Skip to main content
opinion
Open this photo in gallery:

Michael Barsky, Acting Superintendent at 52 Division speaks to press in Toronto, on Thursday, July 12, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher KatsarovChristopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press

From, Toronto Police flood downtown core over unspecified threat, by Jack Hauen and Nadine Yousif

Why the secrecy?

If there is a threat to people’s safety they have a right to know. I can understand that the authoritites want to avoid panic, but think the people of Toronto are entitled to a little more background.

Speculation about worst case scenarios is the almost certain result of their silence, and that can’t be helpful. – WhistlingInTheDark

What secrecy? Releasing unconfirmed, uncorroborated information is not in anyone’s best interest. People will react to what they are told, if what they are told is wrong, then so will be their reaction.

Give people information when facts are known, not before. – Unca C

They have already stated, at a news conference no less, that there is a threat to public safety serious enough that both the premier and the Minister of Public Safety have been briefed.

If I had to go to the areas under surveillance I would want to know the nature of the threat so I could change plans or take precautions as I deemed appropriate.

I think the silence is troubling. – WhistlingInTheDark

Yes they did. And the result is that the nature of the threat is such that the police, municipal and provincial gov’ts collectively feel at this time that having an increased police presence on the street is a sufficient response. Good enough for me, but if you aren’t comfortable with that then by all means stay home.

Again, releasing unconfirmed, uncorroborated information would have people like you reacting to their perception of an unproven, non-specific non-threat...the world has enough people overreacting to non-specific, non-threats already.

Don’t we have enough to worry about without having to jump at shadows? Let me know when/where there is something real to worry about. – Unca C

You can read the rest of the exchange here.

Readers are also discussing:

From, Doug Ford used legislative threat to oust Hydro One CEO, board, from Andrew Willis

The share price will almost certainly recover, so your argument makes little sense. Canada has long been a country of powerful and entitled elites who deeply believe that they deserve a lifestyle different from the rest of us, even though their actual contributions to the wealth creation process are hard to pin down.

Bravo, Doug Ford. The mainstream media will keep finding fault but should be ignored. They said you would have to pay severance and you proved them wrong. Keep up the good work. – Chad Chen

Open this photo in gallery:

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley attends her Stampede pancake breakfast in Calgary on Monday, July 9, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntoshJeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press

And finally, from Gary Mason’s latest column: Why nothing important will come from premiers’ confab

Perhaps this is the perfect time for radical solutions. The country is showing that it is no longer satisfied with the status quo and is open to new ideas.

Let’s have inter-provincial free trade as imagined by the founding fathers of confederation. Let’s put in place a plan to transition away from supply management that is fair to both consumers and farmers. Let’s put in place a plan that has Alberta and Saskatchewan oil refined here in Canada and that ends the importing of foreign oil.

Or let’s just go out, have a toke, and pretend we can keep on keeping on. – Double Blue

From the Comments is a new feature designed to highlight interesting and thoughtful contributions from our readers. Some comments have been edited for clarity. Everyone can read the comments but only subscribers will be able to contribute. Thank you to everyone furthering debate across our site.

Interact with The Globe