Letters, June 20

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This article was published 20/06/2024 (550 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Oversimplifying doesn’t help

Re: Downtown needs work but it’s not the wasteland some perceive (June 17)

Dan Lett’s dismissal of the serious concerns raised by critics of downtown Winnipeg has a fundamental flaw in its argument. By labelling critiques as “cynical alarmists,” he undermines the legitimate grievances of residents and businesses who are directly affected by the area’s escalating problems.

Crime, mental health crises and homelessness are not merely abstract statistics but real challenges that affect the daily lives and safety of those in the community. Lett’s insistence that downtown remains safe and vibrant overlooks the nuanced reality that safety perceptions can vary significantly between different groups within the community.

While his opinion piece advocates for a more positive and proactive approach to revitalizing downtown Winnipeg, it falls short by oversimplifying the issues, dismissing legitimate concerns and mischaracterizing public sentiment. Urban revitalization is a complex and multifaceted challenge that requires addressing both physical infrastructure and underlying social issues.

A more balanced and nuanced discussion is necessary to truly understand and tackle the problems facing Winnipeg’s downtown, ensuring that the voices of all community members are heard and respected.

Marc Robichaud

Winnipeg

Improvement takes effort

Re: Is a downtown fix even possible? (Think Tank, June 17)

Does Judy Waytiuk actually believe because she feels disappointed in past attempts at development downtown that present attempts should be abandoned?

Recently an ex-police person told a group from Fred Douglas Chateau that he and his peers believe this: try and try and try and try a thousand times. I live downtown and encounter sad social problems every day, but also know there are many, many people who try every day to improve life for my neighbours.

For sure, improvement will not occur if no one tries. Instead of whining, let’s encourage each other.

Sybil Shaw Hamm

Winnipeg

Beliefs shape values

Re: Creating caring communities (Think Tank, June 14)

In his article on the creation of caring communities, Peter Denton points to the growing reality of “social isolation and loneliness” in our world. The British author, Noreena Hertz agrees, arguing that we are in the midst of a “global loneliness crisis. None of us, anywhere, is immune.”

I would, however, encourage more conversation regarding the role of theological convictions in response to this crisis. It has been my experience that words like “us” and “we” were learned as I sang them in Christian worship. In recent years I have served on the board of the Manitoba Multifaith Council, and I do so precisely because of Christian theological convictions.

What we believe shapes our values, including the creation of a caring community.

Ray Harris

Winnipeg

Choose life

Re: Tragic suicide at Winnipeg Grand Mosque prompts urgent calls for mental health support (June 16)

The suicide of a young person in the Waverley Grand Mosque of Manitoba must not be met with pithy aspirational words and violent abdicating platitudes.

As the deluge of “Muslims and Palestinians, Jews and Israelis are inherently violent” propaganda and hateful takes compound and punctuate this gaping loss, the truth remains that we live in a country where our daily interactions are forsaking the substance of human life, that we belong to a wider community that must take care of each other in order for every person on Earth to survive and thrive.

Taking care of each other means health care, safe housing, enough money, food to eat and a world beyond humiliation, surveillance, ridicule and brutality of killings on poor people, on oppressed ethnic and religious minorities, and on souls who suffer in the vacant wordy, political silences.

If we want to prevent death, we must choose life. Every single time. But not singularly our own lives.

Every stranger is a neighbour we haven’t met yet. Our actions must begin here. Going out. Finding and checking in on others we don’t know. Asking and fulfilling on what they need to be truly alive. The raging fires must cease. How reassuring that each of us is and we collectively are all the hope we have been waiting for.

Devon Spier

Kitchener, Ont.

Thoughts on health care

Re: Solving the health-care crisis, part 2 (Think Tank, June 18)

After reading Gregory Mason’s piece on health care I was Natalie Imbruglia (torn, for you non-’90s kids) as I both agree and disagree with his takes.

First off, having all one’s health-care data on an app is a fantastic idea. Studies show that individuals are much more likely to adhere to a plan of care that they were involved in creating. The first step to involving those individuals into determining that plan of care is to inform them what has occurred and what the plan is for the future. I agree that there is frequently too much protectionism when it comes to citizens accessing their health-care data.

I think using AI as a filter to assist doctors review the huge amount of diagnostic records they are required to review is a good idea. But this is already occurring in many areas and has its own risks, as we know that a diagnostic value for one may not be the same for another.

I don’t think comparing a tourist hospital in Puerto Vallarta to a large single-payer system like Manitoba is overly helpful. While our health care system has its faults, moving to a U.S.-style system ties up an exorbitant amount of resources in the administration of those benefits. U.S. citizens continue to spend more per capita on health care and yet don’t have access to universal care. If that system worked, all First World countries would be using it, not just the U.S.

Mason indicates “the government has a miserable record of creating information systems. I have more faith in private firms to manage this…” Many electronic information systems used by the health-care system are created by the private sector and contracts are awarded based on the request for proposals exercise. Though I am not sure if “the government” means Manitoba or all. Some have done better than others, some in-government solutions have worked and others have failed.

Mason fails to address the massive privacy issue with having all this health-care information on unsecured phones. This would be costly and complex to address and would keep our Personal Health Information Act gatekeepers busy for years.

Mason indicates that excess personal care home construction could be a mistake due to the decline of the number of elders in the 2030s. I agree that more options need to be developed in the community, and compensating families to provide this assistance has its place in doing so.

But there are financial and ethical risks to this scenario once a family member becomes dependent on an ailing elder for their paycheque. We must also remember that many of the care homes in Canada were built in the 1950s-1980s and are approaching or have exceeded their best-before date. Increasing care home investment today will allow us to “sunset” some of these past-due care homes once the baby boom has gone through.

I agree with Mason that new ways of looking at our challenges are absolutely necessary to fixing our health-care system, and I appreciate his willingness to share his analysis with us as readers and hope to hear more in the future.

Jeff Roos

Winnipeg