Dear Editor,
With a federal election fast approaching, I am writing to draw your readers’ attention to an imminent threat to Canada’s cultural sovereignty – one whose urgency grows by the day, as President Donald Trump continues his unprovoked economic attacks on our country.
Following decades of underfunding and institutional neglect from governments of all political stripes, the CBC now finds itself in the crosshairs of Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives, who are promising to defund it altogether.
We cannot stand by and let this happen. Canadians rely on the CBC for information, news, and entertainment that speaks to their daily realities and reaffirms their shared values. Defunding our national public broadcaster would inflict immeasurable harm on our communities, on our Canadian identity, and on our democratic health as a country.
Thankfully, the CBC doesn’t belong to the politicians. It belongs to us, the Canadian public – and it’s time we put our foot down. At this critical moment in history, Canadians from all walks of life are closing ranks around our storied institutions. And we expect our elected officials to do the same. We won’t stand for vague promises, and we certainly won’t tolerate any more threats to our shared way of life – foreign or domestic.
That’s why I am standing with Friends of Canadian Media and its hundreds of thousands of supporters this election. When we head to the polls, we’ll be voting to save the CBC. If the federal party leaders want to secure our vote, they have to stand up and support our national public broadcaster.
Frances Daly, Quyon
Editor’s Note: Four very similar letters in support of the CBC were received from Rodney Smith, Arnprior; Mary Jo Morrison, Fitzroy Harbour; Catherine McGregor, Cobden; and Suzanne Kennedy, Eganville. These letters appear to have been sent as part of a campaign being organized by Friends of Canadian Media which is encouraging people to send letters to their local newspapers calling for more support for the CBC.
