Letters, Sept. 30

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/09/2023 (967 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Fond memory

Re: 43 years of government abuse and intransigence (Sept. 25)

Mr. Perrin, we were very disturbed and saddened reading your article and trust the wrong will be made right.

It brought back vivid memories for us of Jan. 26, 1987, the day the Fort Garry Hotel went bankrupt and was forced to close its doors. It was a sad day for many people, but especially for our family and it meant the death of a dream for our daughter Carla, whose dream had been to have her wedding reception in the gorgeous ballroom of Hotel Fort Garry on her wedding day — Saturday, January 31 — five days after the closing.

We were devastated.

Just three days earlier, we had paid 80 per cent of the cost of the reception.

What do we do now? While we were still weeping and wailing at the locked doors of the hotel that fateful day, we saw a gentleman coming up the front steps. “What’s the matter here”? he asked, and after hearing of our dilemma, he calmly said, “Come with me.” He took us to his office where he immediately ordered a refund cheque for the entire amount of the deposit to be issued for us. We were elated! It was then that we found out that this compassionate and generous gentleman was none other than your father Jack Perrin. Unfortunately the Fort Garry Hotel account at the bank was frozen and we needed some bridge financing real quick.

Miraculously, within those mere five days we were able to find an alternative venue and even a caterer willing to cater a meal for our 200-plus guests.

We just wanted to share our story with you to show our deep respect for your late father Jack Perrin.

Sincerely,

Hans & Maria Rogalski

Winnipeg

 

Clarity not easily achieved

Re: A tragedy of errors (Editorial, Sept. 28)

First, I would like to express my pride in my local newspaper for another nuanced editorial that eschews righteous indignation and sensationalism in favour of education. A couple of points warrant a comment.

It is not at all baffling that “these waters” are muddy. Furthermore, it is unlikely that these muddy waters ever can be “cleared up.” How does one quarrel with the saying: ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend’? How broadly do we question the values and behavior of those we associate with in pursuit of a common goal? How tainted are we because of even the slightest association with an ‘undesirable’?

Stalin was a monster, responsible for more deaths before the war than Hitler. He was an ally of Hitler, yet we gave him support when circumstances changed and we perceived Hitler to be a bigger monster. Do we bear any responsibility for Stalin’s crimes because we supported him? And are Finns to be vilified for fighting our ally, the Soviets in 1939-1940, on the side of Germany as it were, and against “us”?

And connecting dots appears not to be so easy that “anyone with a high school education” should be able to do. America today (the United States and Canada) is perilously close to where Germany was in 1932. In both places, we had/have narcissistic autocrats promising “greatness”, beloved by a minority of people in thrall, willing to over look and excuse any act of the “leader.” Anyone opposed to the “leader” was/is vilified as an “enemy” and subject to attack.

Given power, the first step of the autocrat is to remove opposition where ever it appears — in the courtrooms, in politics, in the street — by what ever means necessary not excluding violence. Trump and his loyalists are transparently at work replacing perceived opponents in the courts and in the electoral apparatus with their supporters. Pierre Poilievre has proudly proclaimed he would replace the head of the Bank of Canada, signalling that any one opposed to his views should fear dismissal and replacement with loyalists. Vilification of opponents gains him more traction than the dull presentation of alternative policies. His, and Trump, speeches are designed to excite, to stir emotion; facts do not matter.

The “dots” — disaffection, polarization, anti-vaxxers, Poilievre and Trump loyalists, Republican or National Socialist Party members, Jan. 6, vilification, anti-Queer, anti-Muslim, and anti-Jewish expressions, and the apathy of the majority to call out and stand against these dangers to our democracy and a respectful society, are evident, but seemingly go unconnected. Nothing bad will happen.

So thanks to the Free Press for their efforts to clear muddy waters. Still, none of us is righteous!

Rudy Peters

Winnipeg

 

Leave lockdowns to docs

It was with no little disgust that I read that both the NDP and the PC Party have promised no more lockdowns no matter what, even if health experts were to say they are necessary.

The good of the economy must override health concerns. Both parties reason that simply increasing the health services to provide adequate care for all the people who become sick is sufficient. It would seem that it is preferable to spread disease and put people in hospital as long as there are enough beds to hold them all, and morgues to accommodate those that don’t recover.

To admit that political concerns will be ranked above health concerns is a sure-fire way to generate a lot of sick and dying citizens, as was made obvious not once, not twice, but four times under the current PC government. Common sense and experience tells us that prevention is better and cheaper than treatment, what could possibly move any caring person to opt for profit over community should be a subject for mental health study.

Daniel Roscoe

Winnipeg

 

Head downtown? No thanks

People are encouraged to come back to downtown Winnipeg. Business is suffering.

On two separate occasions, two of my family members had their vehicle towed to a compound somewhere on Henderson, because of parking violations. Really? Is a parking ticket not enough? Wonder if you’ll ever see me downtown again.

Stabbings, human feces, homelessness; this town is going down the toilet.

Ed Friesen

Winnipeg

 

Who we are

Political decisions matter and can give rise to far reaching consequences, positive or negative, life giving or life supressing.

I have a strong perception that searching the Prairie Green landfill for Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran, two indigenous women, would result in a clear definition of who we are as a community. It would present a clear message to our Indigenous brothers and sisters and to the country in general that truth and reconciliation is more than talk suitable only for political gain.

There are plenty of examples where landfills have been searched for victims of crime, so we know that health and safety issues can be mitigated. In spite of this Heather Stefanson and her PC party have unfortunately said no to a search. That is a mistake.

James Penner

Winnipeg

 

Scheduling solutions

Re: CFL has only itself to blame (Sept. 27)

I purchased tickets a month ago for the Sept. 29 tilt with the Argos, thinking this might be a preview of this year’s Grey Cup. We then find out that Toronto will not dress or play their best players! The CFL, in its infinite wisdom, scheduled only one matchup and it’s late in the season when the Argos have clinched the east division.

The only true method to alleviate this problem is to go back to an interlocking schedule where each team plays the other teams twice during the season.

Lastly, the best teams from the previous year (i.e. Grey Cup finalists) should play each other in a timely fashion so that the games are meaningful.

Go Bombers!

Ken Campbell

Winnipeg