Letters to the editor – February 2026
Snow removal operators are making snow mountains on the street
Editor, Glebe Report
An operator has dumped all the snow from a driveway into the street, with piles that are intruding into the two-way section of First Avenue between O’Connor and The Driveway. The operator has not put any of it on the client’s property. Companies that had begun to cart the snow away have noticed that their competitor has not so have returned to the practice of plowing driveway snow onto the street.
Not only is this an inconvenience when the city snowplow then pushes the snow into our driveway, it limits visibility and removes parking spaces from an area that is already short of on-street parking, particularly when the canal is active or when there are events at Lansdowne. There are city bylaws against dumping snow on the street, and the companies need to be reminded annually of the prohibition.
I just heard them clearing the driveway from today’s snowfall and am not looking forward to the addition to the pile in the parking space next door.
Peg Duncan
Third places for our kids
Editor, Glebe Report
As our community continues to grapple with the realities of rising childhood anxiety and the well‑documented harms of excessive screen time, it has never been more important to think seriously about the environments in which our children grow up. Urban design circles often discuss “third places” for adults; those informal, accessible spaces outside home and work where people can simply exist, connect and feel part of a community. But children need third places just as urgently, and in many ways even more so. They need spaces where they can gather freely, move their bodies, negotiate friendships and feel a sense of belonging that isn’t mediated by a screen or tied to a cost of admission.
This is why the current situation at the Mutchmor Public School playground deserves our attention. Many parents in the neighbourhood have noticed that children are routinely asked to leave the playground immediately after school hours so that a private organization can have exclusive use of the space. The same restrictions often apply on PD days – days when families are searching for exactly the kind of unstructured, local outdoor play that a schoolyard is meant to provide.
No one disputes that liability concerns exist. Schools and boards have legitimate responsibilities, and no one wants to see those dismissed. But liability is not an unsolvable problem. Other cities, school districts and even schools belonging to the same board have found ways to keep schoolyards open to the public outside instructional hours while still managing risk. Solutions exist: shared‑use agreements, community partnerships, insurance frameworks and clear signage outlining expectations. What’s missing is not the ability to solve the problem, but the will to recognize that the opportunity cost of not solving it is far greater.
When we close off neighbourhood spaces (especially those built with public funds), we send a message that children’s presence in their own community is conditional. We tell them that play is something to be purchased, scheduled or supervised by an organization. And because this arrangement is treated as a default, with no clear public policy guiding it, we reduce the number of places where kids can simply be kids. In a time when so many families are trying to reduce screen time, encourage outdoor activity and support children’s mental health, this is exactly the opposite of what we should be doing.
The Mutchmor playground is not just a patch of asphalt and equipment. It is one of the few remaining free, walkable, child‑friendly spaces in an urban neighbourhood. It is a meeting place for families, a safe haven for kids walking home, a social hub and a blessing for parents who need a moment while their children run and play. Restricting access to such a space should be a last resort, not a default.
As a community, we should be asking: What kind of neighbourhood do we want our children to grow up in? One where public spaces are treated as shared assets that strengthen community life, or one where access is increasingly privatized and conditional?
I hope we choose the former.
Alex Campbell
The Kindness of Strangers
Editor, Glebe Report
Around 5:30 p.m. on January 6, I was heading to an appointment on Second Avenue when, after parking, my car got stuck in the snow and would not move forward or reverse. I got out and tried shovelling for a few minutes, but my car was not moving. After 20 minutes, a very kind man named Brian asked if I needed help, to which I said yes, please. He tried moving my car, but I was still stuck.
At that moment, another man and his family were walking by and asked if we needed help. Brian said yes, and while he was trying to reverse, the other man and his family pushed my car. I learned that they also lived across the street on Second Avenue. When nothing seemed to work and my anxiety started to build, Brian got his truck from his house to pull my car out. The other man (in the moment of my inner turmoil, I forgot to ask his name) was guiding me as I reversed. Eventually, this got me out of the snow ditch.
It has been two days since this incident, and because there is no way for me to thank them, I am doing the unusual and sending this to the Glebe Report in hopes that they’ll read it. I would like to thank Brian and the other very kind man and his family for standing out in that freezing weather to help a complete stranger! To say that I am thankful is an understatement. It was not a minor gesture for me, and just for the sake of seeing this kindness, I am grateful that this incident happened.
At times, the pessimism of the world and the constant inundation of negativity and unfortunate events in our lives make us forget that there is also beauty in this world. Thank you to Brian and the other family for reminding me of this beauty. I’m very, very grateful, and may God truly bless you.
Lily Wolderufael
MP needs to listen to constituents
Editor, Glebe Report
Anyone who has tried to offer an opinion or feedback to our Member of Parliament Yasir Naqvi has likely received the same automated response that I did: a very lengthy email containing links to several government departments and a long paragraph explaining that our MP is prioritizing “constituency casework” over our opinions and issues. This tells me two things. One, if the MP’s office is being forced to take on this caseload, the government bureaucracy must be doing a very poor job of serving the public. Secondly, the MP’s primary function of representing his constituents is being completely neglected. Mr. Naqvi must now use his office to press for better performance by the bureaucracy and get back to listening to his constituents. I would have communicated this directly back to Mr. Naqvi, but you know . . . what would be the point?
Alex McKinnon
Another side to the story
Editor, Glebe Report
Re: “Andrew Fleck – Glebe Parents Day Care amalgamation a success despite initial controversy,” Glebe Report, December 2025.
I was taken aback by this article and the biased, one-sided take on the acquisition of Glebe Parents Daycare by the Andrew Fleck organization. The article only quotes the executive director of Andrew Fleck and one set of parents whose opinion aligns with the new organization. It paints an inaccurate picture of what the amalgamation was like for many staff members and parents. It does not accurately explain or reflect why so many staff members resigned nor why some parents withdrew their children.
One of the more disturbing statements is “a lot of the teachers just seemingly walked out overnight.” This is a false depiction of reality. I find it appalling that the hard-working and dedicated staff members who had to make the heartbreaking decision to leave the work and children they love are described in this way. It is one thing to claim success but to do that while explicitly and implicitly disparaging former staff and Glebe Parents Day Care with erroneous and misleading statements and claims lacks integrity. This is very sad indeed.
Joanne Hall