Letters, April 26

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/04/2024 (889 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mixed messages

Recently I heard that Pierre Poilievre stopped by to engage with the so called “Axe the Tax Convoy”, a new iteration of the so-called “Freedom Convoy”, which continues to sow division in Canadians and present complete falsehoods as fact.

I chuckled while thinking about it. Poilievre and the Conservatives want a return to a more idealized Canadian lifestyle where people can work and … whatever else, but yet he seems to spend a lot of time with people who voluntarily don’t work. I have to wonder about the employment status of the people in these convoys. Do they not have jobs to go to? How can they be on the road like this all the time?

I thought the conservative ideology was bootstrapping your way to success — well what about these folks, Pierre? They’re not working, they’re not contributing to the vision of Canada you pretend to have, so why cosy up to these people? Seems like you’re sending a double standard message to me.

Will Jones

Winnipeg

The good Lions

RE: Tenants of former Lions Place victims of ‘organizational elder abuse’: report (April 24)

I am a Lion from a different club than the Lions Club of Winnipeg. I have been a Lion for over 25 years, volunteering my time and talents to serve those who need help. I do my best to provide assistance where and when needed, just as every other Lion does.

The Lions Club of Winnipeg volunteered to organize and provide housing for people in need here in this city. Volunteered their skills and their efforts, not for profit, but because they saw a need and tried to fill that need.

I take exception to the characterization that Lions Club of Winnipeg were profit driven and couldn’t care less about their vulnerable tenants. For over 40 years they worked tirelessly to provide safe, secure, accessible, and affordable housing to seniors at this facility. Then when, because of government cutbacks to subsidies and assistance, the Lions could not continue to operate Lions Place without major increases in rental rates, the only solution was to sell the building.

Any “profit” from the sale of the building to a private sector organization was used to help maintain Lions Manor and Lions View which continue to provide service to seniors here in Winnipeg.

The Lions took nothing from the sale for themselves. According to the Lions constitution, they cannot. It states very clearly that any money that comes from the public must be used for the public good.

Lions give of themselves each and every day with no thought of recognition for all the good they do. Lions do not deserve to be maligned and disrespected as they have been.

Chris Barnard

Winnipeg

​Applause for grand chief

Re: Trustee remarks ‘racist and discriminatory,’ chief says (April 25)​

I am an 87-year-old Dene Elder survivor of an Indian Residential School that I was forced to attend from 1944 to 1954.

I left that school as a confused human being. Am I an Aboriginal or some half-baked European? I have endured white European racism since I was forced to adopt the European culture by a Canadian law called the Indian Act 1927.

I am no Indian, never was and never will be. That was Prime Minister John A. Macdonald, a bigot, that gave us that name which he got from white historians’ version of how they ‘discovered’ us from 1492 to the present time. The word ‘Indian’ was used for administrative purposes only.

I applaud Grand Chief Cathy Merrick for standing up to and challenging that word that has demeaned the First Nations since Canadian history was written.

The Mountain View School Division needs desperately to learn the real history behind what drove the First Nations to be secluded on Indian reserves.

Enough already! We are in the 21st century.

Ralph Paul

Winnipeg

Dog owners responsible for attacks

Re: ‘Relentless’ attack terrifies dog owner (April 25)

Suzanne Pothe’s recounting of the vicious attack on her dog (and herself) by an out-of-control dog brings back terrifying memories for me.

About five years ago, I took my two sociable dogs to a small off-leash area. They were enjoying the chance to run free with the few other dogs there. Out of nowhere, a very large dog ran up and grabbed my dog, Ty, by the neck, and started shaking him. A man, who was closer than I was, got Ty away from the attacker and saved him from what could have been a tragic end. And what was the reaction to this by the attacking dog’s owner?

“He doesn’t like small, yappy dogs.”

Really? To that owner: if you have no control over your dog, you have no business taking it to an off-leash area with other dogs. Needless to say, I never took any of my dogs to an off-leash area since. It’s not worth the risk.

By the way, I place the fault of that attack solely on the shoulders of the owner for not properly training and controlling her dog. Very irresponsible.

I’m glad to know that Pothe and Sophie are both safe.

Bonnie Robinson

Winnipeg

Mind your health

Re: The battle with lupus (Letters, April 25)

The letter by Melissa Carter emphasized to me how important it is to follow what your health professionals are evaluating. Whenever I have a test done, I get a copy of the results for my file.

I have a file for X-rays and have made a spread sheet to follow my blood test results. That is how I realized that the pill taken once a week, prescribed to me by my physician, was causing my liver enzymes to go up over a period of several months. He changed the dose to once every two weeks and enzymes went back to normal.

All of my due diligence would be a lot simpler if I were able to access the results directly. In Saskatchewan, you don’t have to wait for your next appointment, but can go online and get your results. This not only makes it more convenient for the patient, but saves time at the doctors office and eliminates the need to make copies for the patient.

Surely, at a time when there is a crisis in health care, streamlining the system would be beneficial to all.

Claudette Cates

Winnipeg

A more balanced approach

Re: The foundation for a future election (Editorial, April 18) and Nearly half of Canadians pan Liberal budget: poll (April 25)

I think the most important thing about the recent federal budget may be about trying to move back to balance. Not in terms of budgetary deficits (which do need to be addressed sooner than later) but, rather, in terms of moving towards a more balanced approach to governing. By which I mean trying to better take into account the circumstances of both those who have and those who don’t.

And by that, I mean trying to do what we used to be much better at, which is to ask those who can to pay more in order to be able to help those in need (of, say, affordable dental care, prescription drugs and housing). However, an increase in the capital gains tax, while perhaps well intentioned in terms of addressing the unconscionable income and wealth disparity in our country, seems to be a far from perfect remedy on the revenue side as it may in some instances treat some people quite unfairly.

Hence, I much prefer progressive personal income tax policy (with absolutely no loopholes) over other forms of taxation (not crazy about taxing saving and/or successful risk-taking), but given the current state of income inequality in this country, I feel compelled to support less than optimal measures whenever and however they arrive.

Gerald Farthing

Winnipeg