Letters, July 22

Culling not the answer

Re: Our dear deer (Think Tank, July 21)

Although I sympathize with Mac Horsburgh and his ruined garden, his suggestions for reducing the population of deer in our city are unattainable. Here in Charleswood we have herds of deer, or should I say hordes? And yes, they stand on the road, they eat our flowers and veggies, and occasionally, however rarely, they are hit by cars.

But culling deer is 100 per cent pointless. It has been well-proven that killing deer will not decrease their population. If you want to cull something, how about we start with the folks that drive down our street at 80 km/h?

I had an acquaintance who was a deer hunter and was tired of deer trashing his garden. So he decided to manage it himself, got out his hunting bow and shot an arrow into a large doe. She proceeded to jump the fence and land in a yard full of children having a birthday party to scream and die. The children were utterly traumatized, the parents called 911, and he was hauled off to face charges that included the apprehension of all his hunting weapons. And sorry Mac, but I will feel sorry for a suffering deer if I want to.

There are better answers. The first year we moved here, deer ate our entire garden, so we put up a fence. Problem solved. If the deer are eating your front-yard flower beds, there are dozens of beautiful flowering plants that deer dislike. And these days we have even better solutions. Sterilization of deer is becoming more and more practical, it is completely humane, and it works.

Yes, there would be a cost to implementing such a program, but it is at least a realistic solution that many other cities are utilizing.

Steve Oetting

Winnipeg

Credit to Klinic

Re: Report assails Klinic’s workplace health (July 17); Klinic directors fired days after scathing report (July 19)

I was saddened to read about the workplace problems affecting Klinic Community Health.

I have been a patient at Klinic for several years and I have never experienced a more caring, inclusive medical environment. I have never witnessed any violent behaviours, racism, or anything other than positive interaction between staff and patients at all levels, nor have I ever had any sense of dissension or workplace stress.

I am grateful for the care I have received over the years at Klinic, and hope that this report will not tarnish Klinic’s sterling record established over its half-century in community health care. In my experience, Klinic goes above and beyond what any other clinic offers.

Rene Jamieson

Winnipeg

Rural riding in spotlight

Re: NDP puts politics ahead of voters in Spruce Woods (July 18)

Mr. Brodbeck’s column lays out one way to look at the time taken to call a byelection in the Spruce Woods riding, but there are other ways to view the situation. Here’s a few thoughts.

Spruce Woods has a lot in common with most of the rural ridings in our province. Rarely do they get elevated to the position of newsmaker or top of the agenda consideration when it comes to government. In general elections, Winnipeg is always the big prize, owning 32 of the 57 seats available. Parties contesting Winnipeg seats during an election have it easy, with travel time measured in minutes or portions of an hour.

An announcement in a Winnipeg riding is fully covered and usually impacts the whole riding, often the whole city. In rural ridings (sorry, ignoring the north), hours of driving can be required to highlight an announcement, which may only affect that town or area while having little or no impact on the other end of a large riding. Three or four events in a day in Winnipeg can take a week or more to coordinate in rural areas.

A byelection is a unique opportunity for a rural riding. They are the centre of attention and rise to the top of the agenda. Vote buying is the usual criticism levelled at governments making much needed investments in long neglected infrastructure. Rather than having no voice as stated by Mr. Brodbeck, I see an amplified voice due to the circumstances.

Life at the top of agenda is short-lived, relegated to the need to call the byelection. The current six-month window seems to be about right, enabling disparate towns and municipalities sufficient time to outline top priorities, communicate them to the parties, and receive realistic feedback from the parties contesting the election. A rushed approach, such as Brodbeck’s suggestion of 90 days, would preclude much of this dialogue.

Yes, most governments do tend to spend in a riding when it comes to a byelection, and it’s easy to argue that’s not right. But a byelection is one of the few times a rural riding has a bit of leverage when dealing with the government. By carefully curating their needs, they can turn the opportunity into impactful investments in their communities spinning off benefits for years if not decades with long lived infrastructure.

A shorter byelection window would not eliminate a government’s desire to show some love to the riding, but it could result in less impactful, maybe even wasteful spending.

Clark Marcino

Brandon

Effective prevention

Re: HSC screening visitors to high-risk wards for measles (July 18)

While HSC is acting with good intentions in screening visitors for symptoms of measles to a selection of units and clinics, the reality is that a significant amount of spread occurs before signs or symptoms present themselves.

Fortunately, there is an effective way to mitigate measles spread that can be implemented at HSC and other Manitoba health-care institutions: requiring clients, staff, and visitors to wear N95 masks. Measles is airborne, and a well-fitting mask provides excellent protection.

This has the additional benefit of preventing the spread of COVID-19, which is once again on the rise. This is especially important given what we now know about the considerable long-term impacts to health from COVID infection, as well as the virus’s significant acute risks for pregnant people.

I know of no other evidence-based, pan-viral preventative strategy that rivals proper masking. Let’s make sure our healthcare institutions “follow the science” on this one.

Kristen Hardy

Winnipeg

Disappointing decision

Re: City to allow opt-out from new smart water meters with doctor’s note (July 18)

I’m disappointed in city council’s decision to approve an opt-out program for wireless water meters, a move that defies both science and common sense.

Radiofrequency emissions from these meters would be lower than those from cellphones, Wi-Fi routers, or even lightbulbs. Health Canada and countless scientific bodies have confirmed they pose no health risk. Yet, city council voted to spend $252,000 a year to appease misinformation-driven fears held by a small number of residents.

These funds could have funded real community needs, like the now shuttered Community Connections space at the Millennium Library.

Instead, council chose inefficiency and pseudoscience over the advice given from professionals and scientists.

Public policy should always be guided by evidence, not fear.

Dustin Beniston

Winnipeg