Letters, Aug. 12

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/08/2024 (455 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Bouquets for road crews

A big thank-you to the workers who are paving the roads in this heat. The 12-hour days and six-day weeks, are making a huge difference.

I am sure they really appreciate the support from residents who have provided them with food and water. It provides much-needed relief. Thanks to all.

Shirley Parsons

Winnipeg

Advice for the MMF

This is in response to a letter by the Manitoba Métis Federation on its law relating to conservation linked to the Métis Laws of the Harvest. The letter was paid for by the MMF and signed by Peter J. Fleming.

I do not object to the MMF law being made and based on conversation. I do question where the MMF law should apply. Regardless of the MMF area for hunting activity (game hunting areas) set out in the letter, it would be in treaty territory. That would mean permission would be required from any treaty nation whose treaty is being encroached upon by the MMF law. It appears this protocol was not followed.

Section 35 rights are not absolute, in particular, the Métis right to access areas to exercise hunting, fishing or harvesting rights are not. It should not be overlooked that treaties 1 to 11 cover most of Canada and have been in place before there were any Métis people in most treaty territories.

Since 1763, the year of The Royal Proclamation, and 1764, the year of the The Treaty of Niagara in which the First Nations adopted the proclamation, “nations or tribes of Indians” were recognized owners of land in the newly discovered Americas. That was the reason for the treaties. The proclamation required they be made to allow European access. The proclamation does not apply to other Aboriginal Peoples, including the Métis. Given the legal history I have set out, it would be difficult to conclude the Métis have any rights to land other than those set out in S. 31 of the Manitoba Act, 1870. Why would the Métis have a right to make laws to apply anywhere other than to those lands?

My strong suggestion to the Métis is they meet with the First Nations leaders to discuss access to treaty lands for hunting or harvesting purposes. They may be pleasantly surprised with the kind of accommodation which might be achieved.

Kenneth B. Young

Winnipeg

Question about coverage

Re: Trial unlikely for allegedly staged hate crimes (Aug. 7)

Upon reading this story, I was disappointed and saddened. During a time of heightened antisemitism and on a day of Folklorama protests at the Israeli pavilion, the Free Press decided to feature a story of staged antisemitism that happened five years ago. This was written by court reporter Dean Pritchard with no reference to any recent court proceedings or events making it newsworthy and certainly not front-page news. I am not defending what was identified in the original charges, but nothing has changed in many years and it’s no surprise the U.S. government didn’t extradite these individuals.

Unfortunately, the real story is why this was featured at all. Why were the events in a five-year-old story essentially republished on the front page? The timing, visibility and context of articles are often just as important as the content itself. I have no doubt that the Free Press considered this, but I won’t theorize on the paper’s intentions here. Instead, I’ll just say this was distasteful.

Hartley Lowenthal

Winnipeg

Point of the games

As the Olympics come to a close, it is a good idea to look more closely at what they are really all about. Are they a vehicle for nationalism or a convenient politically-supported distraction from the failure of politicians to fulfill their responsibilities? Are they super-hyped as somehow important while youth from all over the world are used for financial gain?

Perhaps the recent “Great Paris Sewer Swim” has revealed some of the realities of what the Olympics have actually become. Is money, prestige and national pride so much more important than the health of the youthful athletes?

Shane Nestruck

Winnipeg

Shame on Canada

Re: Nagasaki marks 79th A-bomb anniversary without U.S. and other ambassadors after excluding Israel (Aug. 9)

Shame on Canadian officials for boycotting the Japanese commemoration of the dropping of the nuclear bomb on Nagasaki by the Americans. Canada refused to send a delegation to Nagasaki because Japan, rightfully, decided not to invite Israel to the event. They did so because Israel — who had by November of 2023 already dropped the equivalent of two nuclear bombs on Gaza — has no right to feign condemnation of one mass killing, while actively engaging in their own mass killing. It would not be genuine or legitimate.

But our leaders decided they would rather stand with Israel than mourn and condemn one of the worst (and unpunished) war crimes in human history. Shame on us.

Aaron Bethnell

Winnipeg

Houston trip mishandled

Re: End of honeymoon for NDP government fast approaching (Aug. 6)

So, the NDP government is keen on solving homelessness in the province of Manitoba. It’s one of its mandates, along with health care.

In order to ascertain how other jurisdictions deal with this very important and pressing issue, it is sometimes necessary and prudent to visit other locales and glean what information they can from them.

Our minister who oversees homelessness (Bernadette Smith) gathered a huge delegation of people and travelled to Houston on the taxpayer’s dime.

I’m sorry but this is why we voted out the Tories, for just this reason! Mishandling and mismanaging health care, homelessness and the list goes on and on.

Perhaps, when there are fact-finding missions to go on, maybe one or two representatives could go and bring back the information and make a presentation.

I would like to know what Premier Wab Kinew thinks about the idea of a throng of people sitting at a two-day conference at the taxpayers’ expense.

I would hope that in hindsight, he would rethink allowing this to occur again.

Ken Campbell

Winnipeg

Building sanctuaries

Re: Finding tranquility in the garden (Think Tank, Aug. 7)

Pam Frampton’s loving description of her garden sanctuary in Newfoundland resonates with those who have created sanctuaries for peace and contemplation in their own backyards.

Ours is in Old St. Norbert, where Manitoba began under the guidance of Louis Riel. It is a place of contemplation, peace and renewal… a sanctuary from a world that is sometimes hard to understand. Its design is influenced by modernism (less is more), feng shui (yin and yang), and a dichotomy of other design influences and lastly the weather extremes of Manitoba summers and winters.

It’s a place to tell stories to grandchildren around the campfire in summer and to watch them run through the leaves in the fall. It’s a place to create memories. Our special place is called Falling Star, because seeing a falling star, while rare, is considered a sign of good luck and positive change. Falling Star is a place that love built.

Start today to build your own Falling Star.

Wally Barton

Winnipeg