Letters, April 7

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/04/2023 (898 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

External investigation is essential

Nathan Martindale’s op-ed Bill 35 goes beyond child protection (April 1) affirms the Manitoba Teachers Society’s commitment to uphold the integrity of the profession it represents. His differentiation between disciplinary and competence-based concerns is essential to assess the validity of Bill 35, which creates a structure in which varied complaints are forwarded to an external body rather than addressed by school principals who consult with divisional colleagues to support teacher improvement or discipline as necessary.

Current perceptions that the MTS is “protectionist” are unwarranted. I experienced its unqualified support when my role as a principal compelled me to address predatory behaviour. I was also well supported by our divisional leaders. A later role at the divisional level reaffirmed the dedication of the MTS to assist us to address issues appropriately.

Martindale rightly affirms that we already have agencies that address serious concerns. It’s regrettable if a situation not referred by a school division to child protection services or the police has fuelled the bill, which actually adds a counterproductive layer to investigative processes.

One caution: supervisors who believe they can discern whether someone committed an offence risk the cynicism of colleagues, parents, and their communities. Timely and unbiased external investigation is essential and can also address unwarranted allegations.

Equally important is that not all concerns involve teachers. Other school-based staff may require guidance or discipline in some situations. Despite school divisions expecting all staff to relate respectfully to students, some employees may need feedback.

Bill 35 focuses on one employee group and invites a broad range of complaints that should be resolved locally and with reference to their level of seriousness.

A final observation — predatory behaviour also occurs at home, or with people known to the family, or in hobby environments. Schools are often the safest places in young lives.

In 1984, the Badgely Report provided compelling statistics that led school divisions to help students through personal safety curricula that also heightened parent and professional awareness of the dynamics of abuse.

Provincial energy would be best focused on restoring such curriculum rather than bureaucratic structures.

Linda Chernenkoff

Winnipeg

Safeguard our economy

Jim Nostedt is at the forefront, in his business, of trying to get us to use less carbon fuels and reduce our green house gas emissions (“Focus on better technologies,” Letters, April 5). I think his business will thrive as we all try to do our part in the next decade or two.

Because we live close to the Arctic and we have just had the coldest March in many years, it is hard for me to imagine not using natural gas to heat our homes.

I suppose we just need to trust our government to do the right thing for all of us. We won’t get thrown under the bus; we won’t be the casualties.

We travelled to Copenhagen, Denmark, last October to visit family, and we heard about their change to solar and wind power for most of their energy needs. The Danish climate is much like Vancouver’s, so I imagine our costs will be much higher because of our cold winters and hot summers.

We have cheap hydro power, but all those new electric cars will soon use more of that capacity and we will be forced to build more hydro dams.

Since Canada only contributes 1.5 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, maybe we could slow our exuberance for jumping on the bandwagon, and not kill our economy, and not throw our citizens under the bus.

Peter Kaufmann

Winnipeg

Stay in your lane

Re: “Fore!-gone conclusion,” Letters (April 5)

If we follow Gerald Trudeau’s thought process, he doesn’t golf, so green space shouldn’t be wasted on golf courses.

I don’t ride a bike, so therefore I don’t want want bicycle paths. They are a waste of road space for parking and traffic.

Judith Grant

Winnipeg

A letter-writing cyclist excessively refers to himself while complaining about city golf courses, which he considers to be a waste of green space.

He must not ski, or even ride his bike, in winter, otherwise he should have noticed that cross-country skiers do indeed use the golf courses.

Incidentally, every time I pass a dedicated bicycle lane in my car, I tell myself, “What a waste of pavement.” (Not really; it’s all good, especially public golf courses.)

Vic Mikolayenko

Winnipeg

Reject warlike thinking

I am disappointed you printed two letters criticizing the op-ed by John Wiens (no relation to me) Quiet pacifism inadequate response to war in Ukraine (March 28) on two separate occasions (April 1 and April 4) but none supporting his views, as I am sure there must be some.

I have come across a book, Peace Is Possible by Fredrik S. Heffermehl and endorsed by the International Peace Institute, in which he has selected 30 writers “most suited to show how everyone has a role to play in building the roads to a world in peace.”

Among them are Lloyd Axworthy, the Dalai Lama, Daniel Ellsberg, Nelson Mandela, Jody Williams and (believe it or not) Mikhail Gorbachev (former president of the USSR who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1990).

Here are a few quotes from Gorbachev’s contribution:

1. “After the Cold War, instead of conversion, we have seen defence production, arms trade and weapons-export policies continue.”

2. “We should put an end to the myth that nuclear weapons guarantee peace.”

3. “The tradition of resolving national and international problems by force, violence and arms is a political disease of our epoch.”

4. “We must understand that war itself is unacceptable as a way of resolving present and future problems.”

5. “War has to be rejected and definitively excluded from policies of government.”

My “delusional” dream is that many people would read this book and come to realize the power of one, plus one, plus one etc. to effect change.

Charlotte Wiens

LaSalle

Bravo to bus drivers

Thank you so much for the uplifting story on Winnipeg Transit driver Joseph Fullmer (This bus is fuelled by heart, April 3).

With the plethora of horrid news we are bombarded with daily, it was such a treat to read about such an amazingly kind and caring person. Oh, that the world had many more of him!

Many years ago, my father met a Transit driver named Laurie Fardoe, from England, who enjoyed a similar-sounding sense of humour. Having to change routes often, he sometimes got the route wrong and panicked passengers got alarmed.

He quickly covered up up by saying, “Madam, there’s been a fire and we’ve been rerouted,” giving him time to figure out where he was supposed to be going.

Bravo to all the wonderful bus drivers in Winnipeg!

Jane Romaniuk

Winnipeg

I’d buy that for a dollar

I just found out that men are cheaper than we thought.

My grandson was letting me out of the car at Superstore’s cart lineup. A man who looked neat, kind of nice-looking, pushed the cart toward me and asked, “Do you want to buy a cart?”

I said, “Yes, please!”

He put his hand out for his loonie, I put it in his hand; he said thank you and then left.

I went toward the store and saw there was no loonie in the cart. I was shocked this person would do that. I yelled “Thief!” but lost him.

It made me laugh at his actions, acting like a bum! The poor loonie!

Fern LeBlanc

Winnipeg