Letters, Jan. 30

Look out for student welfare

Re: Teacher suspended without pay for mimicking child’s outburst (Jan. 22)

This is unbelievable, putting it lightly.

He should be fired and banned from teaching in Manitoba for five years.

Instead they moved him to another school so he can keep his mimicking and bullying up.

This is happening in many schools today. Teachers, mocking students because they have a problem reading, or stuttering, when nervous.

When the parents go to the principal, superintendent and school board they just brush it off. The teacher says so what, “I am protected by the union.” You cannot do anything.

Principals, superintendents, members of the school boards and unions, look at yourself in the mirror. You are as guilty, if not more, than these teachers by allowing this to happen to Grade 3/4 and all other students. What kind of message are you sending to these kids?

It is about time you grew up and put your big pants on and protected these kids.

James Thompson

Winnipeg

Carney proves prescient

Re: India and the European Union reach a free trade deal representing a third of global trade (Jan. 27)

Prime Minister Mark Carney was and is prescient and validated in his assertions and statements regarding a new emerging world trade and commerce order with your reporting on “the mother of all deals” between the EU and India.

Canada needs to further advance more diverse trading and business ties with other countries of our world, as we witness the madness and disruption that now characterizes the U.S. commercial, cultural and political environment.

This announcement of a “game-changing” reduction of tariffs and trade restrictions between the EU’s 27 member countries and India that covers a wide range of goods from textiles to medicines, and also slashing import taxes for European wine and cars is an antidote to the ongoing self-inflicted toxic American economic ailment.

Carney is right on when he continues to chart a course for Canada that is less reliant on an unreliable and unstable neighbour and broadens Canada’s future across more of our globe.

Roland Stankevicius

Winnipeg

Proud of PM

Re: ‘I meant what I said’: Carney to Trump (Jan. 28)

Prime Minister Mark Carney continues to make me a proud Canadian. Twelve new trade deals on four continents in six months sounds impressive, and seems to be an important step is reducing our economic reliance on our unpredictable and emotional neighbour and trade partner.

Canadian industry will have to retool, restructure, do what’s necessary to compete in our new global marketplace. Our government needs to prepare for job losses to artificial intelligence.

In order to be credible on the world stage, Carney needed to be clear that he meant what he said in his powerful Davos speech.

Marilyn Bird

Winnipeg

Transit frustrations

I’ve been struggling to put into words exactly what and how the changes to Winnipeg Transit have meant for me. After all, when it works, it works really well, but the system is incredibly brittle and can fall apart really easily.

Yesterday, I was so excited to see that my River Heights sidewalks were finally well cleaned and I could easily get around without constantly worrying about a slip and fall. You see, the closest bus stop is actually clear across the other side of Kenaston and there is no way I’m darting across six lanes of traffic at rush hour. There is no controlled intersection and I’m not crossing without a light on slippery streets.

Fast forward to this morning, as the first bus is pulling around the corner, I can see the second bus that I need pulling away and it’s not even close enough for the driver to honk and try to get him to wait. I then get on a backup bus and complain bitterly in my head that I’m already going to arrive at work tired because of having to do even more walking in the freezing temperatures. Thankfully, it is still early morning and there’s enough room on the bus that I can get my phone out and figure out another way to get to work. And most of all, the GPS systems and networks are working so I can get accurate information. I then figure it out in enough time to jump off the bus and meet the initial bus I was supposed to.

All this to say, I’ve had a lot on my plate this year, and I’ve had to find the extra bandwidth to figure out the bus situation. Thankfully, I can do the extra labour, but it’s just been one more thing to worry about and I don’t even have to rely on public transit as much as I used to. I worry for those who can’t take on the extra work because there’s just too much in their lives and who don’t have access to technology to guide them in navigating the system.

No one is listening or taking any of my feedback seriously and it’s so frustrating to just be told “we are figuring it out for a year and will improve later.” This is the first bitterly cold winter in years and the infrastructure for a change like this is just the pits. But at least, I’m getting home about 10 minutes faster? I’ve also never been more frequently sick in my life. People’s livelihoods and their health is not something to mess around with.

Rebecca Lett

Winnipeg

Time to drop news ban

I was glad to see that the federal government and Meta are in talks to remove the news ban currently in place on Facebook. In this environment where there is so much fake news, to not have access to legit journalism (the Free Press included) on a platform which is used by 32 million Canadians (approximately 82 per cent of our population) is more detrimental to us as a society than compensation (albeit rightly) owed to news organizations.

You’ll have heard social media “isn’t real life” basically since its inception. I concurred for years. Unfortunately, at best, it is a hybrid of real life in 2026. Alberta separatism, Quebec separatism, and unrest abroad which affects our country demands access to the news from reputable sources, if only to combat the “news” that slithers its way onto the platform.

This can, and must still go hand in hand with ensuring the stability of widely trusted news across Manitoba and Canada.

Joe Stover

Churchill

Major decision for Hydro

Re: Manitoba Hydro facing $193-M IT overhaul (Jan. 21)

Manitoba Hydro is reportedly undertaking an information technology (IT) upgrade. The current SAP (German-based) system dates to the 1990s and Hydro’s IT is due for an update. It can be noted the government has also been using the SAP system. The IT systems mentioned were SAP and the U.S.-based Oracle.

It was unclear to me whether SAP and Oracle were the only providers expected to respond to the RFP, or if other providers were also expected to respond and who those might be. SAP has been a reliable IT provider for upwards of 40 years now, whereas Oracle is U.S.-based and is known to have recently experienced financial difficulties. At an estimated cost approaching $200 million, this will be a significant expenditure and warrants extensive due diligence.

Manitoba Hydro management and the minister responsible for Hydro will be facing an interesting decision: walk the talk in terms of trade diversification, or fall ever more closely into the embrace of U.S. integration. On the negative, an American provider would entail certain financial and security issues (think F-35 software) to which it would be prudent to not expose our hydro grid. On the positive, expressed trade diversification intentions should be part of this technology procurement consideration and would speak to using a non-U.S. provider.

I think Manitobans will be watching this procurement very closely; “elbows up,” as they say!

Sig Laser

Winnipeg