Dear Editor,
Every writer I know of must start off with a reason to “put pen to paper” and in my case that does not mean using AI to help me produce an article. For me, that would be fraud and I firmly believe the general public feels the same way too.
I am proud to live in a country where all the freedoms of a true democratic state are available to every citizen. Freedom of speech is critical for all of us and I am honoured that I have a forum for that to take place. Thank you to the Inverness Oran for making this possible. We are so fortunate to have such an impressive local newspaper available that has such an amazing reach.
While I have written about many different topics over the years, it is thanks to the Inverness Oran that I have been able to enjoy articles of local interest, poetry, news about important local happenings and upcoming events. I believe pinnacle articles like local Academy Award winner Tamara Deverell (2026) who won her first Academy Award for Best Production Design for her work on Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein are seldom to say the least.
Social justice issues are very important and that is why I arranged to meet with our provincially-elected official for our riding, Michelle Thompson. I arrived with a list of issues that I felt were pertinent and needed to be addressed. I shared a written copy with her so she had a clear picture of my concerns. She was very accommodating and we spent an hour discussing the issues. Yes, that was an inordinate amount of time she had made available and I sincerely appreciated that fact. Under reasonable circumstances, every elected official I have met has been willing to make time to talk with their constituents but so few of us do so. I encourage everyone, young and not-so-young to let their elected officials know how you feel about issues that concern you. If you don’t write or speak up then how do they truly know how you (the public) feel?
It is important to share our ideas by writing about them because humanity not only needs intelligence but even more important at this time…is wisdom.
An example of this is – last week, the David Suzuki Foundation went to Ottawa with dozens of allies representing labour, health, Indigenous clean energy and the climate movement. The purpose was to call on the federal government to invest in a clean, connected electricity grid while upholding Indigenous and workers’ rights. Together, they met with more than 35 MPs and senators to share their vision for Canada’s energy future. They brought you alongside 350.org, Sacred Earth and Leadnow, they delivered 34,360 petition signatures for a 100 per cent renewable electricity grid straight to Parliament Hill.
With 76 per cent of Canadians supporting an east-west grid, and with Ottawa’s National Electricity Strategy expected soon, we’ve never been closer to winning an affordable, reliable, renewable electricity grid for Canada. Yes, big oil is still fighting to get its polluting projects online, but we should never give up to make wiser, more affordable and environmentally sustainable decisions.
Paul Strome
Antigonish