Have your say

Ethelbert rules

I was pleased and honoured to be included in your June 23 feature Faces of our Ukrainian community, hailing as I do from that tiny but mighty bastion of Ukrainian culture, Ethelbert.

Your article noted that the first MLA of Ukrainian descent (Nicholas Hryhorczuk), the first senator of Ukrainian descent (William Wall) and the father of computer animation, an Oscar winner (Nestor Burtnyk) all come from Ethelbert. Your article didn't mention that Jordin Tootoo's mother, Rose, of Ukrainian descent, was our next-door Ethelbert neighbour.

Had space permitted, you could have gone on about wheelchair-basketball champion Diane Pidskalny, and the remarkable number of priests and nuns who hail from humble Ethelbert -- Pidskalnys, Pelechaty, Kozak, Klymchyk -- you get the idea.

I believe the evidence shows if you want to succeed to some extent in life, you would do well to trace some connection to Ethelbert.

DANNY SCHUR

Winnipeg

While I understand the limitations of space, I feel that my father, William Vladimir (Val) Yacula, should have been given mention. He was one of the first Ukrainian-Canadians to be elected as a member of Parliament in 1958. As well, he had the distinction of representing one of the largest constituencies in Canada, Springfield, which was later divided into five ridings.

He was also a teacher, principal, school trustee and councillor. He authored textbooks for the Department of Education and he was also a businessman and hotel owner in St. Laurent, Lac du Bonnet, Whitemouth and Winnipeg.

ELAINE YACULA

Winnipeg

I was surprised that an important citizen of our city was missed: Steve Patrick (his name was changed during his career in football).

Patrick played guard for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for many years. He sat as a Liberal member of the Manitoba Legislature for 16 years, and he was a businessman and volunteer in the community.

Patrick and his wife, June, had five children, two of whom, James and Stephen, played professional hockey. I was saddened that he was not acknowledged.

RITA BORTHWICK

Winnipeg

Joseph Zuken (1912-1986)!

TED JAWORSKI

Winnipeg

The special Ukrainian section in your paper over the weekend was wonderful. All those people who did so much for this province made good reading for me and I'm sure for many others.

JAMES STANSFIELD

Winnipeg

Listen to experts

Re: Horror to hope, to home (June 23). Isn't it about time that those responsible for deciding on the contents of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights listen to leading experts on European history?

As the article states, there are only 36 known photos of the Holodomor but there are thousands depicting the Holocaust, not to mention all the movies. Isn't it about time that the Holodomor's atrocities became better known? The suggestions put forward would be a good start.

SADLEY MARCINYK

Selkirk

Minimal benefit

Re: Ikea: Swedish word for jobs (June 21). I've enjoyed the quality and design of Ikea furniture for over 30 years. My tube TV still sits on a piece. But the benefit to Winnipeg's economy of an Ikea opening here will be minimal.

Unless consumers' discretionary spending increases, the added 350 jobs at Ikea will come at the expense of jobs lost at other furniture stores. Also, much of the cost of the furniture will go back to Sweden to pay the fabricators, weakening our economy and reducing sales from local furniture manufacturers. Hopefully, Ikea will attract more foreign spending -- even Brandon is foreign to Winnipeg -- to offset the export of monies to Sweden.

By the way, I assume Sweden needs the money, being socialist and therefore an economic basket case.

DAN CHECCINI

Winnipeg

Using same tactic

Letter writer George Fritz (Unneeded and impractical, June 22) calls a handgun ban illegal, unnecessary and unenforceable. That's exactly what the auto companies used to say about defective automobile recalls.

In the United States, firearms now kill as many each year as die in fatal car crashes, which is both a tribute to a reformed auto industry and a great shame to the largely amoral firearms manufacturers.

RON CHARACH

Toronto

Reverse sexism

I can't help but wonder if Alex Chapman would be treated differently if he were a woman. A woman feels sexually harassed by her lawyer. She accepts a monetary amount to keep her quiet, then later realizes she doesn't feel safe and goes public.

Demonizing Chapman, as Karen Busby and Lorna Turnbull choose to do in their June 21 piece, Humiliation of judge was avoidable, doesn't change the truth. I would strongly disagree with their opinion that the facts of this sad tale are well-known. There are many unanswered questions. I hope they are at least being answered behind closed doors.

CLIFFORD WIEBE

Winnipeg

Dangerous wish

Re: Exploiting shale gas (Letters, June 22). Edward Katz should be careful of what he wishes for. Hydro-fracking carries with it the potential for severe environmental damage.

At this moment, just across the border from us, hundreds of millions of cubic feet of natural gas are being flared (burned) into the atmosphere in North Dakota from hydro-fracking in the Bakken formation, the same formation that extends into southwestern Manitoba. Is this really what we want?

DENNIS LeNEVEU

Selkirk

An awful portrayal

Re: New ebook says Karla Homolka now a mother of three in the Caribbean (June 22). Are you kidding me? Karla Homolka as the good mother? How awful of the Free Press to give any space to such horror.

What's next? Paul Bernardo becomes surrogate sperm donor? Some things are better left unsaid.

JAMES MARLES

Winnipeg

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 26, 2012 A11