Letters to the Sun: Readers thank columnist Daphne Bramham

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It always comes as a surprise when a favourite columnist retires. It isn’t something one thinks about until it happens.

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Daphne, thank you for your energy, your passion, your advocacy on behalf of those who had no voice.

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Thank you for bringing the difficult stories to light.

I will miss your columns, but after 46 years you have certainly earned the right to enjoy retirement. Congratulations on an outstanding career.

Marion Smith, Richmond 

Wishing Daphne Bramham well 

Another loss for us readers. We thank you for all your reporting and wish you nothing but the best for the next chapter of your life.

Caroline and Richard Duncan, North Vancouver

A courageous columnist

To The Vancouver Sun: Thank you for your decades-long support of Ms. Bramham’s fierce and courageous investigations and reporting. I will truly miss her columns. To Ms. Bramham: Dream grandly in this new chapter of your life and pursue those dreams.

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Eva Schmieg, Richmond 

Providence Health Care misaligned with tax-paying public 

Re: Ending Catholic health care over euthanasia would be tragic for B.C.

Brian Bird’s contention that allowing medical assistance in dying (MAID) in Catholic hospitals could end Catholic health care is overblown and completely misses the point about forced transfers. Hospital transfers for most medical procedures are typically done for patients who require specialized equipment, or for surgeons to perform operations which aren’t accessible in every hospital. A medically assisted death can, and has been, performed anywhere, anytime by a doctor or nurse practitioner who knows how to administer a needle. These patients near end-of-life are “suffering intolerably” (one of the required medical criteria to qualify). Why add to their misery and suffering when it is easily avoided?

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Also, under federal MAID legislation, no medical practitioner is obligated to participate if they have a conscientious objection. They are already protected. A publicly funded building has no conscience. What about the many doctors, nurses and social workers at St. Paul’s who support MAID? There are many, but they are prevented from participating in the process due to the institutional religious obstruction of Providence Health Care.

A June 2023 Ipsos poll commissioned by Dying With Dignity Canada found that 75 per cent of British Columbians say that “public health-care facilities should provide the full range of health-care services, including MAID, if they have the proper equipment and staff to do so.” This includes 73 per cent of Catholics. The board of Providence Health is completely misaligned with the tax-paying public.

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Alex Muir, North Vancouver 

Re: Wealthy Ambleside Village’s deterioration is puzzling

Another excellent column by Douglas Todd (July 29). At least Ambleside has a post office — two in fact, I have had several letters published on this hot topic of none in Dundarave — not so hot now that post offices aren’t as important.

While Dundarave is smaller, it seems a little more “alive” than Ambleside, with venues such as the Red Lion Pub, and some lovely gift shops (no currency exchange ones that I have noticed recently). But the upcoming changes there, to possibly make it more upbeat like Edgemont Village, have many local residents’ knickers in a twist (not mine).

Personally, it is my goal to not go to Park Royal, on either side, and I believe that many other Ambleside and Dundarave residents would agree.

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Supporting local business is so important. I love IGA and the wine store almost next door. I agree with Douglas Todd — the “missing middle” is missing. It is sad that so many local residents don’t want change.

Jean Lawrence, West Vancouver 

Re: Judge rules against Mayne Island tennis club’s ‘self-serving’ attempt to exclude pickleballers 

Thank you for your fairly balanced article on this topic. I know the story well, and it was sad to see things come to this. At the end of the day, the tennis courts were expropriated from the tennis association by a new “self-serving” community centre board. The tennis courts were built and maintained by the tennis association for years, without any funds from the community centre. Instead of fundraising and building their own pickleball courts, some people decided it was their right to disregard a past agreement and partially take over tennis courts that didn’t belong to them without compensation. Just because a judge agreed, it doesn’t make it fair or right.

Levi Higgs, Vancouver

Vancouver Canadians a rare sports gem 

Last week, there was an article in the sports section about Devonte Brown, a Vancouver Canadians standout. About time, says I. At Wednesday’s game there were 4,500 in attendance, all loyal fans, for a great win by “our” team. I think it’s way past time for more articles, more publicity for one of the rare sports gems in our city.

Roger Burr, Burnaby

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