Letters, Oct. 2

Opinion

Sharing responsibility

There are over 59 species of animals and plants at risk here in Manitoba, with many designated as endangered, threatened, or special concern under The Endangered Species and Ecosystems Act and federal Species at Risk Act (SARA). While not yet listed, there are concerns that moose may be the next threatened species in Manitoba, as moose numbers in most of the province are in serious decline.

Once listed as endangered, it will be unlawful to kill, injure, possess, disturb or interfere with the species, or destroy, or disturb, or interfere with their habitat. If that were to happen, hunters, and hunting lodges would be affected, and Indigenous traditions and rights would become points of contention for many people affected.

Obtaining reliable data is key. Regrettably, our current legislation and management practices do not adequately track moose populations nor assess the viability of their ongoing survival. We need to do better!

In September alone, there have been over a dozen articles expressing concern over declining moose numbers. Some Indigenous leaders have asked for a non-Indigenous hunting ban within their traditional territory; while the Manitoba Wildlife Federation is calling for a complete moratorium on moose harvest in the Duck Mountain and Porcupine Forest and a province-wide prohibition on moose cow and calf harvest.

Transparency builds trust. To gain trust, government needs to create a task force that aims to reach consensus on a strategy that will balance the needs of subsistence (Indigenous needs and rights), privilege (licensed hunter wants) and the long-term sustainability of huntable moose populations across Manitoba. Only through accommodation, compromise and negotiation can this be achieved.

Shared management can be a reality if all stakeholders made moose a priority and came to the negotiation table with the attitude of “What can I do to help?” rather than “What’s in it for me?” Both rights-based and licensed hunters will need to make concessions if moose is the priority. To those who still ask “What’s in it for me,” it’s the opportunity to continue hunting moose in our province. But if hunting rights, privileges and economic development remain the priority, then moose will continue suffering the consequences, with hunting closures becoming the norm.

We need to evolve and adapt with the changing times and dynamics. A new collaborative framework is needed!

Hank Hristienko

Winnipeg

Vaccines reliable

It’s very disappointing to read of certain pockets of our population are still being affected by misinformation and disinformation they seek out and believe regarding viral illnesses.

Especially when it involves infants and children.

Childhood vaccines were developed many years ago in response to the health complications and mortality rates associated with extremely contagious viral diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough)

Because of the misinformed anti-vaccine crowd, these once fully eradicated life altering childhood viral illnesses have sadly resurfaced.

The decisions of few are then affecting many innocent people.

The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) protects your child from the adverse complications such as brain swelling, pneumonia, swollen testicles or ovaries, deafness or death.

Similarly, the vaccine for tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) protests your child from heart muscle swelling, heart failure, coma, paralysis, seizures, broken bones, difficult breathing, pneumonia and death.

Whereas the side effects of today’s vaccinations are rare.

And the positive outcomes of their efficiency are remarkable.

Please listen to the educated health professionals in Canada who are not only educated, but very experienced, confident and knowledgeable in communicable diseases.

Karen Zurba

Winnipeg

Sympathy for a prime minister

I note your editorial cartoon on Oct. 1 shows Prime Minister Mark Carney standing beside a large pig representing the deficit.

I have a marked degree of sympathy for Carney. He took over the prime minister’s office from the prototypical drunken sailor of federal spending, Justin Trudeau.

The problem lies in the mind set of the Canadian public. We incessantly demand government involvement in every aspect of our lives. We lack to ability to prioritize which is crucial at a time we are battling U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Canadians don’t need a better Mark Carney, Mark Carney needs more thoughtful Canadians.

Kurt Clyde

Winnipeg

Ugliness on the course

If you Google the term “Ugly Americans,” you discover it was popularized by the 1958 book by the same name. It refers to certain types of Americans as being self absorbent, arrogant, demeaning, thoughtless, and ignorant of local customs. The book was written when Donald Trump was 12.

Fast forward to the Ryder Cup golf championship between Europe and the United States played last weekend at the Bethpage golf course in New York.

European golfers, including the world’s top golfer, Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, had to endure a constant barrage of abuse and foul insults hurled at them by American golf spectators. In their minds, “being patriotic” meant throwing the terms “golf etiquette” and “good sportsmanship” out the window.

Fortunately, Europe won the Ryder Cup, despite the intimidating efforts to change the outcome by many unruly, ugly Americans.

Terry Aseltine

Winnipeg

Strike hurts small business

There are undoubtedly many fine people delivering our mail. However, a situation whereby they are permitted to eviscerate entrepreneurs is simply unfair.

The latter are a special breed. It is they who truly drive civil society and who take the risks. They innovate and work 70-hour weeks. They exist precariously. Fifty per cent of startups fail within five years, 80 per cent within 10 years.

Francis Trueman

Winnipeg

Imbalance in the system

Re: “Parole not a reward” (Letters, Sept. 26)

Early parole is in fact a reward. Although structured as a process to reintegrate into society, it is an opportunity for an offender to apply to get out of prison early.

If the offender’s remorse is proven to be genuine by their actions and they have engaged in the necessary rehabilitation steps towards addressing the root causes that led to their incarceration, then they can be rewarded with early parole. Should they choose not to do what is necessary, then they choose to forfeit that reward.

It is a right offered to a criminal. There is no parole or reward system structured to give an equal right to a victim who has been killed by an impaired driver. There is no parole for death or grief. It is a life sentence without the opportunity for any kind of parole.

This does not seem like a fair, well-balanced system for the victim as compared to the criminal.

Jeff Riddell

St. Francois Xavier