Letters to the Editor

DAVE NORMANDALE

Winnipeg

Martin all talk, no walk

Re: Scrap CPR rail yards, MP says, Jan. 15.

While the people of Pat Martin's federal riding continue to live, in large part, in poverty, he wants to embark on a $1 billion project to move the CPR yards out of the city. Instead of trying to grab headlines and give the appearance that he is getting things done for his constituents, Martin should get down to some real work and focus on helping to create well-paying jobs in the area, decrease poverty and crime, and restore the Kelowna Accord for the growing aboriginal population in Winnipeg. Martin has been in office for more than 10 years and hasn't raised one dime for this massive project. It is clear that Martin only worries about talking the talk, not walking the walk.

MATT MARUCA

Winnipeg

Wrong side of the tracks

To move the rail yards would be costly. That alone is enough to stop that dead in its tracks, pun intended. Obviously this idea came from someone who has never lived near a rail yard. There is something comforting about the whistle of a train in the middle of the night on those nights when you can't fall asleep. Those tracks have been there a lot longer than MP Pat Martin and probably will be after he is gone. Besides, what would the south side of the city use to designate the wrong side of the tracks? The North End has been north of these tracks for next to forever and having lived on the wrong side of the tracks all of my life, I wouldn't live anywhere else.

SHELLEY GRAY

Winnipeg

Stay clear of splitsville

Re: Splitsville season follows holidays, Jan. 14.

While it may be the season when couples flock to lawyers, it is also a time when couples phone therapists in high numbers. "Not another year like the last one" is a common phrase heard in our offices as many couples choose to change their marriage for the better. While divorces are on the rise across the country, there are also many couples who recognize the high cost of divorce to themselves: socially, psychologically and economically. The long-term cost to the children (and research shows also to the children of these children, even those not yet born) is significant. Even in the best-case scenarios, when a divorce is handled optimally, "for the sake of the children," the cost to children of divorce cannot be measured fully for decades. Adult children of divorce struggle with trust, intimacy, and insecure attachment.

Though there are times when divorce is appropriately and definitely the wise choice, efforts need to be extended to invest in and save the marriage whenever possible for everyone's benefit. And this January, the number of new couples at our offices are indicating this is happening.

I applaud the husbands and wives across our province who say, "Not another year like this last one" by saying, "Let's make it better" rather than, "Let's call it splitsville."

CAROLYN BERGEN

Winnipeg

Take people at face value

Re: Natives must show they're repulsed by words, Jan. 15.

As much as I strongly disagree with the words spoken by David Ahenakew, I don't agree with Lindor Reynolds that natives must show they are repulsed by his words.

Why would anyone assume that any specific person is not repulsed by such words and ideas, no matter their race, creed or country? Why would anyone assume that because a specific group of people has been subjected to hatred and racism, that there would not be racist individuals within that group?

The very assumption that Ahenakew represents natives is itself racist. Every person has a right to be taken at face value, as an individual, with their own standards and values.

ROB ADAIR

Winnipeg

It's all about access

I was surprised to read the last two paragraphs of your Two-for-one ruling editorial (Jan. 14). Access for persons with disabilities would never have been achieved if it was left to market forces. Access for people with disabilities has been made possible by changing our laws and regulating access to buildings, schools, parks, transportation systems, restaurants, theatres etc. Access is about removing barriers. The Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) and others have sought to ensure that persons with disabilities have equal access to the goods and services of this country. The cause of a disability is not relevant. The issue is the removal of barriers. Whether you are obese "because of lifestyle" or whether you ended up in a wheelchair because of an avoidable accident matters not. What matters is that we work together to build an inclusive and accessible Canada.

LAURIE BEACHELL

National Co-ordinator, CCD

Winnipeg

Speed limits for trucks

Stop speed limit increases, a Jan. 13 commentary by Manitoba Trucking Association's Bob Dolyniuk, fails to mention the MTA's and the CTA's (Canadian Trucking Alliance) push for legislated electronic speed limiters in all large commercial vehicles in Canada. They are proposing a mandatory maximum speed of 105 km/h for trucks.

I have been employed in the Canadian trucking industry for the past 20 years as a driver. Our industry is experiencing some formidable challenges that range from fuel operating cost to competition issues. While it's not a crime to try to improve profit margins, I don't think it's a stretch to assume when industry leaders talk about the environment, safety and economy, it is simply code for trucking company profits. Split speed limits, in which trucks are limited to lower speed than cars, have been shown to cause accidents, as Dolyniuk accurately points out. Still, his association has been lobbying for exactly that -- split speed limits.

The reason for North Dakota's higher, and Ontario's lower speed limit, is a direct result of their respective road designs, conditions and traffic patterns. What's wrong with limiting traffic speed on that basis? Is it necessarily practical and reasonable that all regions must have the same speed limit? Public traffic control is better left to public authority rather than trucking associations.

JAKE GOERTZEN

Winnipeg

Ban private transport

Re: New Brunswick tragedy 'a wake-up call', Jan. 16.

I am a Grade 8 student and I agree with banning all private cars and vans from taking kids to extracurricular activities. If you banned the use of private transportation, it would cost more to hire buses and bus drivers, but it would be worth it if it saved lives.

What happened to the seven young boys from New Brunswick is terrible, and if something isn't done to ban the use of private transportation, other accidents like the one that took place will continue to happen.

ADAM BOHDANOVICH

Grandview

Clarification

St. Amant is the name of an organization in Winnipeg. Incorrect information appeared in a letter by Jennifer Rodrigue in Wednesday's paper due to an editong error.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 17, 2008 $sourceSection$sourcePage