Today's letters: Gabriela Dabrowski's cancer fight inspirational

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Dabrowksi showed what she’s made of

Re: Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski played tennis season amid cancer treatment, Dec. 31.

Thank you for the excellent article by Marlo Glass on Gabriela Dabrowski’s cancer story. As a three-year survivor (and amateur tennis player) myself, I fully endorse Dabrowski’s conviction that continuing to play through treatment (as well as the high fitness level of a professional athlete) enabled her to come through the process as well as she has.

During my similar journey (two surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation and ongoing medication), I have kept up a non-stop daily regime of running, sports (curling and tennis), as well as thrice-weekly gym workouts.

As well, from the moment of diagnosis in 2021, I began to explore Stoic philosophy, most particularly employing its two foundational beliefs: first, that although I had no control over the fate that had befallen me, I did have control over how I responded to it. I began by affirming that I did not have to have an opinion about cancer; therefore I could be free to get to work doing what I needed to do to facilitate treatment rather than wasting time in worry or judgment. Second, that I would look upon this situation as an opportunity to prove myself.

I, like Gabriela Dabrowski, have been able to enjoy the privilege of survival because of the discipline of living every day with action and self-mastery.

Heather Dufault, Ottawa

City can do better for New Year’s Eve

Re: Letter, Canada’s very, very boring New Year, Jan. 6.

I completely agree with Diane Hendren’s take on Ottawa’s boring New Year’s Eve. We are the capital of Canada and the only thing happening outdoors for families and tourists were fireworks at the Lansdowne Christmas Market.

Could the new night mayor and his committee, or the city or the federal government, not have come up with something fun in Canada’s capital for people to celebrate New Year’s Eve?

Roslyn Richardson, Ottawa

Pension surplus demand is unreasonable

Re: Everything public servants need to know about the pension surplus, Jan. 7.

Your article leaves out the most important fact at the centre of the controversy. Public servants enjoy a guaranteed pension benefit when they retire (a benefit that is almost extinct in the private sector). The government (not the public service employee) is solely on the hook for backing up that guarantee. That’s why the pension plan is called a Defined Benefit plan: the retiree’s benefit is fixed, regardless of what the investment performance of the plan ends up being.

Yes, the employees contribute to the plan but they take zero risk on guaranteeing its obligations. Since the government is taking all the risk of underfunding, it also gets to enjoy capturing any overfunding, as is the case now. Public service employees demanding that they participate in the surplus while also enjoying a guaranteed benefit is not how defined benefit plans work and is nothing more than another demand for a free lunch.

Michael Wilson, Ottawa