Letters, June 17

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/06/2022 (1556 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Addiction, homelessness a crisis

Re: B.C. drug exemption a model for other provinces (June 13)

Last year, 407 Manitobans died of overdoses, and approximately 20 Canadians were lost each day to opioid-related overdoses.

This newspaper, in an editorial, stated “Manitoba needs a new approach to addiction services, and a shot of urgency.” This is an understatement.

The addiction and homelessness crisis in this country is a national disgrace.

There is no distinction between Winnipeg and Ottawa. If you can look and you can listen, then walk down Rideau Street, just minutes from Parliament, and see the homelessness and hear the cries of those all but condemned to death by government inaction and societal scorn.

In the United States, overdose is the leading cause of preventable death among those aged 18 to 45, according to the CDC.

How far is the American reality from our own? Will we, as is so typically Canadian, take comfort in having relatively fewer fall ill and die? Or will we act?

Devon Hanel

Winnipeg

Re: Safe consumption site talk enters mayoral race (June 13)

The preconceived erroneous notion that addicts are simply weak-willed and/or have committed a moral crime is, fortunately, gradually dying.

Still, neglecting people dealing with debilitating drug addiction should never have been an acceptable or preferable political option. But the callous politics typically involved with addiction funding and services likely reflect conservative electorate opposition, however irrational, toward making proper treatment available to low- and no-income addicts.

It’s as though some people, however precious, can tragically be consciously or subconsciously considered disposable — especially by government bean-counters — because they are debilitatingly addicted to drugs. Then those people may begin perceiving themselves as worthless and consume their addictive substances more haphazardly.

I used to be one of those who, while sympathetic, would look down on those who’d “allowed” themselves to become addicted to alcohol and illicit drugs. Yet, though I have not been personally affected by the opioid addiction and overdose crisis, I myself have suffered enough unrelenting Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE)-related hyper-anxiety to have known, enjoyed and appreciated the great release upon consuming alcohol and/or THC.

Often societally overlooked is that intense addiction usually does not originate from a bout of boredom, where a person repeatedly consumed recreationally but became heavily hooked — and homeless, soon after — on an unregulated often-deadly chemical that eventually destroyed their life and even those of loved ones.

Emotional or psychological trauma from unhindered toxic abuse, for example, usually results in a helpless child’s brain improperly developing. If allowed to continue for a prolonged period, it can act as a starting point into a life in which the brain uncontrollably releases potentially damaging levels of inflammation-promoting stress hormones and chemicals, even in non-stressful daily routines. The lasting mental pain is very formidable and can make every day a mental ordeal, unless the turmoil is treated with some form of medication, either prescribed or illicit.

Frank Sterle Jr.

White Rock, B.C.

Sound off

I read the letters section pretty much daily. Winnipeggers have a slew of great ideas! Here’s one to ask the next mayoral candidate who knocks on your door: what the heck will you do about the loud (sorry, I mean LOUD!) vehicle muffler situation on our streets.

Granted, I live close to a busy street, but travel anywhere around town and you get exposed to some pretty horrendous, string-of-firecrackers-next-to-your-head action! My personal favourite (sarcasm alert) is the guy who hammers on the gas from the stop-light, scaring the bejesus out of everyone in earshot, travels a few blocks, and does it again — just for the effect.

It’s getting worse — and it needs to be curtailed. There oughta be a law! Who’s with me on this?

Jeff Monk

Winnipeg

Volunteers have role in cleanup

Re: Take Pride trash cans shameful (Letters, June 13)

We share Theresa Shaw’s dismay with littered streets. This is why we provide thousands of volunteers every year with free supplies, support and guidance to host local litter cleanups. Community groups, businesses, schools and individuals all pitch in every year as part of our Team Up To Clean Up campaign, because they see a need, and wish to make a difference in their community.

With City of Winnipeg budgets and resources spread thin, we believe in encouraging citizen responsibility to help alleviate litter in our public spaces. This is why we lent our name to public litterbins some years ago. While we don’t have ownership or access to these bins, we hope seeing “Take Pride Winnipeg” will remind everyone that if we all do our small part to keep Winnipeg clean and beautiful, we can make a huge impact, together.

Tom Ethans

Executive Director

Take Pride Winnipeg!

Take me down, to the Pothole City…

Remember when our fine city was called different things in the past? I remember one: “The mosquito capital of Canada.”

In 2022, we can add a few more such as, Pothole City, Dandelion City, and Tall, Uncut Grass City. Take your pick, because all of them will certainly apply to the ’Peg this year!

Robert J. Moskal

Winnipeg

Control your dogs

I am an avid walker and runner, and with summer approaching and more people out and about, I want to remind pet owners they need to keep their pets either on a leash or secure in their own backyard. Why do I say this? It is because of two recent incidents.

The first one was a couple of weeks ago, while I was out in the south end of the city. I caught a glimpse of movement to my left; I turned around, and there was a Doberman pinscher, off-leash. I yelled and the dog continued to run around me as the owner attempted to call his dog back, to no avail. I continued on my way, leaving the dog owner trying to call his dog back.

The second incident was more serious. I was in a back lane, again in south Winnipeg, when I saw a lady walking a smaller-sized dog on a leash. All of a sudden, two large dogs, off-leash and with no owner around, attacked her dog. The dogs looked like a pit bull cross and a Rottweiler. The woman was screaming as the dogs were attacking her dog. I yelled at the dogs and eventually got them to stop their attack on the small dog. I got them focused on me, and without my backing down, the dogs gave up — but for the first few times as I turned my back, the dogs would start to close in on me.

I cannot imagine what might have happened if I were not around to help the woman, or worse yet if children had also been at risk. We both called 911, and I must say, there was a fast response from animal services.

My advice to all dog owners is: if your dog is out on a walk, you must have total control of your dog. That means on a leash, as you never know what can happen. As a responsible dog owner, you must keep your dogs secure in your yard. If you can’t take reasonable steps to secure your pet, then perhaps you should not own a dog.

Brian Timmerman

Winnipeg