Letters, Jan. 23

Protect the belugas

Re: ‘Thoughtful supply chain’: Arctic Gateway, CentrePort, WAA sign MOU with feds, province (Jan. 19)

I enjoyed reading the recent article on the future of Manitoba’s supply chain and the Port of Churchill. It’s encouraging to see thoughtful planning and collaboration around economic opportunity in the North.

However, I was surprised there was no mention of protecting beluga whales, polar bears, or the local tourism economy that depends on a healthy Hudson Bay. These values are central to Churchill’s identity and way of life.

What’s missing from the conversation is the concurrent initiative for a National Marine Conservation Area. An NMCA feasibility study would be the best platform to explore how port development, marine traffic, wildlife protection, and community priorities can move forward together.

The port presents a real opportunity for Manitoba, but success will depend on finding the right balance. Protecting wildlife, supporting tourism, and respecting northern ways of life must be part of the plan from the start.

Kathryn Morog

Selkirk

On climate news

Re: What should a new Sio Silica bid look like? (Think Tank, Jan. 19).

I always enjoy Norman Brandson’s thoughtful and well-written articles in the Free Press but after reading his article in Monday’s paper, I felt that he’d missed a key point.

I agree with C.Hugh Arklie’s letter to the editor (Jan. 22) that the risk to our drinking water is too high to risk with this business’s intentions. And, it is very disappointing that the Free Press will no longer print The Green Page section in its Saturday edition, which I found very interesting and supportive of climate change issues and the environment.

This piece of weekend reading for many customers will be sorely missed.

Barb Gyselinck

Sunnyside

U.S. not as strong as it looks

Right now, as in the past, the United States seemingly overestimates its military prowess and conquering abilities.

I own a large library which contains many world and military history books.

Wars in Korea, Vietnam, Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan ended as stalemates, abandonments, or embarrassing routs and came with bad consequences for the United States.

The Middle East region and much of Central and South America were destabilized by U.S. policies, political interference and incursions. These fuelled deadly drug production, cartel gangs, paramilitary and extremist group expansions. Certainly no victories.

Contrary to U.S. President Donald Trump’s bragging about the United States’ might, it has spent a lot of money, resources and human capital with disastrous results over many years. In the end, it usually loses the fights it starts or jumps into.

The First and Second World Wars were won by a coalition of allies, most of whom Trump is now insulting and trying to intimidate.

The United States as a country has not been a net war and international winner in a long time. Often, personal and group enrichment are motives for conflict.

From an historical perspective, Trump and the United States read like a world power alienating and attacking its friends and empowering its enemies.

The results become recorded history. Many leaders do not read history, certainly not Trump.

Holly Bertram

Winnipeg

Nursing questions

Re: Province backtracks on private nurse deadline (Jan. 21)

The new rules regarding usage of agency staff within the health-care system are not very clear. I have some questions, as I am sure many people do.

Exactly what category of workers and what areas of health care does this apply to? Do these rules apply to professional nurses (RNs, LPNs, RPNs) only or do they apply to health-care aides or nursing assistants or other non-nursing staff? Do these rules apply to hospitals only or to nursing homes, assisted living facilities and home care? If they apply to nursing homes, does it include private and faith-based ones as well as those that are part of the government controlled system?

Assisted-living facilities are regulated under housing, not health care. So are nurses from other agencies free to work under the housing umbrella? Also, the health minister is stating that nurses can only work for one of the four designated agencies. Does this apply to nurses working within the health-care system only?

What if a person wants to hire a nurse to do private duty either in their home or in a facility and they do the hiring and the payment themselves? Why can’t a nurse work for more than one agency and do private duty only? How does the government plan to control this?

These are just a few of the questions the public deserves to have answers for.

Ariel Lee

Winnipeg

Beginning of the end

Re: “In defence of CFL changes” (Letters, Jan. 21)

According to Thomas Hessian’s letter, we have to shorten the field because we moved the goal post back 15 yards. So why did we move the goal post? Moving the goal post back eliminates one the most exciting plays, the return of a missed field goal. They complain the goal post gets in the way of passing.

You can count on one hand the number of passes that hit the goal posts in the last five years. Moving the goal posts back will make a lot of teams punt the ball instead of kicking field goals. Both teams have to deal with the the goal posts.

Reducing the end zone is also a mistake. This cuts down on on the area for receivers to get open, which means touchdowns will be harder to achieve, just like the NFL.

The rouge is a unique play. It rewards the offense team for moving the ball to a point where they can kick a field goal. No such thing in the NFL, so I guess we can’t have one.

I agree with having teams on opposite sides of the field. I can live with the 30 second clock but what is going to happen in the last three minutes of the game? Is the stop clock going be long gone? Isn’t it disappointing to watch the NFL players walking off the field when there is still time remaining on the game clock?

I have been watching the CFL for over 60 years and I have seen subtle changes. I have never seen six major changes in one year. Other major sports have made changes but never that many in one year. The way our changes were made is very disappointing. Our commissioner used data to convince owners his plan was great. He never consulted coaches, trainers, players or fans.

Let’s face it, it’s a move to Americanize the Canadian game. In the next three or four years will we see 11-man teams and fair catch?

This is the beginning of the end of the great CFL game!

Dennis Dreikluft

Winnipeg

Bravo to PM

Our Prime Minister Mark Carney is the right man for the job. We have a prime minister who is putting Canada on the main stage.

His speech at Davos was brilliant. We may population-wise be small, but geographically we are huge. Carney knows this and he knows our resources are enormous. He is also acknowledging that the world is bigger than the United States, and the power of trade is greater than the U.S.

Carney is our present-day Winston Churchill. Standing up to an ignorant bully, and wanting to unite the world against that bully. All the while, metaphorically giving the middle finger to the child president down south without mentioning his name.

Brad McKay

Winnipeg