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As the good weather fades this fall, I find myself asking certain questions, some big, some small.

First the big ones.

After two winters during which the Rideau Canal Did not open or could barely open to skaters due to the mild temperatures, why aren’t more people panicking about the end of Ottawa’s traditional winter? Why aren’t we talking more about summer wildfires in Canada? How can any political leader pretend that this burning issue, pun intended, is not going to dominate the rest of our lives?

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Why isn’t Justin Trudeau resigning? The Liberals won fewer votes than the Conservatives in each of the last two federal elections. He should have resigned the second time he failed to secure a majority. Today, all the polls suggest that the Liberals are at risk of electoral defeat. Why doesn’t Trudeau leave it to someone else?

Will Pierre Poilievre ever act like an adult? Declining productivity, high housing prices, lack of military resources, and the rapidly worsening climate crisis are just some of the problems we face. Isn’t it time to stop the juvenile nicknames and trite slogans and start acting like a Prime Minister in waiting? “Carney of the carbon tax”? Really?

Here’s a question I encountered during a recent visit to the city from a curious cousin from England. Why is there no free trade between the provinces? What type of country blocks the free movement of workers and goods within its borders?

Has anyone else noticed the roar and screech of cars and motorcycles with modified mufflers driving around town? There is a law prohibiting modification of mufflers called, unsurprisingly, “Bill 229, An Act to amend the Road Traffic Act (noise from mufflers), 2007.” And yet, sitting by an open window or eating in the garden this summer was usually accompanied by an ominous din of cars and motorbikes. I felt like I was trackside at the Indy 500. Why didn’t the police put a stop to this? Why doesn’t Ottawa install “noise radars” and impose fines on offenders like they do in Paris? Why are we so willing to give up our right to peace and quiet?

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Do we agree that Ottawa’s recreational trails are being invaded by electric vehicles? I almost got hit this morning by a man in motorcycle gear riding a heavy electric e-bike at high speed on what used to be called “the bike path.” Can we stop calling these vehicles “bikes”? Why are they not made to travel on the road with other motorized vehicles? Where is the NCC’s leadership in this sudden transformation of our beloved trails into multi-use highways?

Then, the small requests.

Why do the waiters at the cafe suddenly ask me: “Should I leave room for the cream?” If I say yes, I am given a cup that is a third or a quarter empty. But if I say no and get a full cup of black coffee, there’s no pot of cream on the counter. This leaves me perplexed. This never happened. Any suggestions?

Why was “You’re welcome” replaced with “No worries”? Why do people think I need reassurance that I’m not stressing them out? And what does “Have a good time!” means? » really bad? When was “day” changed to “one” and why?

These are some of the questions I ask myself. I know: it’s an eclectic assortment. But does something tie them together? Maybe this is a question I can answer.

I see that what unites them is my desire for public spiritedness, humility, and nonpartisan respect for facts and science from our political leaders, as well as a desire for authenticity, kindness, and attention in our interactions with each other.

Yes, that’s it. Answer to a question. Perhaps more answers will follow.

John M. Richardson teaches at the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa.

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