Letters, March 18

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/03/2025 (201 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Resistance necessary

Re: “Don’t poke the bear” (Letters, March 17)

I respectfully disagree with letter writer Marilyn Bird’s position that Canada should make concessions to appease U.S. President Donald Trump. Given the president’s attack on civil liberties, illegal deportations, disregard of the judiciary, and interventions in the economy to favour billionaires, it’s appropriate to describe Trump and his administration as fascist.

You cannot appease fascists because fascists won’t be appeased. They will want more, they will try more, and they haven’t revealed their whole plan. The only appropriate reaction to fascism is resistance.

Rory Ellis

Winnipeg

Duguid a strong pick for cabinet

Re: ‘I am pinching myself’ (March 15)

Kudos to Terry Duguid; good fortune for Canada and Manitoba. As I see it an excellent choice by our new prime minister … and also for keeping Dominic LeBlanc, Mélanie Joly and others in cabinet.

Sadly, Niki Ashton could not bring herself to see and express the good, and chose to show her lower self instead. Perhaps the deterioration of the federal NDP will have two silver linings. One, reduce dangers of vote splitting in critical next election, and two, may result in rebirth of an NDP reflective of traditional NDP and Tommy Douglas values and pragmatism.

Hopefully many Canadians who have temporarily leaned ultra-right are now seeing through the Poilievre veil of deceit. Negativity is not strength.

Garrett Loeppky

Winnipeg

Cannabis concerns

Re: Golden-age ganja (March 15)

As a citizen just south of 70, I read Janine Legal’s essay on cannabis with interest. I don’t imbibe frequently, but I do enjoy a puff or two on occasion to relax and enjoy music in a heightened state or to ease anxiety in large group settings.

With great respect to those who use cannabis frequently for a wide range of legitimate medical conditions, my usage is strictly occasional and recreational, much like enjoying a glass of wine or a beer on a weekend evening.

My concern with long-term cannabis usage is the effect on cognitive function including memory loss, logical reasoning, and as a possible contributor to dementia. Perhaps Ms. Legal would consider a followup essay to address these concerns shared by, I assume, many people of my generation.

Thank goodness for the Free Press and its many talented writers!

Michael Bennett

Winnipeg

Adults feud, child suffers

Re: Crushed nine-year-old indefinitely in penalty box (March 15)

It is most distressing to read the report of the hockey controversy surrounding the young nine-year-old son of Corey Rusak and Elena Russo Rusak. A classic case of “he said, they said” unfolds in the public domain between a hockey association and the parents of this young player.

Who’s right, and who’s wrong is of little consequence when common sense dictates that the the two parties to this disagreement failed to take into account that they both should have realized the interests of young Rusak were of prime importance. Shame on both parties.

Michael Leipsic

Winnipeg

In defence of stamp collecting

Re: Busy, minding other people’s business (Editorial, March 15)

Although there is much to commend in the March 15 editorial, I am writing to correct a comment made in this piece. When the editor states, “one could collect stamps, archaic though that may be…” they fall victim to their own criticism of others making a claim for which there is no evidence. The editor’s claim that stamp collecting is archaic, similarly is given without evidence.

Stamp collecting (and the study of stamps, philately) is a hobby currently enjoyed by thousands of Canadians.

Each Canadian province has several active local stamp clubs. In Manitoba alone there are at least three (The Winnipeg Philatelic Society, Club de Timbres de Saint-Boniface, the Prairie Mountain Philatelic Society). Ontario has 45 local stamp clubs. On a national level, there are the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada, the Postal History Society of Canada, La Federation Quebecoise de Philatelie, the Canadian Aerophilatelic Society and other organizations representing the varied interests of stamp collectors.

These clubs offer fantastic opportunities for the presentation (both in person and virtual) of areas of philatelic interest, for philatelic journalism, for the exhibition of collections of special interest, for “stamp shows,” for stamp auctions and sales and for the formal and informal meeting of peers.

In any one stamp you can find a study in history, art, current affairs, printing technology, inflation and many other themes. Too, in “philately” (the collection and study of stamps) there is the pure enjoyment of just spending your own time with your own collection on your own terms.

To the Action4Canada members and especially to the Free Press editor I would recommend stamp collecting as one of the more enjoyable ways to spend one’s time. Stamp collecting and philately are not archaic.

Blair Peters

Winnipeg

No evidence for group’s claims

Re: Busy, minding other people’s business (Editorial, March 15)

Your editorial suggests members of a radical conservative group, Action4Canada, promoting Christian homeschooling and now attacking “pornography” in school libraries, are a nuisance. Agreed, and it has become very disturbing to see American “Christofascists” take control of the U.S. government under President Donald Trump.

Religion is politics, and I can only hope Trump’s white, Christian-nationalist fascism does not take hold in Canada. Much like Wally Daudrich, the PC leadership candidate who claimed there is pornography in schools, the Christian extremists never produce evidence to support wild claims. They seem to hate sex education, gay rights, abortion, non-Christian minorities including non-theists, and science among others.

They should mind their own business and stop using “blind faith” ideology and falsehoods to create laws. There is freedom of religion and belief and it is better served in your churches, not by bothering the rest of us with lies and silliness.

William vanderGraaf

Winnipeg

Sour royal gesture

Re: “Disappointed in the U.K.” (Letters, March 15)

I could not agree more with Ron Robert and this is from someone who has never had a problem in the past with the monarchy and with Canada being a part of the British Commonwealth.

This however all turned sour for me when I heard a week or so ago that King Charles intended to invite Trump to the U.K. That in itself is an affront to Canada and its citizens considering our current dealings with this individual. Mr. Robert has taken it one step further in that we have seen absolutely no support, be it moral or in any other fashion from England.

It is time that these ties between us are cut and if I had a vote today, I’m sorry but we would be gone.

Brian Short

Stonewall

Holding back power

A prolonged tariff of 25 per cent installed by the U.S. president will cripple Canada for years to come.

Retribution for this may be our only salvation.

Manitoba provides 22 per cent of the electricity used by the Midwestern U.S. A rationing of this amount to 25 per cent of 24 hours of power — about six hours’ worth — could change some minds.

Prior warnings would be given for emergency power setups.

Does that sound feasible?

Barry Mills

Winnipeg

Don’t cross the border

Boycott North Dakota. The people of Manitoba and Saskatchewan should be doing their utmost to send a strong financial message to the North Dakotans.

The former governor of North Dakota, billionaire Doug Burgum, who is now secretary of the interior for U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, is a strong Republican and backs Trump completely. Most North Dakotans are also strong Republicans. We should cease all travel to North Dakota (and the U.S. in general) immediately and eliminate any trade with them that we possibly can.

It is obvious that our closest American neighbour does not appreciate us.

Alex Sundell

Virden