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Excerpts of a letter to Kelly Lamrock:

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As the period for stakeholder consultations on French second-language programming comes to a close, the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) wishes to offer you our thoughts on the matter. The QCGN brings together several English language community member organizations across Quebec, supporting and assisting the development and enhancing the vitality of the English-speaking minority communities. We have been following the current debate and discourse in New Brunswick with great interest.

We recognize that leading consultations of this scale is an important challenge for any government to undertake. I salute your efforts in the consultations and your efforts to find solutions. The QCGN also acknowledges the complex challenges that the Government of New Brunswick faces in all areas education. As minister, you are faced with a formidable challenge of finding an appropriate balance to satisfy diverse needs across the province.

As president of the QCGN, I urge you to enhance French second-language programming and especially, early immersion. New Brunswick is a Canadian leader in promoting our national values of linguistic duality and bilingualism. Making a strong commitment to French second-language instruction will send a strong message to Canadians that New Brunswick will continue to show vision and leadership in promoting linguistic duality and bilingualism.

More than ever, we feel a commitment across Canada to enhancing linguistic duality and bilingualism is needed. New Brunswick can continue to play a leadership role in sending a strong message that these Canadian values must be fostered and strengthened.

ROBERT DONNELLY

President, Quebec Community Groups Network

Mayor's response isn't a surprise

Congratulations to Bill Rankin on his recent excellent letter (July 18). His comments were spot on.

Now this week we have Mayor Court, with some petulance, 'responding to criticism from the newspaper.'

What we got was what we would have expected.

On the Pension Board lawsuit issue: When he was a councillor he was opposed to spending taxpayers money on this ridiculous matter. Now that he is the mayor and chair of the board he is not.

On the Irving waterfront proposal: 'Public consultation' and 'citizen involvement' is, quite obviously, Courtspeak for find out what the longshoremen's union wants.

On Water: 'Citizens have told me they are against examining a 3P arrangement. Again, in Courtspeak, 'citizens' means CUPE.

We also have council voting for a four-year deal worth 13.6 per cent for the inside workers. To be continued.

Last one out, please turn off the light!

BRIAN STONE

Saint John

Climate change evidence available

Ian McQueen (letter, 23 July) suggests that columnists "be required to indicate the source of his or her information regarding climate so we can judge whether to believe it." He might consider practicing what he preaches when he writes "Carbon dioxide is of marginal importance with respect to climate. There is no need to restrict its emission..."

In an essay "The Economics of Climate Change" in the May issue of the American Economic Review, Sir Nicholas Stern of the London School of Economics writes that "current emissions [of greenhouse gases] will have potentially catastrophic impacts in the future" and "the scientific evidence on the potential risks is now overwhelming, as demonstrated in the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report" (entitled Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis, published by Cambridge University Press and available on the internet).

ROD HILL

Professor of Economics, UNB SJ

Wood for sale, at a fair price

Two weeks ago it was J.D. Irving, Limited blaming private woodlot owners for not shipping wood to the Sussex stud mill so it could re-open, saying the mill uses 70 per cent private wood when it has been just 25 per cent. Now AV Nackawic is saying they can't expand because private woodlot owners won't ship them enough wood and they use 65 per cent private, when in fact it is 15 per cent.

Industry and government know the truth but the public only hears the spin. In southern N.B. the Marketing Board shipped more than 300,000 cord to industry in 2005; last year, it was down to 83,000 and will be lower this year.

So what happened? First there was market pressure - industry kept paying less and less for wood until it put some producers out of business.

Others could not afford to keep working for nothing and park their equipment to find work elsewhere. Pulp is the same price as it was in the '80s while the average salary in N.B. has doubled or tripled. The price of fuel has tripled along with a rise in equipment prices and everything else. How many people can work under those conditions?

Private woodlot owners have wood to sell and would love to sell it to local industry; what they won't do is work for nothing. So if industry wants wood, just pay a fair price and they will get it - or is this just a ploy to get more Crown wood and permission to cut in protected areas?

JOHN SABINE

Chairman, SNB Forest Products Marketing Board

Let universities remain independent

It has been suggested that universities should increase access to education and be more accountable. I am suggesting that such modifications would short-change the personal and professional development a student traditionally acquires at a university.

A university is an historic contributor to a progressive society, which inspires its students to become better analytical thinkers and more engaged citizens. Compromising the independence of a university means compromising its ability to freely inspire the students to question their role in the community. A university driven by accountability will give students access to an education that leaves them lacking passion and intellectual curiosity and missing the critical thinking skills needed to become the business and community leaders of tomorrow.

My time at UNBSJ helped me discover my skills and passions and inspired me to use them as building blocks for my career. UNBSJ faculty members should freely inspire other students as they inspired me. Does the government wish to give students access to a bureaucracy that dances to the government's tune or to a credible institution that challenges the students to discover, and then march to the beat of their own drum? New Brunswick's universities should spawn bright and motivated young people with passion, not young people that will bow to the maestro. New Brunswick's universities should be accountable only to the long-established role of universities in our society and the true intellectual development of tomorrow's leaders.

CAL CIPOLLA

Rothesay

Returning watch deserves thanks

This is a thank you letter to the people of the Fundy Solid Waste Commission who took the time and effort to return the 'gold watch' (25 years service) that was given to me some years ago.

The watch apparently became unlatched from my wrist while I was depositing material at the Hampton 'Blue Boxes'.

So, thank you to the person who found it and returned it to the office. Thank you to the lady who searched the telephone book for my name and called me at home to confirm my loss. Thank you for organizing the means to return it home. And also, thank you to the person who brought it to my home, and to the young woman who 'phoned to let me know where it had been left.

This watch certainly has sentimental value as a memento of my former workplace; but I am inspired by the kindness that led to its return.

JOANNE CADEAU

Darlings Island

Predator shouldn't be released yet

This is dumb! An Internet predator sentenced to nine years, Joshua Innes, should not be released on parole after just one year of serving time.

There ought to be a rule for the Parole Board - if there isn't one in place already - in dealing with such serious crimes as this stipulating that criminals like Innes should serve at least three quarters of a sentence.

One year is hardly what I'd call paying for a serious crime. Children lured to such predators deal with the victimization for years to come.

Why should anyone feel sorry for Innes?

SUZANNE BERTON

Kingston, Ont.