Free Press

As president of Sing Tao Daily Ltd., I was pleased to learn that Toronto Life intended to publish an article on the growth of the ethnic press in Toronto, but “Lost in Translation” [August 2008] provided an inaccurate portrayal of our newspaper.

Sing Tao does not “pump out Communist propaganda” or engage in censorship. Such a claim is a disservice to our journalists and to our dedicated readers. Sing Tao’s coverage of the Tibetan protests this past spring was fair and balanced. From March 11 to April 27, the paper carried 26 locally prepared stories on the Tibetan protests: 11 were reports on rallies against the Chinese government and fairly and accurately set out the grievances of the Tibetan protesters; nine reported on rallies by members of the Chinese community who supported China and objected to the disruption of the Olympic torch relays; and the remaining six provided balanced coverage of both sides of the controversy. Sing Tao chose to report on the very passionate support of the Chinese government by members of the Chinese community because many of our readers support the Chinese government on this issue and did in fact object to the disruption of the Olympic torch relays.

The claim that Sing Tao has “censored” articles to remove anti–Chinese government comments is not true. We agree that an error was made in editing and translating Nicholas Keung’s article from the Toronto Star, but this error does not amount to censorship.

The rise of ethnic newspapers in Toronto is a story worth telling. In Toronto alone, there are four Chinese language dailies and at least a dozen free Chinese newspapers. In this competitive environment, Sing Tao continues to be the most widely read Chinese language daily. It has maintained this position not through pumping out Communist propaganda or engaging in censorship. Members of the Chinese community in Toronto are intelligent and sophisticated and have many options for accessing news. They read and rely on Sing Tao because it consistently provides them with fair, balanced and high-quality coverage of matters of public interest to the Chinese community. It is unfortunate that the real Sing Tao was “Lost in Translation” in Mr. Hune-Brown’s article.
Louis Cheng, Sing Tao Daily Ltd.

Friendly Neighbour

Hats off to Gerald Hannon for telling it like it is in “Art = Money” [July], his thoughtful article about Thrush Holmes. Most gal­lery owners along Queen West can’t be bothered to even say hello when you walk in. By contrast, Holmes greets you and takes the time to discuss his work—paintings that also happen to be dazzlingly good. Two large pieces now grace our home.
David Clark and Tracy Wynne, Toronto

The Good Sherman

As someone who is proud to have had the opportunity to work with Barry Sherman in many philanthropic endeavours, I was surprised to read Geraldine Sherman’s “Bitter Pill” [July]. It failed to offer a real portrait of an extraordinary man who, along with his wife, Honey, is one of this country’s most steadfast philanthropists. Moreover, Barry has been a staunch supporter of Canadian industry, bucking a trend to capitulate to international conglomerates. In the last paragraph, he’s described as “a stranger to the notion of compromise.” This couldn’t be further from the truth. Not the Barry Sherman I know.
Ted Sokolsky, President and CEO, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto

Although “Bitter Pill” seemed dedicated to Barry Sherman’s attributes, it was the underbelly of the story that resonated: the tragic loss of the so-called Orphan Children’s parents at such a young age. Sherman states that they “lost any claim they might have had” to the lucrative profits of their father’s Empire Lab. His obvious facility with taking advantage of legal loopholes may well work in his favour again. But I wish luck to Kerry Winter, his siblings and his sister-in-law in getting what’s morally due to them.
Jen Drapeau, Toronto

Mother of All Insults

I agree with Creig Stearne that giant strollers making their way through a small store are an unnecessary and perhaps rude intrusion, but I take exception to being called a “bored housewife” [“Parent ’Hood,” Letters, July]. Try making the transition from full-time, income-earning woman to full-time mother attempting to understand every nuance of the brand new human being in her charge. Taking a stroll with my child outside and (heaven forbid) purchasing a cup of java at my local coffee shop go a long way toward satisfying my need for human interaction. Please allow us the dignity to nourish our children’s basic needs while we also nourish our need to ensure we are still part of the outside world.
Dianne McComb, Mississauga

Recipe for Excess

I was absolutely disgusted by the panel you assembled to comment on what it takes to live comfortably in Toronto [“The Young Professionals,” June]. Are these people kidding? They should take a look inside themselves and put the credit cards away for a while. There’s enough landfill out there already. Why don’t you interview average Torontonians? Who are you trying to impress, and who really cares?
Edward Paxton-Stoker Jr., Toronto

Streets Ahead

Escalating competition for road space in Toronto may be a cause of cyclist-­motorist conflicts, but cyclists are not the irate bunch that Philip Preville paints us as [“All the Rage,” June]. On the contrary: most cyclists just want to reach their destinations in one piece and suffer their ­second-class status gracefully. Finger-flipping road rage incidents are the rare exception. Groups like our newly formed Toronto ­Cyclists Union are working co-operatively and constructively with city hall to improve our urban infrastructure for all road users. A multi-pronged approach that includes implementing the full Toronto bike lane plan, public awareness messaging about sharing the road, and perhaps even unorthodox ideas like the naked streets concept will make our streets less stressful for cyclists and motorists alike.
Raj Bharati, Toronto Cyclists Union

Oops!

The Menkes Developments project mentioned in July’s “Green House Effect” [Real Estate] was incorrectly identified as being in East Gwillim­bury. It is in Newmarket.