Letters to The Province, May 5, 2022: Why the Canucks missed the playoffs

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Why another season out of the NHL playoffs? A good reason starts with training camp — two key players, Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes, chose to miss most of training camp and the exhibition games to hold out for more money.

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This additional money came at the expense of the coaching staff and teammates who were trying to put together a team — with a significant handicap by not having two key players. These players’ actions were a disservice to their teammates, the coaches, the owners, and especially to the fans.

I know these holdouts happen all the time with a benefit in terms of a few more dollars — if you are making $5 million-plus, is an additional $1 million or so relevant? — but at a significant disadvantage to others as noted above.

With these players available for the full training camp, it is conceivable that the early 8-15-2 record, after which the coach and GM were fired, might have been 11-12-2 for an additional six points, which would have meant to playoff berth.

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In my opinion, two players gained during the pre-season meant a loss to their teammates, the owners, and the fans.

Brian Wallace, North Vancouver

Volunteers are the backbone of our communities

Re: Empathy is the vital emotion that helps people relate to others

The Province and authors of this article must be commended for an excellent article on volunteering. Volunteers are the backbone of every community. The authors have made an excellent point by stating that by volunteering we help develop empathy through awareness around different experiences.

This was more so during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the onset of the pandemic, countless professionals, workers, and volunteers did an excellent job in helping their fellow human beings. Some of them put their own safety and lives at risk to help others. As Dr. Megan Conway and Lorelynn Hart have emphasized, there are numerous benefits to the individuals who decide to volunteer. Volunteering not only widens one’s horizons, but also improves a person’s self-concept and social skills. Hats off to volunteers everywhere. They are the pride of every community.

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Balwant Sanghera, Richmond

Surveillance cameras can help catch criminals

An image caught on camera is the only way police were able to solve the murder of James Bulger. This two-year-old child was beaten to death and left on the train tracks. His body was found four kilometers away, two days after he was abducted. Cameras may not prevent crime, but at least we can see the monsters who commit these abhorrent acts and hold them accountable. That’s good enough for me.

Ann WilsonWhite Rock