Letters, April 3

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/04/2023 (1259 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Improving neighbourhoods

Re: Slowing winning fast approval (March 30)

This story concerns the growing “outcry” of residents demanding the city address with traffic calming measures the speed and high volume of traffic through residential neighbourhoods.

The speed for traffic on many major double-laned centre-boulevard avenues in Winnipeg is 50 km/h. It should come as no surprise that having this same speed on single-laned residential streets is being seriously questioned by residents, particularly where the volume of traffic through the neighbourhood approaches that of major avenues.

Not only does this combination of speed and volume create a safety hazard, but just as importantly, it diminishes residents’ enjoyment of their neighbourhood.

Supporting the pressing need for more initiatives to calm traffic in high-volume neighbourhoods, city councillor and public works chairwoman Janice Lukes believes, “It really will improve neighbourhood livability, (creating) calmer traffic, less noise, a more peaceful neighbourhood.”

For the sake of residents suffering in high-volume-traffic neighbourhoods, let’s hope the chairwoman succeeds in bringing traffic-calmed peace to neighbourhoods.

Keith Addison

Winnipeg

Deficits often necessary

Re: Economists dismayed by repeated deficits (March 30)

Former parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page likened restraint to beauty: “It’s in the eye of the beholder.” Nothing like a federal budget is capable of clearly exposing two different political ideologies. And nothing like the deficit (and debt) brings sharply into focus these opposing sides.

On one side, the deficit is the enemy… creator of debt, denying our children a future, an indication of reckless spending, no fiscal restraint, creator of inflation.

On the other side, the deficit is an important ally… funding of social programs, the cushion preventing extreme poverty, an investment in the future, protection of the environment.

Let me be clear, I subscribe to the latter arguments. For most of my adult life, deficits have been used by the governments to further the well-being of Canadians. I grew up in the postwar era, with Canada slowly emerging from an enormous war debt.

I began my career in the 1960s. During that time and since, under the umbrella of deficit financing, huge strides were made to benefit most, if not all Canadians — medicare, pensions, unemployment insurance to mention a few. This was not reckless spending, but investment in the people of Canada.

And this is continuing with the latest federal budget. The dental plan will cost money. Lots of money. So be it.

In spite of the naysayers, deficits, large and small, are necessary to provide the best for Canadians and move Canada forward.

Robert Milan

Victoria, B.C..

Utility has duty to public

Kim Trethart’s letter to the editor (“Get water analyzed,” March 29) caught my eye for a couple of reasons.

The first was Trethart’s reference to cutting and bevelling pieces of asbestos cement (AC) pipe and breathing the dust. The fact is that no one should do this. AC dust is a health hazard and folks involved in maintenance procedures that generate dust should wear an appropriate mask and eye protection. My recollection is that this was a requirement when I was manager of water services for the city, but it may be that “back in the day,” prior to that, it was not.

The second issue relates to the presence of asbestos fibres in drinking water, and Trethart’s advice that if you are concerned you should have your water tested. My question would be: “What would you do with the test results?”

While I’m certain that there are some folks out there who would sell you a filter that would decrease the quantity of fibres in water, is this really necessary? Will the filter, if neglected, cause a biofilm accumulation that in itself could be a potential health concern?

The USEPA I believe still has a limit of seven million fibres per litre for drinking water. This limit is health-driven and it is very conservative.

There are two pathways by which we can possibly ingest the asbestos fibres in water. These are from drinking the water and through breathing in the mist in a shower. Science, at least back in the day, concluded that almost all of the fibres in drinking water would pass through our bodies and into the sewer system. The quantity of fibres inhaled in a shower were seen as negligible.

Having said all this, a water utility’s principle duty is the provision of safe drinking water. A corollary responsibility is to ensure that the public has confidence in the safety of our water.

With this background, it would be appropriate for the utility to undertake a round of asbestos testing and report the results to council and the public, along with the appropriate public health benchmarks and perhaps some commentary from the public health officer.

In the interim, people should continue to consume Winnipeg drinking water without unnecessary worry. Concerns regarding asbestos fibres relate to cumulative effects, unlike waterborne bacteria and pathogens, which have an immediate impact.

By the way, our water utility has an admirable track record of protecting the public from these constituents.

Tom Pearson

Indian Wells, Calif.

For richer, for poorer

Re: “Not in whose backyard?” Letters (March 30)

Does anyone else find bizarre the conversations around housing in Winnipeg? People fight to save the “beautiful, historic homes” in Crescentwood and on Wellington Crescent. The most sense I found on the topic is in the letter to the editor regarding how it’s OK to chop up small lots in the middle-of-the-road neighbourhoods but it’s Not in My Neighbourhood if you’ve got buckets of money.

I vote that we campaign to save the homes of the bug-infested hotels on Main Street, the bus shelters and the tent cities under bridges and by waterfronts that many residents have to live in, as they are a true reflection of the history of our city.

If we pay as much attention to the housing of those in poverty as we do to the sickeningly wealthy then maybe we could see our city as it is.

Val Kellberg

Winnipeg

Credit where it’s due

Re: MMIWG licence plates expected this year (March 28)

I am curious as to how the Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen justifies his decision to completely take over MLA Bernadette Smith’s idea of specialty plates honouring the missing or murdered Indigenous women, which she started to work on two years ago.

She spent so much time consulting with families and Indigenous communities personally affected by this horrific epidemic we’re dealing with.

Why would he dismiss her efforts to have this happen, at the same time slowing down the progress to have them issued? She should be acknowledged and credited for her efforts. Give credit where credit is due!

Elaine Chaput

Laurier

Plenty to do

While I agree with letter writer Will Jones (“Jets an embarrassment,” March 31) about the embarrassing state of the Winnipeg Jets these days, and heartily endorse his calling out Chevy, especially, and Mark Chipman, I suggest he start to enjoy everything else Winnerpeg offers.

Contrary to his comment that “we have nothing else to hold on to,” I’d suggest: Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, the Warehouse, the symphony and opera, high school and university sports of all kinds, great restaurants, maybe playing some sports of his own, etc., etc.

Winter here is what you make it. We went 15 or so years without the Jets; it may yet happen again, and we’ll get past it and thrive as we did before.

Laurie Etkin

Winnipeg