Yesterday, a heartbreaking national report confirmed that 10 children died as a result of e-scooter incidents across Canada last year. While looking at some of the online comments on local public forums, I was disappointed to see a comment dismissing these preventable casualties as simply “natural selection.”
I believe that every human life is precious. Suggesting that these preventable youth casualties are ‘natural selection’ fundamentally ignores the existence of a civil society and the role of a functional government.
When a family in Milton experiences the violation of a home break-in, we do not tell them it is natural selection and to deal with it. We expect our tax dollars to be used to investigate the crime and protect our neighbourhoods.
When the Walkerton tragedy occurred in 2000, and seven people died from a contaminated municipal water supply, we did not call it natural selection. The provincial government launched a public inquiry and enacted the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act because when an unacceptable risk to public health is identified, responsible governance demands regulation.
If a municipality has the authority to prevent injuries and save lives through proper regulatory oversight (whether that means ensuring our tap water is safe, supporting our police, or establishing enforceable bylaws for e-scooters under the provincial pilot), it is our moral and civic obligation to act.
This is the same selfish attitude that stops us from addressing the housing affordability crisis faced by our youth and young professionals. Do we want to continue telling them: “Sorry bud, it is part of natural selection that you entered the housing market 25 years too late?”
True stewardship means tackling difficult issues proactively, regulating our shared spaces responsibly, and planning for a sustainable future.
We owe this to our youth, and we need bold leadership at the Council table to make it a reality.
