Letters, Sept. 20

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/09/2023 (746 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Not so experienced

Re: It’s all about framing the question (Think Tank, Sept. 19)

Mr. Ross was in the middle of a great column where he provided some excellent, objective analysis on the state of current and past elections in Manitoba. However, near the end of the article he indicates “whether voters want a cabinet composed of steady, experienced leaders like Kelvin Goertzen, Rochelle Squires, Jon Reyes, Obby Khan and Kevin Klein or an inexperienced and unreliable NDP cabinet with Nahanni Fontaine, Mark Wasyliw and Nello Altomare …”

Mr. Khan and Mr. Klein have less experience in provincial politics than the three NDP MLAs mentioned. I understand they have had leadership experience in other arenas but we are discussing the election. I am also unsure how Mr. Ross came to the conclusion that these two PC MLAs are more “steady” than the three NDP MLAs.

My greater concern is that earlier in the column, Mr. Ross correctly mentions “the Tories have several dog whistle questions cynically aimed at less tolerant elements of our society.”

He then includes Ms. Fontaine on the list of “inexperienced and unreliable.” This is despite having the same (or more) experience than all the MLAs mentioned other than Mr. Goertzen.

I will “frame my question” and ask if there is reason to doubt Ms. Fontaine’s ability as a politician, can Mr. Ross share this with the voters?

Jeff Roos

Winnipeg

 

Little hope of ambition

Re: Ambition needed to tackle climate crisis (Editorial, Sept.18)

I read this editorial with interest. The conclusion, however, “Climate action and adaptation isn’t an individual burden. It’s a collective one that hinges on ambitious leadership” left me saddened.

Ambitious leadership? When did we last have this at any level of government? Politicians now don’t lead, but rather follow the clamouring masses. There is no more doing what’s right; rather, it’s satisfying the polls.

Currently, even with a summer of drought, forest fires and floods, people are still only prepared to change their actions if it comes at no cost to themselves. The true “me” population to the fore. So, suffer the little children so long as we can carry on with our profligate ways.

Ambitious leadership? I’m not holding my breath.

Ingrid Ostick

Winnipeg

 

Density not a cure-all

Re: Housing fund just one piece of the puzzle (Think Tank, Sept. 18)

In attempting to address problems with the current housing crisis in our city, Brent Bellamy proffers the solution that we can no longer rely on suburban sprawl to rectify this problem, but that densification must occur in all neighbourhoods in the city.

Moreover, he suggests that residents who complain about increasing densification in their particular neighbourhood are simply resistant to change. I would like to point out that Bellamy’s thinking is simplistic and that his solution of just increasing density as the way out does not reflect the complexity of the problem. It is well documented that increasing density can further exacerbate already existing problems.

To be specific, there is greater pressure on environmental resources, increased traffic congestion, increased levels of pollution and additional pressures on educational and healthcare systems, along with increasing social problems.

In my opinion, city planners must also consider the quality of life of neighbourhood residents if we are to have places to live that augment healthy and productive environments. As a long-term resident of Osborne Village, I consider myself to be living in an already dense neighbourhood. However, over the last few years there has been considerable building in this area of both condos and rentals. This means that construction has gone on, undisturbed not just for months, but for years in the Village. There has been relentless jackhammering, blocked sidewalks, closed streets and reduced street parking to accommodate the supposed solution to our housing crisis by erecting yet more places to live.

The quality of life in this area has suffered enormously and in so saying, I am not being resistant but simply realistic.

Mary-Jane Robinson

Winnipeg

 

It is misleading to present a new apartment building at 197 Osborne St. as “an example of creating density in an existing neighbourhood.” It is not a residential neighbourhood in which multiple single family dwellings are replaced with an oversized building that has inadequate parking and otherwise disrupts owners of existing properties.

Take this building and put it in the centre of Norwood West or other actual residential neighbourhoods and it becomes a monstrosity that could easily be prevented. Osborne is on the outskirts of residential areas and has plenty of space for multiple-family dwellings, as do many other streets in Winnipeg, such as Corydon and Stafford.

It would be easy for the city to both protect existing neighbourhoods and increase density, rather than letting developers buy up and build on single-family dwellings wherever they can and no matter what the consequences, including perhaps inflating house prices and promoting sprawl. Simply, designate streets amenable to development that do not destroy the quality of life in existing neighbourhoods.

Lest anyone want to charge me with NIMBYism, I live in a 100-unit building in the Exchange District, an area where other heritage buildings could be converted to residential and saved from further deterioration. I just happen to believe that the interests of Winnipeg home-owners should not be ignored and wrongly belittled.

Jim Clark

Winnipeg

 

Alternative voting more democratic

Re: Alternative voting not better choice (Letters, Sept. 18)

Laurel Ridd’s comments indicate the virtues of proportional representation voting being that no votes are wasted. This may be true, but I do not believe that is reason to adopt it.

Looking at countries that have various forms of proportional representation, it is clear that the outcome is political parties and movements come out of the woodwork. Many, if not most, are on the political fringes. Governments need to form coalitions resulting in these fringe parties holding the balance of power. They get far more political power than their percent of the vote should allow.

For this reason, proportional representation is not truly democratic. AV (alternative voting) may not be perfect, but the end result is preferred to reflect the merits of democracy.

David Elson

Winnipeg

 

Foreign surgery a rare gift

Re: Border-crossing surgery praised (Sept. 18)

It was great to read that Glenda Knoll was able to finally have her knee surgery done in a Fargo clinic. What was not mentioned was how much did it cost and who paid for it.

Fantastic if the Manitoba government picked up the tab. Not so much if it was out of pocket, since most Manitobans could not afford the thousands of dollars it takes to leave the province for surgery.

Either way, Glenda Knoll was lucky. Like winning the lottery. Unfortunately the rest of us will continue to wait years for such surgeries in this province because our homegrown health system is broken with no political party interested in fixing it.

Al Yakimchuk

Winnipeg