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w at er lo oc hr on ic le .c a W at er lo o C hr on ic le | T hu rs da y, N ov em be r 14 ,2 01 9 | 6 ABOUT US This newspaper, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 80 community publications across Ontario. This newspaper is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the news- paper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca editorial@waterloochronicle.ca facebook.com/waterloochronicle @wlchronicle WHO WE ARE VP, Regional Publisher Kelly Montague Regional General Manager Nelson Parreira nparreira@metroland.com Regional Director of Media Heather Dunbar hdunbar@starmetrolandmedia.com Advertising Representatives Cassandra Dellow, Jan Bodanka, Rebecca Butler, Matt Miller, Lisa Humphreys, Sheri-Lyn Blair, Chris Rego Managing Editor Doug Coxson Online Editor Adam Jackson Reporters Bill Jackson Namish Modi CONTACT US Waterloo Chronicle 475 Thompson Dr. Cambridge, ON N1T 2K8 Phone: 519-886-2830 Fax: 519-623-9155 Web: www.waterloochronicle.ca Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 320 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Published letters will appear in print and/or online at waterloochronicle.ca Delivery For all delivery inquiries, e-mail customerservice@metroland.com or call 519-894-3000 OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA EDITORIAL LETTERS & COMMENTARY Sayings such as "the rich get richer" and "money makes money" might sound trite and cliché, but the more you delve into issue around poverty, especially affordable housing, you realize such aphorisms are very valid. They represent an inconvenient truth for the bur- geoning Uptown which, according its visionaries, is gunning to be a world class place to live, work, play, move and build. Yet 'world class' can carry different meanings for different people. If you're talking about amenities that set us apart for the upper echelon of society, Waterloo is well on its way, with retail, high-end services and condos under devel- opment that are far beyond the price range of the major- ity and targeted to serve mostly academics, those in the tech sector and well-to-do empty-nesters. If your definition of 'world class' is based on diversi- ty and a complete community, then Waterloo, arguably, has some work to do moving forward - not necessarily to improve upon what we have now, but so our city can preserve the social fabric we've come to love and enjoy without turning into a place that is, as Kitchener Coun. Scott Davey said, only for the wealthy and well-adjust- ed. Politicians focused on incentives to achieve afford- able housing aren't grasping the big picture. Usually things like development bonusing or cash-in- lieu schemes require some sort of imbalance on one end to try and achieve better balance on another, and they don't end up making much of a dent in changing the overall makeup of the housing stock. Inclusionary zon- ing is also problematic, especially for developers who aren't as inclined to build "affordable" units unless they can profit. As the University of Waterloo's chair of planning, professor Brian Doucet noted in a recent interview, investors are scooping up some of these "affordable" units, that were never really that affordable for those who needed it most, and cashing in. Even Kitchener's recent decision to allow "granny flats" and "tiny houses" is one that will increase the speculative nature of the real estate market, Doucet believes. He and others watching displacement in our cities and calling for local governments to get involved by providing housing on publicly owned land in core areas. They know it will be a tough sell. But they're right to think a top-down approach is needed to create a level playing field, even though some say there should be less government intervention in what should always be a free market. That said, the need for affordable housing continues to rise and won't be solved by the capitalism most of us have come to enjoy. Whether it's facilitating the development of afford- able housing on public lands or other creative ideas to address the housing crisis, it's something our local poli- ticians need to put more thought into. View Part 1 and 2 of our series on displacement on- line at waterloochronicle.ca. HOME IS WHERE OUR STORY BEGINS A FUTURE WITHOUT WITNESSES TO HORRORS OF WAR As a kid, my mom took me to meet George Brady - a Holocaust survivor who travelled the world telling the story of his sister Hana, who was murdered by Na- zis at Auschwitz. Mr. Brady passed away in 2019. His commitment to Holocaust education is a legacy we must collectively honour. Recently, my wife and I heard Holocaust sur- vivor Max Eisen's testimo- nial in Waterloo. Mr. Eisen survived mul- tiple death camps as a child. Firsthand accounts are the most valuable tool to educate future genera- tions on intolerance and genocide. We worry about a future without Holocaust survi- vors and Second World War veterans to connect with youth. The opportunity to meet Mr. Brady as a child, and visit Holocaust museums since has shaped my com- mitment to remembering. Mr. Eisen was clear - rising anti-Semitism and hate crimes in Canada and around the world are not a Jewish concern, but every- one's concern. CARLY PETTINGER, KITCHENER 'MORE CHOICE ALSO MEANS MORE ACCOUNTABILITY' With the stranger-than- usual results of this last election, Conservatives are now keenly aware of the problems with the first- past-the-post electoral sys- tem. Is proportional re- presentation good for Con- servatives? I believe both left and right are better served. Voters worried about vote splitting choose the "red or blue door" when se- lecting their winning team. This leaves smaller parties in the electoral wilderness, when they should be viable alternatives that improve voter choice. Imagine if the Libertari- ans and Christian Heritage Party attracted a larger fol- lowing, and the PC party came back to represent red Tories and sometimes blue Liberals. Each party platform would be more targeted and generate more agree- ment and excitement. Can- didates would go to the par- ty that reflects their views rather than having to hide them. Currently, we have co- alitions within the large parties. Having separate parties working together instead would be more transparent. When parties together represent a real majority, we get better policies and a happier electorate. If new parties have ideas support- ed by left and right, they can join too. A real majority is possi- ble. More choice also means more accountabili- ty. Without the scare tac- tics, Justin Trudeau would have to earn votes back rather than getting them by default. So everyone wins, since we have more engaged citizens of all po- litical stripes in a healthier democracy. KEVIN SMITH, WATERLOO SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA