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megram - 55GTA - Index

societies promote democracy without
invading countries?” he asks.)
But he takes a little more time for
relaxation now. For example, he
recently chose to attend the Bach
concert for which he already had
tickets, rather than attend an NDP
meeting with his sister. “I am very
interested in music,” he says, listing it
as one of his greatest interests. “My
introduction to classical music was
singing in an Anglican boys’ choir. I
also like jazz. Probably my only regret
from my boyhood days is that I don’t
play an instrument.”
He also has more time to spend
with family. His daughter, Christine,
and her family live nearby in
Buckingham, Quebec. His son and his
family, who live in England, are one of
the reasons he crosses the Atlantic.
Another is to spend time there with
his “new partner in life”Ellen Wood.An
academic who has just completed the
first volume of a history of political
thought, she was widowed four years
ago.“Ellen and her husband were old
friends of Lucille’s and mine,” says Ed.
And he remains on hand to help
others. “He is a terrific mentor,” says
NDP MP Paul Dewar, his successor as
the parliamentary representative for
Ottawa Centre.“He is one of my lifelines.
Ed has always stood out as a
man of integrity.”
“He lives life filled with a spirit of
joy but also with a deep disquiet
about the direction that we are going
globally around fundamental issues
like poverty and the environment,”
says Jack Layton. “He’s very worried
about what the future holds and
applies himself to looking for solutions,speaking
about them and urging
us on. And he’s an optimist about
what we can do to make the changes
that need to happen, happen.”
And so, Ed’s journey on behalf of
human rights and social equality continues.
Iris Winston writes and lives in
Almonte, Ontario.
Reason for not giving back
In your December 2007 editorial
(“Giving Back More Often Than Not”)
you express concern that statistics
indicate less volunteer time since
1998. I thought you might like to
know about one explanation. Robert
Putnam, a Harvard political scientist,
has been studying this topic for many
years. His latest paper is based on a
massive project involving interviews
with nearly 30,000 people across
America.The title is “E Pluribus Unum:
Diversity and Community in the
Twenty-first Century.” His conclusion
is that the greater the diversity in a
community, the less civic engagement
it shows — fewer people vote, volunteer,
give to charity, or work on community
projects. At least in the short
term (pending greater integration),
communities with the greatest racial
and ethnic mix show the least trust,
not only of other races, but their own
as well. Basically, it makes a lot of people
uncomfortable and increases tensions.
Despite all the diversity happytalk
from leaders like David Miller or
Dalton McGuinty, the GTA area in particular
is clearly suffering from these
tensions, so the immediate future of
volunteerism looks bleak.
Darryl Russell
Wellington, ON
Going, going green
I really appreciate reading your
“In the Garden” every month, in particular
your issue on going green
(November, 2007). Another green tip
is to use “grey” water from your
kitchen sink to water plants. Last summer,
with students living with me for
four months, my water bill increased
considerably. In addition to purchas-
May 2008 • 17 • Fifty-Five Plus Magazine
Your Letters
ing a rain barrel from Utilities
Kingston ($30 added to my water
bill), I hauled my dishwater out to the
garden. In December I had a credit
balance of $3.49 instead of the usual
$40-plus owing. I still have rainwater
in my unheated attached garage and
am using it for indoor watering as it
thaws.Although I have a dishwasher, I
was surprised at how much waste
water goes down the drain. Growing
up outside Ottawa in the ’40s,my Dad
hauled city water to our well on
Billings Avenue during the summer, so
I still don’t run the tap when brushing
my teeth or showering. Keep up the
good work.
Beth Staples,
Kingston, ON
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