Letters, July 4

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/07/2025 (265 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Failing effort

Re: Homeless services under one roof (July 3)

The roof under which to find homeless services must be a tarp.

Taking a bus down Henderson Highway near Main Street, I was disappointed to see a large fenced area (intended to keep homeless people out?) filled with more makeshift shelters than the week before. Why is this allowed to continue?

The city is throwing money at agencies to solve the problem with little or no results.

Continuing my bus ride to Portage and Donald, (the bus no longer goes to Portage and Main) I walked down Portage to Main only to encounter more beggars along the sidewalk. The iconic intersection was “only an intersection,” occupied only by homeless Winnipeggers.

Mr. Mayor and Mr. Premier, take a walk down Portage Avenue and see the real problem and look for real solutions.

A few coins to the homeless will only make it worse.

Allan Jakilazek

Winnipeg

Photo radar and safety

Re: Photo radar changes ‘imminent’ as contract set to be renewed (July 2)

Just curious: has the city ever supplied statistics to prove that photo radar has helped keep our streets safer? I, for one, would like to see an independent impartial person/company look at any such stats if there are any to see if photo radar indeed does improve safety in a meaningful way or whether it is just a tax grab as most people think.

The way technology is going, don’t be surprised to a see a photo radar camera at every intersection in the city that has a traffic signal in the near future

Ron Robert

Winnipeg

Bad business decisions

Re: ‘One of those death-by-1,000-cuts situations’ (July 3)

I have no sympathy for marijuana store owners who are lamenting how difficult it is to make a decent profit in their industry. Especially now that the government is increasing the wholesale markup on the price of weed that it supplies to the stores through the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation.

The owners of these stores knew from the outset that the industry was going to be heavily regulated by the government and would be subject to costs increases determined by the MLCC. When some owners bemoan the fact that there are too many stores and that there is too much competition, why indeed did they make the decision to enter an industry in which apparently there was little if no need for more retailers in much of the city?

The fact that there are “too many” stores in some areas is through no fault but the investor/owners. All in all, it seems that the owners have been indulging in too much of their own product.

Irwin Corobow

Winnipeg

Carney, the conservative

Every once in a while, a person has to laugh at himself/herself.

I was not certain about Mark Carney. He has many accomplishments but he is a self-admitted amateur in politics. The fact, however, that Lloyd Axworthy, a garrulous left winger, has criticized Carney’s decision to rescind the digital services tax convinces me that Carney is the right person for the job.

Carney realizes that a tactical pause on this tax is a small price to pay to get the Americans back to the negotiating table.

This brings me back to laughing at myself. I have been wondering where the next great conservative politician would come from. It turns out to be the current prime minister.

Kurt Clyde

Winnipeg

Sympathy for a minister

Re: Kinew’s two options: let Fontaine dig herself out of hole after outburst or fire her (July 2)

There is more to balance than just the pros and cons of how Ms. Fontaine’s comments about a sign language interpreter will affect her political career and the NDP government. Linking this back to the community that she represents and the people who have supported her, it should be noted that long before Nahanni Fontaine was elected as MLA for St. Johns riding, she was an advocate for the families of missing and murdered women, girls and two-spirited persons.

She earned their trust with her acts of care and concern, organizing events for the families, keeping them informed about police investigations (if and when there was anything to say about that) and working with elders and within community coalitions to obtain and access resources, such as Tracia’s Trust, which helped at-risk youth and sexually exploited young women to get the support they so badly needed.

For these reasons, and not because of her political ambitions, she was named the minister responsible for gender equity.

Under stress, I believe we have all made uncalled-for comments. I would ask Free Press readers and social media influencers to consider their own mistakes, and times when we have caused hurt to others, before throwing stones at Ms. Fontaine.

Gloria Enns

Winnipeg

Fontaine must go

Re: Minister angers deaf community with slight against interpreter (July 2)

Nahanni Fontaine’s public meltdown at Manitoba’s first annual celebration of Indigenous women graduates on June 26 put on display the NDP minister denigrating and ridiculing the ASL interpreter’s onstage presence. Apparently, Fontaine felt uncomfortable and unseen on that stage. Who knew that the ceremony was all about her and her fragile ego?

Per the story: “‘The woman, she shouldn’t have been on the stage… I’m like f—k, why did I have her on the stage? Like, Jesus, I’m like, ‘You need to leave,’” Fontaine said about the translator in a video that was recorded and released by the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.”

Fontaine made a mockery of being minister responsible for accessibility. Bizarrely, her behaviour and foul language openly denigrated Manitoba’s deaf community, their needs and their central presence in the wider community.

It is clear to all that Fontaine cannot continue as minister for accessibility. To do so would be a mockery, an affront to our deaf friends and family members, and simply further feed her hubris and narcissism.

The minister needs to exit, stage left, immediately.

Kenneth Meadwell

Winnipeg

Not-so-friendly Manitoba

On July 2, I could not avoid driving over a large chunk of broken pavement on Chancellor Matheson Road, near Princess Auto Stadium on the University of Manitoba campus, and my tire immediately flattened. I turned on my four-way flashers and pulled over onto the amply-sized shoulder.

I called U of M’s security services to ask for help from traffic, being very clear that I was going to change the tire and would simply like some protection from speeding traffic on university property. After being told to drive on a flat tire and to “call a tow truck,” I hung up on the call-taker the second time I was put on hold. I wanted to get off the shoulder as quickly as I could. I was on my way to help a sick family member, and I knew I could change the tire in far less time that it would take for a tow truck to arrive. I also didn’t see a reason to put the costs of either a tow, or more severe damage to the car, on Autopac ratepayers.

Even though the campus security office is about 150 metres from where I was changing my tire and they would have been able to see me through their office windows, they did nothing to assist me or help keep me safe. Simply pulling a security vehicle in behind me with its lights flashing would have done the job.

I do want to thank the Porsche driver and his passenger, the mini-university staff and her friend, and the tall man with the backpack for stopping to see if I needed help with changing the tire (which I did not need).

My full-hearted gratitude goes to the Alberta Football team coach (Todd) and players for helping speed up my tire change and help me feel safe while on the shoulder of the roadway.

Kudos to my out-of-province helpers; I hope their stay in Manitoba and their time at the Indigenous Cup is exceptional.

Laurel Martin

Winnipeg