Namish Modi CONTACT US Waterloo Chronicle 475 Thompson Dr. Cambridge, ON N1T 2K8 Phone: 519-886-2830 Fax: 519-623-9155 Web: www.waterloochronicle.ca Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 320 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Published letters will appear in print and/or online at waterloochronicle.ca Delivery For all delivery inquiries, e-mail customerservice@metroland.com or call 519-894-3000 OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA LETTERS & COMMENTARY EDITORIAL THERE IS NO 'GARBAGE FAIRY' SO CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF It just makes me sick. When I go for walks, bike rides, and drives, I cannot believe the amount of gar- bage I see. In addition to the pop cans, beer cans, plastic water bottles, plas- tic glasses, coffee cups, plastic and paper bags, now with COVID-19, I also see disposable masks and rub- ber gloves just tossed about. Litterers: Do you think we have a garbage fairy to come around and clean up after you? Do you not take any pride in your city and the neighbourhood you live in? If you are going to the store to pick up a coffee or energy drink, take a plastic bag with you. You must all have them with the thou- sands of plastic bags we get from our stores. Put the empty cups or whatever you buy and take them home to put in your blue bin, green bin, or garbage bag. Please act like most re- sponsible people. Only you can stop garbage pollution, in which all these plastic bottles, cans etc. end up in our streams, rivers, and lakes to pollute the water we drink. Please think be- fore you toss. KEN SCHADE, WATERLOO WE OFTEN WEAR MASKS FOR HALLOWEEN, LET US ENJOY IT Re: 'Traditional Hallow- een' Can't Happen This Year (waterloochronicle.ca): Um, what? You mean the traditional holiday with masks? Are you kid- ding me? Public health officials are saying no to Halloween but yes to Walmart, Lowe's, the LCBO, Shopper's Drug Mart, protesters in the streets of Kitchener and dog-walkers, park goers, construction workers and the like. No contact tracing with the big retailers though. But outdoors in a mask isn't cutting it anymore? According to your publi- cation the COVID-19 num- bers are rising. Does that mean masks don't work? They were made mandato- ry on July 20. Or does all of this just pertain to taking away the traditions we hold close and the freedoms we love? Who's buying this in- sanity? C. L. BUSCHMEYER, KITCHENER Steve Parisotto sports his Halloween costume outside his Guelph home on Halloween last year. Torstar file photo Is it possible that this pandemic can do what nothing else has been able to, and lead to a comprehensive na- tional system of quality, accessible and affordable child care, as pledged by the Trudeau government? If you were basing your answer strictly on history, it would probably be no. It's not as if the tangible benefits of a national strate- gy have just come to light. It was a half century ago that the first royal commission recommended a national daycare program as an essential building block towards equality for women. Even though the major promises have been from Liberals, this isn't a particularly partisan issue. Conser- vative prime minister Brian Mulroney had the begin- nings of a plan in the mid-80s, but it died leading up to the 1988 election. Stephen Harper was the notable excep- tion who didn't have child care on his agenda at any point. Why has national child care always died on the vine? It's not as if there are not successful models to learn from around the world. And it is not as if there is not broad support. Academ- ics have long seen the value in quality child care, from a social and economic perspective. Business leaders re- sponded to the Liberal throne speech with commitment with praise. Organized labour is a longtime supporter. And yet Canadian families still struggle with a patch- work child care system where cost, accessibility and quality are consistent issues. Will it really be different this time, as the Trudeau government promises? The biggest stumbling block isn't even cost. Yes, seri- ous investment will be required. But Quebec's universal and affordable system was developed at the same time as that province was working full out to balance its budget. And it did that without financial or political support from Ottawa. No, the chief obstacle in all previous cases is that most Canadian of bogeymen -- provincial jurisdiction. Child care is provincial turf, and successive govern- ments, of all political stripes, have not been welcoming toward federal overtures. But maybe this time will be different, because of COVID-19. We know all too well that the pandemic has decimated the working world -- for workers and employ- ers. And we know that women have been disproportion- ately victimized because of the sectors where many work and fact that they still provide most of the child care in most families. It's not complicated, really. To achieve economic re- covery, Canada needs as many people as possible to work if they choose to. That includes women. Where lack of access to quality, regulated child care is keeping women from active participation in the labour force, that must change to allow Canada to achieve full economic recov- ery. If there was ever a case for provincial and federal governments to set aside the thorny issues of whose turf is whose, this is it. ENOUGH WAITING, NATIONAL CHILD CARE NEEDS TO BE A REALITY