Letters, Dec. 31

Familiar story

Re: First comes the shock (Dec. 30)

Thank you Martin Zeilig for sharing your journey with prostate cancer.

It was like reading a rerun script from my journey starting back in 2012 with the same experience.

With the support from the world-class medical team at the prostate centre and The Manitoba Prostate Cancer Support Group, I was able to make my choice of procedures resulting in a positive outcome.

Get tested. It could save your life.

Ron Chatfield

East St. Paul

Safety first

Re: Derailment shows rail study on track: Axworthy (Dec. 30)

Derailments aren’t inevitable. They are caused by badly maintained equipment, badly maintained and/or inspected roadbed, and/or human error.

The remedies for these deficiencies are (or should be) obvious; namely, better and/or more frequent maintenance, better staff-training, and staffing sufficient to ensure safe operations. But, oh — silly me! Those obvious remedies are costly so much so that the cumulative costs of cleaning up after derailments is less than the cost of measures necessary for preventing derailments.

This is where governments must intervene — with fines sufficiently punitive that, when added to the cost of cleanups, exceed the amounts necessary for preventing most, if not all, derailments.

Yes, rail relocation is desirable for reasons additional to safety. But, in the meantime, safety measures must be paramount — with “motivational” fines sufficient to ensure prioritization.

E.K. Bricknell

Toronto, Ont.

What we value

Re: More to the Granite story (Think Tank, Dec. 27)

An amazing, very informative and the most honest article yet written about the Granite Curling Club (should be designated a heritage building) and the current untenable situation with the City of Winnipeg. I am baffled as to why this apartment building cannot be located more in the downtown area, possibly in one of the many surface parking lots, in order to bring more residents into the downtown area.

There are also other areas along our beautiful rivers that would no doubt be just as suitable for those wanting to live on the river, rather than at the expense of the Granite Curling Club which will not survive. The historical information provided by James Hay needs to be considered and not just ignored. The building and curling should be preserved.

We need affordable living in the downtown area where people don’t need a car. That should be our first priority in this city, rather than catering to developers and building further and further from the downtown and warranting much more infrastructure that we cannot afford. It’s time to prioritize the downtown and leave the suburbs alone for awhile.

Let’s make Winnipeg a great place to live as we have so much to offer, particularly downtown — The Forks, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, etc. But let’s not do it at the expense of the Granite Curling Club, which attracts many tournaments and championships from around the world, as well as providing a wonderful curling environment for Winnipeggers.

Jan Weedon

Winnipeg

The discourse around the Granite Curling Club’s dispute with the city confuses me. Are we talking dollars and cents or are we talking about what we value?

Is the issue be clouded because curling is not seen as a high-profile activity (except by other curlers) so it’s easy to dismiss? How much is it seen as a dying sport and mostly an old fogies’ activity (but don’t tell the men’s and women’s leagues that)? Would the dialogue change if we were talking a soccer field or a hockey rink?

It is my understanding that those get some pretty heavy subsidies from the city as well. And they have some fantastic parking lots. So, in the cause of social housing, I assume those parking lots could be fair game too.

Always interesting to know what drives our stances.

Val Kellberg

Winnipeg

Great shots

Thanks to the great photographers who work for the Free Press. I enjoyed seeing the collection on Dec. 27 in the 49.8 section. The one of the cat getting the rabies vaccine was the perfect vantage point and the one of the goalie missing the penalty shot was perfect, although perhaps not for the goalie.

I feel that the photos enhance the news in print and the photographers deserve this special tribute.

Ruth Swan

Winnipeg

Message from the U.S.

To our Canadian friends, please be patient.

While I am an independent conservative I do not — and the overwhelming number of Americans do not — condone the outrageous behavior of our president.

Canadians and Americans are friends. Let us resolve that we shall continue our friendship regardless of our president’s unexplainable behaviour towards Canada and just about everybody else.

I cannot explain either how we elected this moron.

Please be patient. He won’t be president forever.

Bradley Clark

West Fargo, N.D.

Ignoring other reasons for violence

Re: Winnipeg Transit: imperfect, but indispensable (Think Tank, Dec. 29)

Adam Johnston’s article on Winnipeg Transit includes some useful ideas mixed with flawed logic and anti-police bias. Johnston says 90 per cent of violent incidents involving fare disputes is proof that rising costs fuel conflict. This ignores the violent intent of weapon-carrying, non-paying riders.

Still, the idea of a riders union to hold city councillors accountable may be helpful. In addition to safety concerns, most rider dissatisfaction involves prolonged, frigid journeys due to multiple required transfers in a spine and feeder system inappropriate for a long, cold winter city.

Until this root cause of misaligned routes is corrected by restoring the previous system, riders will seek more efficient alternatives.

Wayne Manishen

Winnipeg

Be good sports

Re: Parekh scores twice, Canada secures nervy victory over Czechia to open world juniors (Dec. 26)

Following Team Canada’s win against Czechia at the world juniors, I was deeply disappointed by how some players conducted themselves while representing our country.

During the playing of the national anthem, several players appeared disengaged, talking among themselves and even spitting on the ice, rather than showing the basic respect that moment deserves. Wearing the maple leaf is a privilege, not an entitlement, and the anthem is an opportunity to pause and reflect on that responsibility.

I was equally troubled to see members of Team Canada leave the ice without participating in the customary post-game handshake with the Czech players. Sportsmanship and respect for opponents are foundational values in hockey and should never be optional, regardless of the outcome of the game.

Hockey Canada has an obligation to ensure that players representing our country understand that talent alone is not enough. Character, humility, and respect for the game, for opponents, and for Canada must matter just as much. If those standards are not upheld, accountability should follow.

Representing Canada on the world stage should always come with pride and respect. Canadians expect and deserve nothing less.

Christian Tardi

Winnipeg