Letters, July 20

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/07/2023 (1051 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Thanks for support

Re: Canada should leave NATO (Letters, July 17)

As a subscriber for many years and a supporting advocate of people’s opinion, particularly what appears in the Free Press editorial section, I would like to commend the recent writers expressing their support for Ukraine. Over the past few days since July 17 (letter to the editor “Canada should leave NATO”), a number of letters to the editor have appeared expressing the need for Canada’s membership in NATO and identifying that Ukraine requires full attention from the West in order to defeat its aggressor.

Being a longtime member of the Ukrainian community in this province, I align myself with the comments made by the participants who took the liberty to write a letter upholding Canada’s international involvement and Ukraine’s continuous fight for democracy.

I appreciate the comments made by the writers, their solidarity, their encouragement, and the overall stability identified in our society. Thank you Manitobans.

Peter John Manastyrsky

Winnipeg

 

Question for Stefanson

A query for Premier Stefanson, and for that matter Kelvin Goertzen and Audrey Gordon; if someone is LGBTTQ+ and Indigenous, what’s worse for you and your government to deal with — the LGBTTQ+ part, the Indigenous part, or the two of those together?

Only two people in the current PC Government can speak directly with queers, and they are neither justice minister nor health minister. When forced to present themselves to Indigenous Peoples, communication isn’t what they are after, playing the authority card is.

Our streets are filling with strife that is worsening, but it involves people the PC’s can’t allow themselves to acknowledge with reason. This party is fighting an internal battle with its own “anti-woke” crowd and so are threatened by the notion of being in the same space as both queers and Indigenous people. It’s their loss.

Not talking to people, or perhaps in language more familiar to this PC group, “shunning” them, is a form of violence. Not talking to queers makes you look ineffective at the core things expected of you in an ethical government.

This situation is more dishonest than the outward misogyny/homophobia of the past however. Shunning is heartless. Punching down, unfortunately for the PC Party in an election year, makes them look like bullies, cowards, and losers.

When this government puts its big-picture thinking forward, there are far too many people not in the picture at all.

Herb Neufeld

Winnipeg

 

Highway safety

Re: The Idaho stop: a step forward for safety (Think tank, July 13)

I can’t dispute the stats cited regarding the Idaho stop, maybe rolling through stops for bicyclist safety makes sense. Along the same theme, does it make sense for the safety of cyclists to travel down the edge of highways?

The closing rate for low speed, small and less visible bike travellers on a highway creates a dangerous situation for bicyclists and motorists alike. If cyclist safety is the goal, I’d suggest cyclists not be allowed to ride on roads where there is a speed differential from the average speeds of bikes and other vehicles is more than say, 50 kilometres per hour. In my opinion, the closing rate for bikes on highways make that sort of travel very dangerous for bikers. So no bikes on the perimeter, no bikes on Hwy. 1 or Hwy. 59, for the safety of cyclists.

We don’t float hot air balloons into air space occupied by airplanes. We don’t allow motorboats in designated swimming areas.

So no bikes on the highway, for safety please.

Peter Hiebert

Oakbank

 

Landfill protest not self-centred

Re: Search refusal realistic (Letters, July 15)

I am writing in response to Darlene Neufeld’s letter of July 15. Ms. Neufeld agrees with Premier Heather Stefanson’s decision to refuse funding to search the Prairie Green landfill for the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran, arguing that the $180 million would be better spent on programs to prevent future tragedies.

Premier Stefanson did not offer the option to invest $180 million to protect First Nations women and girls. Refusing to fund the search — which according to forensic experts consulted, is feasible and can be done with protection for the workers involved — simply means the families of the murdered women will be denied any hope of giving their loved ones a dignified burial.

Ms. Neufeld’s other examples miss the point. Her own mother has a known grave and was, we assume, buried with appropriate respect. The police have not continued to search for the remains of other people missing and presumed dead (Thelma Krull, Eduardo Balaquit and others) because they cannot indefinitely search the whole of Winnipeg and nearby areas without some indication of where to look.

The Winnipeg police know approximately where the remains of Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, and possibly a third victim, Buffalo Woman, were probably dumped. They knew this seven or eight months ago. Since then, tons of toxic waste and garbage have been added. A search — or at the least a good-faith feasibility study — should have been undertaken with outside expert assistance months ago.

I agree that blocking access to the Brady Road landfill cannot go on indefinitely, impacting the entire city. But the family members and First Nations leaders protesting there are not being self-centred or unrealistic. They are asking for acknowledgment that their missing relatives deserved more than to be discarded like garbage and left in a landfill forever. They are asking that the search denied back in December should go forward. If it is truly impossible or is ultimately unsuccessful, the families should be consulted and heard on what other steps might be taken to honor the memories of their loved ones.

And yes, investing in the safety of Indigenous women and girls — and men, boys and children — should be a priority. Supportive housing and better access to mental health and addictions treatment are good places to start.

Surely we can do both.

Ardythe Basham

Winnipeg

 

Search would be positive move

Re: Politics and the landfill (Think Tank, July 15)

According to Charles Adler, “the majority of voters quietly agree with the premier,” when it comes to deciding not to search the landfill site for the remains of two murdered indigenous women.

For centuries, Canada has been colonizing, ignoring and showing disrespect to its Indigenous population. The toll on First Nation peoples has been immense and immeasurable.

Governments are keen to play the blame game and avoid even minimal responsibility to help victimized families.

Reconciliation starts with important steps that will gain trust and the confidence that all Canadians need to find new ways forward.

Search the site, figure out how to share the cost, and take a positive step forward towards reconciliation. While this is expensive, it pales in comparison to the costs associated with making amends for centuries of abuse.

Robert Granke

Winnipeg