Letters, March 20

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/03/2025 (199 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

No trusting Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump stated he would rather deal with a Liberal than a Conservative.

We would be fools to trust anything that comes out of that man’s mouth. If he says the aforementioned you know he is running scared and using reverse psychology on Canadians.

I believe we all know that Prime Minister Mark Carney is smarter than Trump will ever be.

K. McMurphy

Winnipeg

What is fuelling bombardment?

Re: Israeli airstrikes kill more than 400 (March 19)

The monstrous attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, that killed 1,200 unarmed civilian Israelis has been used over and over again to justify Israel’s military response on the people of Gaza.

Are these attacks on Gaza really about responding to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, or is it a way to satisfy the extreme right-wing Israeli parties that are keeping Netanyahu in power? If he doesn’t meet their demands of unrelenting bombardment of the Palestinian people, he loses his job and possibly faces prison from pending criminal charges.

So, a politician’s survival is what is fuelling the bloodbath in Gaza, with an estimated 48,577 people killed and 112,000 injured, most of whom are civilian women and children? The killing of tens of thousands of innocent victims is no less monstrous than what Hamas did on Oct.7. Shame on the citizens of Israel for allowing this to happen.

Wally Barton

Winnipeg

Flimsy excuse

Re: Conservatives to disallow media on buses, planes during election (March 19)

Pierre Poilievre’s campaign has announced it will no longer allow media to piggyback on campaign buses and planes citing travel costs have “risen considerably.” That statement is true, but why do the Conservatives care? The media organizations that have reporters travelling with the campaign pay for all the costs incurred by their reporters. Their presence costs the Conservatives nothing.

So if the costs of having the media there don’t exist what is the real reason for kicking them out? Makes one wonder doesn’t it?

Ken McLean

Starbuck

In defence of conservatism

Re: Empathy is what makes us human (Think Tank, March 19)

Scott Forbes’s article makes three references to the words “conservative” or “ conservatives.” All three are negative references.

He first quotes John Kenneth Galbraith as stating that a modern conservative searches for a moral justification for selfishness. The second reference says that conservatives “no longer try to conceal their selfishness”. The third reference in the penultimate paragraph states that conservatives foster inequality and choose “more violent societies.”

Forbes does not point out that British conservatives led the fight to enable rural residents to stay on their land, and that it was British liberalism which drove people into factory towns which William Blake described as “dark Satanic mills” in his poem Jerusalem.

Conservatism is fully capable of empathy but it is mixed with practical common sense. Forbes and the Free Press deliberately provide a one-sided view of conservatism to assist in their creation of a socialist nirvana.

I expect many more such articles as the election approaches.

Kurt Clyde

Winnipeg

A toxic mix

Re: “No evidence for group’s claims” (Letters, March 18)

In his letter published in the Free Press on March 18, William vanderGraaf expresses his concern about radical conservative groups in Canada, such as Action4Canada, emulating “Trump’s white, Christian-nationalist fascism.”

I have two points to make in response. First, I am a Christian and my faith is central to my life. Second, I am in total agreement with Mr. vanderGraaf. Politics and religion are a toxic, corrosive mix which corrupt both politics and religion, as Christian-nationalist right-wing groups ignore both the American constitution and everything Jesus tried to teach us about love, compassion, mercy and inclusiveness.

Gary Robson

Winnipeg

A vicious circle

Re: Security no reason to stifle debate: Mayes (March 18)

It’s a sad day when municipal officials decide they can’t hold public meetings across the city on infill zoning changes because of security concerns.

Instead, only one in-person meeting (March 19 at the convention centre) was arranged for citizens to learn about proposed zoning changes that will affect nearly all residential neighbourhoods.

When I attended a town hall meeting hosted by Coun. Brian Mayes in November, approximately 35 people attended. The discussion was civil and respectful. Likewise, since late 2023, when the changes were first proposed, there have been many letters and opinion pieces in the Free Press on this issue. They have all been thoughtful, concerned and thought-provoking, from different perspectives.

The zoning changes would allow up to four housing units to be built on a single lot with no public hearings. In short, you will no longer be able to give input on infill builds in your neighbourhood if city council votes in favour of these changes in June.

I don’t understand how the city thinks that we can get on board with this plan when officials can’t make a greater effort to reach out to different neighbourhoods and listen to our concerns. The point is to have meaningful consultation, isn’t it? As Mayes suggested, why not host more meetings and have a security guard at each one if public safety is the concern?

Then again, several people I’ve talked to say “What’s the point of going to the public meeting? The city will vote in favour, no matter what we say.”

It’s a vicious circle and not how democracy should work in our city.

Louise Worster

Winnipeg

Covering costs

Re: City consultant to review housing development (March 17)

This article suggests that the city intends to boost its housing supply to claim up to $122 million cash from the federal Housing Accelerator Fund — also stating that that funding is tied to the creation of 3,166 new housing units. This amounts to up to $38,534.43 per unit.

I can’t help but wonder whether that amount covers the costs to the city in terms of the increased demands on infrastructure and services that increasing population and density incurs.

Dawn Tecter

Winnipeg

Providing services

Pardon my naivete, but I was always under the impression that I paid city property taxes for the city to provide necessary core services . You can understand my surprise when I read that homeowners will have to pay just under $300 to have their garbage collected. Correct me if I’m wrong, but garbage collection seems to fall under “core services.”

I’m pretty sure that the tens of millions given to Portage Place, the Bay, and Bank of Montreal redevelopment projects do not constitute core services. I have a novel idea, one which our mayor and councillors may not have thought of: provide the core services city taxpayers are entitled to, and if there is any money left over, we can provide the financial “help” the big developers need to make their project viable.

Gilles Nicolas

Winnipeg