CambridgeToday received the following Letter to the Editor from reader Hom Gartaula, who expresses concerns about public safely, civic education, and culture in the city:
As a resident of Cambridge, I would like to raise some critical concerns on public safety, civic education, and culture, not only in this city but in the province and the country in general.
I have been living in Canada for that last 14 years and the experience of my wellbeing as a Canadian citizen is deteriorating.
As one of the fastest growing cities in Southern Ontario, Cambridge needs to take these concerns seriously and address them from the beginning, or the situation may get out of hand.
Litter is a huge problem. Walk anywhere and you will find plastic wrappers, coffee cups, pop/beer cans, etc. littering the parks. This breaks my heart.
Canada is a dream country to migrate to, yet for many who come here from third world countries, the reality is becoming not much different than what they left. You can check the return migration of recent years if you think I am wrong.
Another common activity making a mess of our neighbourhoods is the way people park their cars. You see puddles and patches of broken lawns between two driveways because people park two cars where only one is feasible. I sometimes even see people park their cars in no parking zones.
During dry season, it becomes dusty. During wet season it becomes muddy. Moreover, it can expose underground wires and cables, creating more cost to taxpayers.
I live in Preston Heights and this very beautiful neighbourhood is becoming uglier every day.
There are so many jaywalkers who see no difference between a lawn and a paved sidewalk.
When I see a bunch of bus users sprawling through public or private lawns to get to their destinations, I ask, What is this I am seeing? Where am I living? Is this Canada or a third world country? Is this the culture we are imparting to our kids? Where are we heading?
I also see lots of dog poop around, especially after the snow melts. These dog owners need to know that these sidewalks should be kept clean, not only for them, but for their neighbours. I don’t understand why they are so disrespectful.
Shouldn’t they know that keeping a pet also comes with responsibility? Do they need a civic education before getting a dog or should licensing/owning a pet be made stricter?
There are solutions to what's happening.
Newcomers tend to go by what they see. They see what others do and adapt accordingly. I see most of these jaywalkers are new students.
They could simply follow the minimum ‘etiquette’ of living in the new area. I don’t even see it is their problem because they may be doing what they did back in their home country.
A simple solution could be if the college or the newcomer agencies take a few hours to provide lessons on what is ‘good’ and ‘bad’ etiquette while living here. It would make a huge difference.
The city could also mobilize community organizations, ethnic or religious, to help educate newcomers about these activities.
I know Canada is a country of civic rights and human rights; however, we also need to learn about civic manners and obligations as a citizen, which should be part of civic education system.
Civic education is part of the school curriculum, but those who come to Canada at a later stage of life should also have an opportunity to learn about Canadian culture as part of their settlement program, whether they come as temporary workers, students, permanent residents, or refugees.
Colleges take such hefty fees from these students and part of the fee should include proper orientation.
The city should also have regular and effective monitoring, with a heavy ticketing system, to make people more disciplined.
In summary, I want to live in this peaceful country in a peaceful environment with nice, disciplined, and cultured neighbours so that I can be proud of living in this beautiful city of Cambridge.
Hom Gartaula
Cambridge
