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Readers challenge the Donroe Doctrine, urge action on Cuba sanctions, question John A. Macdonald's Indigenous legacy and demand answers on Marineland animal deaths.
Readers of a Canadian newspaper have written in to debate the so-called Donroe Doctrine, Canada's stance on Cuba, the legacy of Sir John A. Macdonald regarding Indigenous peoples, funding gaps in Ontario universities, the deaths of animals transferred from Marineland and the regulation of private sports betting. The letters, published in response to editorials and opinion pieces dated between Sept. 12 and Sept. 25, raise questions about sovereignty, foreign policy, historical memory and animal welfare.
Donroe Doctrine and National Sovereignty Concerns
Les Dominy of Renfrew, Ont., wrote in response to an editorial titled The Donroe Doctrine gets a brushback, published Sept. 19. In his view, the doctrine is a thinly veiled attempt to reintroduce the American slogan Manifest Destiny into current debate.
Dominy said he is convinced that national sovereignty is now at risk in any discussions with the United States President. He argued that Canada would be wise to explore other options to safeguard its future.
The letter reflects broader unease about the direction of Canada-United States relations and the language used to describe them. The term Donroe Doctrine, a play on the Monroe Doctrine, has entered public discussion as a way to frame perceived American assertiveness. Dominy's letter voices a concern that the concept echoes older expansionist ideas rather than modern diplomacy.
Cuba Sanctions, Aid and a Call for Canadian Action
Gwen Chute of Belcarra, B.C., responded to an opinion piece titled How much longer can the U.S. justify its campaign against Cuba, published Sept. 19. She said she appreciated the plea on behalf of Cuba and expressed trouble over the lack of action from the Canadian government.
Chute noted that Cuba has a population similar to Switzerland. She said the world continues to seemingly turn a blind eye as Cubans are deprived of fuel, food, water, medications and crucial electricity for hospitals, homes and schools.
As a frequent visitor to Cuba, Chute said she is impressed with Cuban ingenuity, resilience and, even more, kindness and generosity. She cited the country's regularly holding the second-largest Terry Fox runs in the world.
She also pointed to Cuba providing many years of free medical care for Ukrainian child victims of Chernobyl. The country trained thousands of doctors from poor countries, again for free, she wrote. It also raised literacy standards with the help of Cuban revolutionaries and thousands of privileged young students, she added.
Chute said there is much to be admired about Cuba, much less about the United States, and nothing at all about Canada's decision to abstain from a recent United Nations vote rather than vote in support of the struggling country.
John A. Macdonald and Indigenous Policy Legacy
Jim Reynolds, author of Canada and Colonialism: An Unfinished History and a resident of Vancouver, wrote in response to an opinion piece titled Mark Carney brings John A. Macdonald back to the Canadian story, published Sept. 12, and a Backstory letter published Sept. 20.
Reynolds argued that it does not fully reflect Sir John A. Macdonald's role with regard to Indigenous peoples to see him merely as a man of his time. As far as Indian policy was concerned, Macdonald fundamentally shaped and changed policy and legislation with results that continue to harmfully impact Indigenous communities today, he wrote.
He cited J.R. Miller, a historian who wrote fundamental works on the history of Indigenous peoples in Canada. According to Reynolds, Miller noted that Macdonald moved adoption of the assimilation policy in the 1857 Gradual Civilization Act.
As prime minister and superintendent-general of Indian Affairs, Macdonald was instrumental in a swath of government programs that targeted First Nations' cultural identity, spiritual practices and traditional governance, Reynolds wrote. He said it should not be surprising that many Canadians and Indigenous peoples have no desire to honour Macdonald's legacy.
University Funding Gap and Faculty Working Conditions
Rob Kristofferson, president of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations, wrote in response to The grey (time) zone of academia, a Sunday Editorial published Sept. 13. He said austerity in postsecondary education, brought on by chronic government underfunding, has led to faculty attrition, hiring freezes and program cuts that all threaten educational quality.
Despite Ontario's record enrolments, university faculty decreased between 2023 and 2025, indicating limited permanent hiring, he wrote. Meanwhile, highly qualified contract faculty teach more than half of undergraduate courses on temporary assignments with poor pay and few benefits.
Through collective bargaining, OCUFA's 30 member organizations work to address inequities in salary, workload, job security, career progression and retirement, Kristofferson said. He noted that faculty often begin their careers later in life than in other fields and face rigorous, ongoing evaluations.
Regardless of age, faculty are focused on teaching, research and service, doing more with less to support record numbers of students, he wrote. When government denies adequate resources to a system, he argued, people should look at the bigger picture instead of pitting people against each other.
Marineland Animal Deaths and Demands for Accountability
Patricia Gray of Calgary wrote in response to a report titled Dolphin shipped out of Marineland dies in Spain after move, published Sept. 25. She said the deaths of four belugas and one dolphin since their transfer from Marineland are heartbreaking and demand accountability.
Gray said many people urged Ontario and Fisheries and Oceans Canada to seriously consider alternatives proposed by marine-mammal experts, lawyers and experienced wildlife rescue and rehabilitation professionals. Instead, she wrote, valuable time was lost while governments disputed responsibility and viable proposals were rejected or went nowhere.
Now five animals are dead, she noted. They were intelligent, sentient and entirely dependent upon human decisions for their welfare, she wrote.
Gray said Canadians deserve to know what expert recommendations were considered, why alternatives were rejected, who made the decisions and whether these deaths could have been prevented. Five lives have been lost, she wrote, adding that it is profoundly sad and entirely reasonable to demand answers.
Another letter, titled Sounds familiar, responded to an opinion piece titled Canada opened the door to private sports betting years ago, and then walked away. The letter was published without further substantive text in the source material.
Donroe Doctrine Cuba Sanctions John A. Macdonald Indigenous Policy Marineland OCUFA Ontario Universities
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