Letters, Aug. 14

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/08/2023 (831 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Pothole move risky

Re: Seeds of ‘gentle activism’: flower pot(holes) protest state of city road (Aug. 10)

Sure it looks like fun and a novel way to garner attention to potholes by planting flowers in them. Being polite and not raining on anyone’s parade, the City and the media did not mention the serious liability issues associated with such actions.

If a motorist lost control of his vehicle because of driving over these flowers and crashed into a house, ran over a pedestrian, child or pet on the boulevard, the planter of the flowers would be liable and could be sued. The City has to give written permission before citizens can alter city property and if permission was given for this stunt, the City would then become liable.

Robert Moskal

Winnipeg

Energy policy weak

In 2005 my furnace started to fail, and I arranged to replace it with a geothermal system. At the time Manitoba Hydro helped with a low-interest loan to help install the ground loop. This was an expensive capital outlay that stood in my way of installing one of the greenest and most economical HVAC systems around and I am glad I was able to make use of it.

In 2017 my daughter installed solar panels on her house in Ft Rouge and now produces, in an average year, around 30 per cent more power than she uses. Manitoba Hydro buys the surplus power from her at the same rate she pays and puts it in the grid which helps pay for the installation. We have both worked to make our houses well insulated and energy efficient, often with the help of grants or low interest loans from Manitoba Hydro, many of which are gone, reduced or now involve so much paperwork and red tape that they are best avoided.

The new PC plan to define an energy pathway for Manitobans is the height of hypocrisy and amounts to vaguely waving some eco-green buzzwords in an attempt to convince us that they are working towards renewable energy. The low-interest loans that I used were cancelled soon after the PCs took power. The buyback rates for solar power are now set well below your buying rates, the $50 rebate on old inefficient freezers and refrigerators has been reduced to $30 and the age limit pushed to 15 years so that fewer units qualify.

Incentives designed to get grassroots buy-in, reducing energy use and creating sustainable renewable distributed energy sources, have been gutted. They claim they need to ensure Manitobans have an adequate supply of energy going forward and air commercials about energy efficiency and talk about the importance of insulating older homes. They then implement building codes that guarantee new homes will lack insulation and cost extra to heat and cool, while ignoring calls to organize large scale integration of such things as geothermal into new construction.

I fail to see how their actions over the last seven years and their proposed actions in the future will be of any benefit to the average Manitoban, although I think many private companies will see additional work and profits as they insulate homes and build private wind farms to sell power to an increasingly handicapped Manitoba Hydro.

Daniel Roscoe

Winnipeg

R.I.P. to a great one

The music lost a great one with the passing of Robbie Robertson. Keep making that beautiful noise in the sky, Robbie. I’ll miss you.

Paul Bacon

Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Memories of past destruction

The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August, 1945 are sad days in world events. The U.S.A. ushered us into the Atomic Age but scientists in Germany and England had nearly completed their perfection of this terrible technology and the world was at the threshold of a new era. Perhaps currently, a ban by the United Nations ‘might’ stop the threat, but, perhaps not, as well.

About 1956, with a friend I attended the Beacon movie theatre on Main Street across from City Hall for the showing of Hiroshima but I could only remain for the first 15 minutes because the scenes were too gruesome for a 15 year old lad. I never forgot it. The burned flesh, the hair falling out, the confusion, the destruction. How did the state of war become this tragic scene? Prior to that I had never heard of Hiroshima.

The Japanese forces were formidable foes who were often brutally cruel with torture of prisoners. Not only had the Japanese attacked U.S. ships in Hawaii but also invaded Hong Kong, mainland China and a number of Asian countries on Dec. 6, 1941. Hong Kong was a British Crown Colony and Canada’s troops were among the defenders of British, Americans and Asians who were taken prisoner. My parents’ friend, a captain with the Winnipeg Grenadiers, was badly beaten in 1945 and returned to Canada aboard a hospital ship. He died two years later.

Japan had been an ally of Germany and Italy in the formation of “The Axis” that was seeking to conquer the world. After six long years of fighting in Europe, an end occurred with the ‘unconditional’ surrender of German troops on May 6, 1945. Many Allied military veterans of Europe volunteered to invade Japan. My uncle, a major with the Winnipeg Light Infantry, worked closely with Lt. Col. Fraser Eadie of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion in preparation of the invasion. The U.S. had fought bitter campaigns on Guam and Okinawa with battle losses in excess of 500,000 (both Allied and Japanese troops). The prospect of further bloodshed was certain.

Decisions had to be made. The Alaska Highway was roughly built to transport the atomic bomb to Alaska, which had a shorter flying distance to Japan. Instead, it was transported by ship to accessible range in mid-Pacific and the Enola Gay was flown for the first dropping. Japan did not surrender. A second bomb was dropped. A month later, Japan surrendered “unconditionally.”

Years ago, my friend, Shinji Shigamasa, who was born in 1947 in Hiroshima and an exchange student to Winnipeg, never mentioned the bombing nor expressed bitterness.

Let’s hope the world does not have a “total” war involving atomic weapons. But with the likes of Putin and Kim Jong Un, the danger is there.

Harry F. McFee

Winnipeg

Demand better of leadership

Future Manitoba premier elected by default?

This has been the case for the last couple of elections with party leaders becoming complacent with their party actions and promises. We deserve someone to lead Manitoba out of poverty, establishing quality health-care access for all locations and reconciliation with First Nations in Manitoba.

The PCs cannot be the only option again. NDP needs to convince us why their choice in leader is the right one.

Manitobans need to stop accepting government minimum work for our maximum taxes.

Valerie Martinuson

Winnipeg

The write way to learn

Re: Province resists national enthusiasm for cursive handwriting instruction (Aug. 11)

Manitoba no longer thinks children need to learn how to write?

What’s next, an AI voice app saying the words so that children will no longer need to learn how to read?

I always thought that writing was a crucial part of the development of hand-eye co-ordination, a part of growing up. Obviously Manitoba’s leaders do not think so.

Judy Herscovitch

Winnipeg