Letters, Nov. 13

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/11/2023 (1033 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brothers in arms

Re: Rye and remembrance (Think Tank, Nov. 9)

It was with a great deal of interest that I read Lori Shoemaker’s touching description of visiting Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery near Juno Beach, France. Ms. Shoemaker referenced finding there the gravesite of Gilbert Harkness of Grandview, Man.

Chester Hebner from the same Grandview area is also buried at Bény-sur-Mer. Julia Mackey’s award-winning and perennial Fringe Festival-favourite play is based on her discovery of Chester’s gravesite and the inscription on his plaque.

Chester’s brother Clifford was killed in October of 1944 while trying to dismantle a Nazi landmine. He is buried in Antwerp, Belgium. Clifford served with my father, John Horsburgh, in the Royal Canadian Engineers Corp.

In the Oct./Nov. issue of Our Canada magazine, I described Clifford and my father as examples of Albert Schweitzer’s dictum, “you who will be truly happy are those who have sought for and found a way to serve.”

Finally, a friend said to me, “Nothing can prepare you for visiting the Bény-sur-Mer Cemetery.” Thank you to Lori Shoemaker for highlighting the importance of this cemetery and remembering the people who are buried there.

Mac Horsburgh

Winnipeg

Help forest while we can

Our city, our province, our country and our world is losing forests, crop land and green spaces at an alarming rate. Our population continues to grow and spread and if we don’t get people with foresight and courage to stand up to save the few remaining vestiges of undeveloped land, we’ll be nothing but acres and acres of concrete and lights.

I don’t deny that we need immigration to replace all the baby boomers who are aging out to maintain our quality of life but at the same time, destroying what green spaces we have to accommodate the people who need housing is totally misguided.

Part of the reason people choose Canada to live in is its open spaces close to and in our cities. Hopefully our politicians, both provincial and civic, will find a way to save the Lemay Forest and build a plan for the future of other undeveloped lands in our city and province.

One day our children and grandchildren will thank us.

Ken McLean

Starbuck

Reflecting on energy successes

Having had time to digest all the successes related to this year’s Canada Day, I felt empowered to continue reflecting on our country’s success, specifically related to renewable energy.

Canada’s vast array of scenic land and wide-open spaces are worth protecting. We create a long-lasting and nature-friendly economy for future generations by leveraging clean energy solutions. Our current renewable energy supply is about 18.9 per cent of its primary energy generation — with more opportunities ahead, we can take this percentage even further.

Ontario’s economic growth requires reliable electricity, like wind energy, to keep the power on. As operations manager for EDP Renewables North America’s (EDPR NA) Nation Rise Wind Farm and South Branch Wind Farm, I witnessed firsthand wind energy’s impact in my community. The capital investment of approximately $191 million between the two wind farms reaps significant economic activity for local shops, restaurants, and gas stations. Alongside the community benefits, rural landowners receive consistent land lease payments throughout the life of the wind farms.

By broadening Canada’s leadership in renewable energy, we can invest in our communities and spur economic growth even further. As a proud Canadian, I am pushing for greater expansion of clean energy. Today — and every day — is a reminder to continue our progress in energy innovation to make a more sustainable future.

Scott Klinoski

Toronto

Time for fresh ideas

When our city councillors read about the unconscionable situation of families not being able to feed themselves, does it occur to them that a multimillion-dollar curbside collection and composting facility isn’t such a great idea?

Winnipeg’s housing is mainly single-family homes, with yards and boulevards — thousands of them in the North End alone. What a difference it would make if council turned its attention to enabling people to grow their own vegetables.

Some help would be needed in the initial stages — Rototilling and so on. The city could help with that and also reinstate its defunct $25 compost bin program.

A vegetable garden, set up with low raised-beds and mulching, requires minimal maintenance and weeding. I’ve done it for decades.

No big facility needed. Fewer trucks driving thousands of kilometres hauling produce from the U.S. Tax-free income in the form of food. Fewer grocery store visits. Healthy kids fed with fresh vegetables. What’s not to like?

So come on, council, we also need some fresh thinking here.

Rowena Fisher

Winnipeg

Consider everyone in infill plan

In the debate between letter-writers Elaine Stobbe and Irwin Corobow, Ms. Stobbe referred to Mr. Corobow’s ‘NIMBY’ views for opposing the changing dynamic of older neighbourhoods by conversion of single-family lots into multi-residence units. The benefit of a possible $192 million in federal support if “exclusionary zoning practices” are removed, is offered as one justification for seemingly unregulated infill construction.

One of Ms. Stobbe’s points is that increased housing will help lower the cost of homes for new buyers. But in many established neighbourhoods, new single-family constructions are priced starting at a half-million dollars while older single-family homes can be priced at $250,000 to $300,000. While multi-family constructions may be the cheaper answer for new buyers, they stand to lose privacy, green space (needed for the parking of cars) and, as shown by reoccurring for-sale signs in some locations, quality. Let’s not kid ourselves …most developers build not for the altruistic sake of providing homes for the needy, but to maximize profits. Mr. Corobow stated that most infill housing is ugly, but I’ll add cheap-looking, as well. Inevitably, the revered character neighbourhoods of yesteryear will be a thing of the past.

It’s important to appreciate that neighbourhoods evolve, indeed, but with their initial planning, consideration was given to population density in determining infrastructure, schools, community services, shopping, green-spaces, etc.

Most new suburbs in Winnipeg contain planned multi-purpose open spaces, trails and bike paths, and large frontages to offset dense housing zones, while core-area spaces are already set and most bike paths there are next to car lanes. Core-area neighbourhoods were not designed to accommodate high volumes of traffic (some headed to the burbs), and these original areas now adding occupants who are moving into new constructions of homes, condos and apartments.

If inner-city populations are to be serviced by eager home developers, let’s make sure that consideration is also given to quality of life for those families investing and living in our older communities, and not just for investors in real estate.

LM Anderson

Winnipeg