Letters, March 9

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/03/2024 (603 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Hydro missteps

Re: Sounding the alarm on Hydro (Think Tank, March 7)

Edward Kennedy’s article on Manitoba Hydro, hammers home what we all know — that government bureaucrats have no idea how to run a large corporation like Manitoba Hydro, yet they dictate who should be on/off the board of directors. While Mr. Kennedy as chair proposed governance reform, he was turned down and dismissed along with other competent, non-partisan, independent board members that he had recruited during his tenure. What a waste of great talent.

Bob Lafleche

Winnipeg

Edward Kennedy’s op-ed regarding Manitoba Hydro’ governance is insightful and a reminder of the dangers of politicizing a critical Crown corporation.

A board has two basic functions — hire and assess the work of a CEO, and allocate capital. Hydro’s sources of capital are debt, earnings, or taxpayer funding. Wasted capital investment will be devastating to Hydro’s longer term survival. That’s why a competent, experienced board that survives political cycles is so critical. It sounds like the NDP missed an opportunity to depoliticize Hydro — and Manitobans are the losers.

Ron Enns

Winnipeg

Manitoba Hydro’s woes are the direct result of government interference. It started with the selling off of Teshmont, a profitable subsidiary of Manitoba Hydro, a political decision not a good business decision.

The woes continued with the political decision of the location of Bipole III. Locating the line down the east side of Lake Winnipeg would have saved Hydro billions in construction costs. The decision also affected future profitability, as there is a substantial loss of power when comparing the western route with the proposed eastern route. Irreversible decisions that have affected the ability of Manitoba Hydro to expand to meet the province’s future power needs.

I can only hope that the latest government meddling will put Manitoba Hydro on the course of a successful business that isn’t manipulated for the purpose of political gain.

Gary Fraser

Winnipeg

Concourse conundrum

I am neither an engineer nor an architect but reading about the multimillion dollar membrane over the Portage and Main concourse makes me wonder if replacing it is the only solution.

The underground concourse is basically a basement. Few if any basements in Manitoba require waterproof membranes. Other methods of drainage at lesser cost are used. Could that be explored in this case?

Dennis Fenton

Steinbach

Regarding opening Portage and Main to pedestrians, a question, not a comment or opinion one way or another: if the intersection is opened, what will happen to the underground area? Will it be filled with earth, cement, etc., or will it stay the way it is and possibly become giant sinkholes at some point in the future?

Second question: what will be the time allowed for people of all ages and abilities to get across the intersections safely, without ending up stuck in the middle, between lanes, waiting for the lights to change again? I have seen this issue at other intersections and it is not a safe situation. Thank you.

Judy Herscovitch

Winnipeg

Crack down on impaired driving

Re: Drunk-driving victim’s parents meet with justice minister, want passenger in killer’s truck to face charges (March 4)

Bottom line — impaired driving is barely seen as a crime. After decades of “don’t drink and drive” campaigns, many people still do it. There are minimal consequences for impaired driving, and there are not harsh sentences for impaired driving cause death. Laws need to change.

The NDP government has stated that they will introduce new legislation in the spring. In Jordyn Reimer’s case, there is an opportunity to hold the passenger who handed over the keys accountable. I urge the NDP to initiate an independent review and send a message. I don’t think a passenger has been charged in Canada. Now is the time to make that change.

Shannon Anderson

Winnipeg

The impact of stress on students

Re: Exams gone wrong (Letters, March 7)

I was surprised by Brad McKay’s letter, which establishes a dichotomy between the “so-called experts” and classroom teachers. Having served as one myself, I believe that classroom teachers are experts as well in the always challenging work of making learning accessible to a wide range of student strengths and weaknesses.

“Grades, attendance, and exams” are among those educational issues that can generate more heat than light (hence the term, “hot button”). McKay is quite correct in suggesting that educational policy-making often does not draw sufficiently upon the expertise of classroom teachers. In these matters, it seems to me that only a consistent focus on student needs by all of the educational stakeholders will result in good policy decisions. Involving those experts on the “front lines” is critical, as they are the ones more likely to be attuned to what kids need, rather than those who are more distant from the realities of the classroom.

As is always the case, incorporating varying points of view (or “views from a point”) through open and honest dialogue can result in a synergy that is greater than any single perspective.

Edwin Buettner

Winnipeg

Kudos to Brad McKay for writing some of the best and most inclusive reasonings against the decisions of so-called experts in education.

We had exams, we had anxiety, we had tears and we had parents who weren’t happy with our report cards at times (which, by the way, were graded in such a way that they and we could clearly understand our progress, or lack thereof).

The only other thing I would add to Mr. McKay’s letter is the utter incomprehensible decision to pass every child into the next grade no matter how poorly they are doing. How on Earth are they expected to move on even when they cannot read or write nor grasp the basic math appropriate to the grade they were previously in?! How can these poor kids do anything other than fall further and further behind? Who came up with this ridiculous and, may I say, cruel idea? I’d go so far as to say that is child abuse.

Thank you, Brad McKay, it was a breath of fresh air to finally read some real words of wisdom.

Penny Maletic

Winnipeg

Consider a road tax

Since the province and the city seem to have revenue issues, may I suggest a road tax to alleviate the expenses that occur with road repair? Pothole season is around the corner.

I realize that taxes are hardly ever popular, but are necessary to cover expenses and to provide funding for services. My suggestion is that to pay for road repairs, including bridges, anyone who registers and insures a vehicle with MPI will be charged a annual fee based on, among other factors, the weight and type of the vehicle. Also taken into consideration could be the type of fuel that the vehicle uses. Discounts for electric vehicles, for example. This seems to be a fair price to pay for driving a vehicle.

This type of taxation has existed in the Netherlands for many years. It is motor vehicles, after all, that use the road and cause wear and tear. The province collects the fees and allocates a portion to the city. This fee should not become general revenue but 100 per cent allocated to road infrastructure and repairs. City buses can be exempt, but long haul and local businesses should not be excluded. The timing of this plan could coincide with when the gas tax holiday ends.

Rob Jacks

Winnipeg