Darcys here on Juno weekend

A railway bypass route for Winnipeg has been endorsed by Premier Wab Kinew for further feasibility study. Naturally, critics have emerged that question the economics of a railway bypass.

Doubters want to be convinced that the benefits exceed the costs, and quite rightly.

So, how should we be thinking about costs and benefits?

It is always easier to estimate the costs of large infrastructure projects than it is to measure benefits. Rail contractors can provide cost estimates of the kilometres of rail bed construction and rails required, plus the additional switches, overpasses and a railway trestle that will be needed. Land acquisition is a major cost and time delay.

You are not alone

Recent reports involving a Winnipeg firefighter with a history of criminal harassment and protection order violations, and a Winnipeg police officer charged in a physical and sexual intimate partner violence assault investigation, should prompt a broader conversation about accountability when allegations of gender-based violence involve individuals in positions of public trust.

I wrote a letter to the editor to the Free Press that was published Aug. 4 about the WFPS case, and I believe those comments are relevant to this moment as well.

Rather than reiterate those points, I would like to address those impacted by gender-based violence.