Letters, April 13

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/04/2023 (891 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Other power options

Peter Kaufman states that adoption of more electrification in our economy will require more hydro dams to be built (“Safeguard our economy,” Letters, April 7). There is that possibility, but world developments show that this is not necessarily so.

Combinations of solar, wind and battery storage have shown that electrical grid production can be rapidly added and at less cost than megaprojects like hydro dams and nuclear power plants. In combination here with our hydro power, we have a “four-legged stool” possibility for power production.

Currently we have a surplus of power available that will take some time to be used up by electric vehicle adoption. It is exported to the U.S. at mostly “spot market” rate prices. There is also the consideration that EVs do not plug in all at once and are easily programmable to draw power in off-peak hours. I have been doing this for the last 20 months.

Brian Marks

Winnipeg

War has human cost

It was heartening to read of the Pope’s recognition of the human cost of war in his Easter homily. (Pope invokes prayers for Ukrainian, Russian people, April 10).

As the child of a “displaced person” after the Second World War, I grew up with an acute awareness of the plight of those who are forced to leave behind and mourn lost loved ones because of the political and military machinations of those who regard war as another game — one of high stakes death and destruction.

It may be well for us to remember that we live in a time where the absurd term “mutual assured destruction” is now part of our consciousness and vocabulary.

One can only hope and pray that more voices of compassion and sanity will emerge in this time of growing global conflict.

Edwin Buettner

Winnipeg

Jane Hunter (“Olympics promote harmony,” Letters, April 11) asks, “Where would you stop and start in this attempt to identify villains?” A simple answer to that would be: you would stop at genocide.

One might want to take into account the fact that Ukrainian athletes are unable to train because their training facilities have been bombed and destroyed. Many Ukrainian athletes have lost their lives defending their country on the battlefield against an unprovoked aggression. The foreign policy of a country such as Russia cannot be overlooked at a time when it is destabilizing the whole international world order.

We keep harping about the United States and its past transgressions, but at this time in history, in this particular situation, the U.S. and its allies are in the right to support an independent sovereign democratic country that does not want eradication and elimination of its nationhood.

The ideal of promoting international harmony via the Olympics at a time when Ukraine is suffering such atrocities is actually very offensive and disrespectful to that country’s struggle to survive, because they, too, want to live in peace and harmony. Pretending that we can sidestep reality by replacing it with the illusion of Olympic harmony is both illogical and delusional.

Christine Krucko

Winnipeg

Go with the flow

Each time (every few weeks) that I drive from Swan River to Winnipeg, the journey gets shorter as the march of new building accommodations advances to the Perimeter Highway and beyond, as the city stretches out to greet me.

Billions of litres of sewage and “combined outflow” go into the Assiniboine and Red rivers each year as the sewage treatment system of Winnipeg (and presumably other communities) is overwhelmed and flows to Lake Winnipeg and “the Beaches” and beyond.

The article Winnipeg chosen as site of federal water agency (March 29) and Vicki Burns’ letter (“We all need clean water,” April 6) about hog barns led me to ask where the obviously needed new human sewage farm will go, and when will it be operational?

Andy Maxwell

Swan River

A sidewalk less travelled

Re: Winnipeg winter shouldn’t translate to lower quality of life (April 11)

Well said, Brent Bellamy.

What with the war on Ukraine, skyrocketing costs of living and climate crisis, it’s still the need to walk safely that’s a down-home challenge that can’t be ignored.

Hope our city councillors are listening.

Sometimes it takes an architect!

Gloria Taylor

Winnipeg

A very memorable day

Re: Save the citizenship ceremonies! (April 12)

I would very much like to keep the citizenship ceremonies.

As a newcomer, in 2003, I realized that I no longer belonged anywhere. I had left family and friends in the United Kingdom for a new life in Canada. A great adventure. I made the vow that I would live Canadian, not be an immigrant who demanded my U.K. values be respected. That I can do in the privacy of my home.

When I passed the citizenship exam, and knew I was being welcomed as a citizen of Canada I realized that I belonged again. I saw the immigration judge a few months later in a store, and thanked him for such a great day.

Please do not deprive others of this memorable day.

Rob Bellmont

Brandon

Don’t platform extremes

Having no affiliation to any political philosophy, nor supporting any particular party, it’s my belief that politics at all levels is a necessary irritant in our daily existence. Those who are bold enough to participate in politics have always gained my interest, but it’s a sad and tawdry fact of life that they are all strangers to the truth.

Some are far more adept than others, and become prolific in bending that truth when addressing constituents and followers who put them in what they view as an elevated and exalted position.

Last week one of the biggest entertainers, former U.S. president Donald J. Trump, was arraigned in New York, with international media attention quite unprecedented. In watching several interviews relating to this ongoing media circus on various U.S., Canadian, British and other television networks, blatant partisanship and xenophobia was quite evident. Please allow just two examples of the multitudes of mouthpieces who were sounding off.

Firstly, the firebrand Republican Congresswoman from Georgia, Marjorie Taylor Greene was interviewed at a protest outside the courthouse. Taylor Greene looked right in the camera to defend her party leader, and declared quite seriously: “Nelson Mandela was arrested, and so was Jesus.”

Later that evening the firebrand Democratic Congresswoman from New York Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was interviewed by a fawning Seth Myers on his talk show. Ocasio-Cortez unabashedly gloated over the former president’s predicament, her disarming delivery depicting disconcerting degrees of schadenfreude.

For those of us who value honest and serious discussion, trust in media reporting becomes eroded when people like Taylor Greene and Ocasio-Cortez are chosen as spokespersons. Even though they may be good for network ratings, both represent the extreme views of their respective parties, and usually both are spouting unmitigated mendacious nonsense.

Bernie Smith

Parksville, B.C .

Practising, preaching

Re: Examining goalie’s decision not to wear pride jersey (April 12)

Anyone who claims to base their personal convictions on the Bible probably has not read much of it. The Bible is full of discrimination against women, even violence against them. Some of the acts of violence are attributed to the will of God.

On the lighter side, I hope that James Reimer is careful not to pick up sticks to build a campfire on the Sabbath, and I certainly hope he does not eat multigrain bread or cereal, both of which are forbidden.

Carolyn Garlich

Winnipeg