Letters, Dec. 11

Benefits to new stop location

Re: Bus stop spoils shops’ holiday cheer (Dec. 9)

The businesses decrying the bus stop adjustment at Academy and Queenston disregard both the reason for the change, as well as the wider benefit of it to everyone including customers, car-parkers, transit users, seniors, children, and of course, residents.

“The new location places the bus stop closer to a controlled intersection, which … makes it safer and easier for pedestrians… to catch their bus” according to Winnipeg Transit.

And further, “the overhaul would add more parking spaces along Academy, including three to six spots in the immediate area surrounding the four businesses.”

Having been a longtime resident in close proximity to this intersection, I have had ample occasion to observe the scary sight of jaywalkers shortcutting through dangerous traffic on Academy to catch the bus at the old stop. And just to be fair, this same old stop, unsurprisingly, was situated in front of other businesses who would have been, up to now, deprived of adjacent parking. It’s kind of the luck of the draw, if your business is on a busy thoroughfare, how a bus stop affects your street parking, and at least here, the city’s action has clearly evident benefits.

Having said all that, though, this tempest in a teapot pales in comparison to the vast disservice our politicians did when they allowed our reliable and sensible (but sadly underfunded) public transit system to be degraded into a monstrous and senseless adventure. Surely, that is what will be remembered when we come to vote next year.

T. Furmaniuk

Winnipeg

Let leaders try new system

The City of Winnipeg and especially those who are responsible for this new ridiculous bus route system, seem to have their heads in the sand and an inability to own up to this mess.

Perhaps we should ask all City of Winnipeg employees, from Mayor Scott Gillingham on down, to take the bus to work for two weeks. I would be curious to hear their feedback for how well that worked for them.

Debra Hall

Winnipeg

The electric advantage

Re: “Deal with Alberta has positives” (Letters, Dec. 6)

I am writing to respond to Bill Allan’s letter. Alberta’s “carbon free” product will only deal with the carbon released in the process of producing the oil.

The ultimate user will eventually burn the fuel, releasing its carbon into the atmosphere. Hydrogen fuel cell autos are not a panacea. To be practical, refuelling stations would have to be set up from coast to coast, which would involve replacing the current gas stations in Canada with approximately 11,000 to 12,000 hydrogen refuelling stations,or about 150,000 stations in the U.S.

Who would pay for all those stations, especially when there are only a literal handful of hydrogen-fuel-cell cars on the road? Electric cars can recharge anywhere there is an electrical outlet.

Michael Dowling

Winnipeg

Shun, don’t flatter

Re: World Cup draw loathsome and repugnant (Dec. 6)

What was supposed to be a significant World Cup event, attended by the leaders of the three host nations, turned out to be another toadying affair, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino sucking up to U.S. President Donald Trump by flattering him with a phony, despicable peace prize.

I think the whole world knows that Trump loves praise and expensive gifts from those attempting to stay on his side.

Is it working? Well, that depends on what day it is and the first thing Trump sees or hears that morning. Perhaps this strategy of accolades is wrong and a better move would be by the world leaders of democracies to ignore Trump completely by not answering his calls, turning down invitations to the White House, ostracizing Trump’s unqualified cabinet and providing a cold shoulder at any opportunity.

I believe this type of concerted behaviour would send a powerful message to Trump, his cabinet, and Republican members of Congress, that the dismantling of U.S. democracy and its institutions is not acceptable. Ignoring may prove to be stronger than heaps of praise.

Terry Meindl

Winnipeg

Reasons for political disinterest

Re: Former MLAs seek to depolarize Manitoba’s politics (Dec. 3)

Marianne Cerilli, Len Isleifson et al. bemoan the descent into incivility and division in politics, and Cerilli expresses her concerns over threats made to those holding political office.

If they truly want to understand the frustrations of those of us who care about what kind of world we leave to our children and grandchildren, then they can be informed by articles such as Norman Brandson’s Dec. 3rd op-ed A regulatory regression in Canada, and the recounting of the Assembly of First Nations’ objections to the Canada-Alberta agreement on oil pipeline development. These two articles only scratched the surface of the malaise, but they were certainly indicative of why distrust of politicians of every stripe and at every level of government is on the rise.

We may not have party politics at the municipal level in Winnipeg, but the ill-conceived “strong mayor” concept has resulted in the clique mentality of the executive policy committee, bolstered by an ineffective, silo-ridden bureaucracy, seemingly catering to a growth-at-any-cost agenda. Far too often, the voices of balanced, sober second thought raised by small enterprise and concerned citizenry are dismissed as NIMBY-ism or “woke” idealism … lumped in with the strident barrage of uninformed fringe-group yelling.

In Manitoba, it seems all we hear from our MLAs is bipartisan finger-pointing; one side touting accomplishments while blaming the other side for creating the mess in the first place, and the other side countering with “you talk big, but haven’t accomplished anything” gainsaying.

In other provinces, we see partisan bickering, catering to scary fringe elements, invocation of the notwithstanding clause to suit narrow political agendas, the erosion of countrywide co-operation by the erection of straw men in the form of regional grievances, and the universal “blame the Feds” attitude.

Federally, we have parties seeming to cater to whoever buys them the biggest lunch … major corporations, populist elements, groups championing regional disparities … whatever delivers the most votes. Broad, national vision is met with cheap sloganeering passing as objections, but at the same time, that broad national vision is often only framed in terms of corporate balance sheets. Floor-crossing MPs, MPs resigning their portfolios or seats are rare occasions of principled dedication to the country, with most MPs appearing to think no further than the next election.

Is it any wonder, then, why so many take such a dim view of politicians?

Stewart Fay

Winnipeg