Letters, July 26

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/07/2023 (1146 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Plan would help North End

Re: Time for a plan on rail lands (Think Tank, July 23)

Brent Bellamy’s column on moving the rail yard out of the city was very interesting.

This would be such an improvement for the North end, especially if affordable housing were built instead of the McMansions. This would also help improve the Point Douglas area.

It would also make sense to move the yard towards the inland port. It could be expensive but in the long run would be worth it. Look at the transformation at the Forks.

Leanne Hanuschuk

Winnipeg

 

Bouquet for Bellamy

I am writing in response to Brent Bellamy’s most recent column as well as pretty much everything else he has written. Mr. Bellamy’s essays are always informative, thoughtful, intelligent and relevant. They address the many concerns that we all have about how to make Winnipeg a truly livable city for everyone.

His thoughts are always a breath of fresh air amid the squabbling, mud-slinging and finger-pointing by the naysayers and penny pinchers. He makes us think positively about what could be, and what should be. Is there some way we could put him in charge?

Theresa Shaw

Winnipeg

 

NIMBY problem

I always enjoy reading Brent Bellamy’s column. However, there were two things this week that he didn’t get quite right.

Of course trains full of oil going through cities (like Winnipeg) and towns (Like Lac Mégantic) is a risk. Moving the rails (at great cost) is a way to reduce this risk, however, building (way safer) pipelines is another that should be pointed out. Sadly the enviro lobby would rather see it moved by train.

Also, his idea on infill housing on BNSF land in River Heights is a great one. However, this would never ever make it through the community committee. Remember this is (my) neighbourhood of NIMBYs that absolutely lost it and came out in full force when MTS wanted to build a small/camouflaged cell tower at their facility on Niagara Street to help with the terrible cell coverage in the area!

Any multifamily housing in River Heights would also be met with the usual NIMBY cries of “too much traffic” and “decreased property values.” Shame.

Derek Rolstone

Winnipeg

 

Name and shame

Re: ‘It’s a hate crime’: rainbow-painted Pride crosswalks vandalized in Lundar (July 24)

News from Lundar that a pride crosswalk has been defaced several times is such a despicable act, it’s amazing how something so benign that literally inconveniences no one can cause certain people to just explode with rage, maybe it’s just the lowest hanging fruit they could find to take their frustrations out on, of course ‘people’ is a pretty generous description for who would do this, pond scum seems more apt somehow.

I disagree with Coun. Sigfusson though, bridging the divide is cool and all but these people cannot see reason, they’re beyond that, there is no fact that can convince them. This kind of intolerance must be combated head on. This small group should be publicly identified and exposed for all to see, let the social embarrassment and ostracization remediate the situation, public shaming of town losers is a time honoured tradition.

I like that Coldwell Reeve Johnson is planning to repaint and repaint after these incidents, that’s the bare minimum that should be happening.

Despite all the progress made here, there are still people who fervently believe LGBTTQ+ don’t exist, which devalues them as people, making hatred much easier, because they aren’t human in the minds of these others, whose humanity I think is definitely in question.

Will Jones

Winnipeg

 

Why hire firm?

Re: Manitoba hires firm to recruit family physicians to the province (July 24)

Winnipeg Regional Health Authority employs over 14,000 workers and Shared Health employs over 15,000 workers. Yet the Tories have to hire a separate firm to recruit doctors.

This is also the same government who has spent over $6 million in the past several years to hire consultants to give advice on our health-care system. One would think there would be staff among the 29,000 workers who would be qualified to do the work needed, especially considering the high paid salaries of the CEO’s and managers.

I guess the donors/supporters of the Tories who run these private firms need their payback.

Stewart Jacques

Winnipeg

 

Too little, too late

Audrey Gordon’s lamentably late and purported interest in the catastrophic state of Manitoba health care, which she has been overseeing for years, reeks of political pandering and re-election desperation.

Is the recent announcement concerning the third-party recruitment of family physicians just more smoke and mirrors from the Manitoba PCs, a mere nine weeks away from the election? Will Manitoba health care, eviscerated by Pallister and his gang, and utterly mismanaged by Gordon, ever be healthy again? Or, will it remain on life support?

Why was this laudatory initiative not implemented years ago, before tens of thousands of Manitobans were forced to suffer from interminable wait lists, and others died?

This is yet one more cynical move by the PCs who wish to portray themselves as caring and accountable. Yet, so many Manitobans continue to suffer from years-long untreated sickness, thanks to the PCs’ inhumane austerity, the same PCs who, by the way, seem content to leave the remains of certain loved ones buried in garbage dumps.

This is the most obvious attempt at pre-election manipulation by a heartless political party — “coulda, woulda, shoulda”; “proud parent moment”; “stay tuned” — a party that deserves to be shown the door.

Kenneth Meadwell, PhD, OPA

Winnipeg

 

Good money after bad

Re: Province gave new contract to clinic at root of health transfer cut (July 25)

Just another ‘spend good money after bad’ story regarding the mishandling of public funds by our Broadway Avenue (non) leaders. No indication from our inept minister Gordon on any legal charges or fines to Proto Clinic, nor how the government will get the illegally paid diagnostic fees back to the patients. Disgusting!

I hope the affected patients have their receipts on file to take to the clinic for their deserved refunds.

Bob Sales

Winnipeg

 

Beautiful boulevards

Let’s have some good reviews for Winnipeg! Whoever designs and fills up the many flower planters on the main roads of Winnipeg does a fantastic job with colours and combinations.

They look spectacular, along with the mowed grass parkland areas and green tree canopy it is a treat to drive and cycle through (so very sorry about the dying Elms — very sad to see).

As a regular summer visitor to Winnipeg, I really appreciate the efforts to beautify the city! Thank you for all your hard work!

Don Wilson

Kelowna B.C.

 

Hit the books

Re: Lights, camera, no action (Editorial, July 25)

Thank you for your editorial. Canadians should react to the strikes discussed with one word — great. In recent years we have been bombarded by superhero movies full of pyrotechnics but whose script could have been written by a five-year-old.

The bar has been set so low that even a semi-coherent production is treated as if it were Citizen Kane.

It’s time for everyone to dust off their library cards and read some good books. We should try to recoup some IQ points we lost watching the product produced by movie studios and streaming services.

Kurt Clyde

Winnipeg