Letters, April 17

Water conservation

Re: City could freeze water rates if high usage continues (April 13)

Shame, shame, shame on the City of Winnipeg! With water being one of our most precious resources, the city wants to encourage people to use more water. How could they? They should be doing their best to promote lower consumption of water, not trying to entice people to use more.

Of course, it’s all for the sake of the almighty dollar, isn’t it? What’s going to happen if Shoal Lake ever runs dry? Are they going to then blame people for using too much? What hypocrisy! Give your collective heads a really good shake, city council.

We do not want more water consumption, period.

Cheryl Lavigne

Winnipeg

The cost of things

Voters can understand the populist intent of saving people a few dollars on their gasoline purchases, but not everyone needs help and subsidizing the use of fossil fuels ignores the long-term costs of burning them.

Now the federal government has decided to join those thinking that simply reducing the gas tax is the best way to reduce costs for families. The federal announcement will cut revenue to the federal treasury at $2.4 billion. Provincially, the first gas tax holiday cost the Manitoba government some $340 million.

The argument that it reduces costs for someone working at minimum wage makes sense. The irony is that it reduces the cost of gasoline for people driving luxury vehicles, gas-guzzling monsters and people with multiple cars in their driveway. Whether a household owns a vehicle, how many they own, or the type of vehicle they buy, is driven largely by income.

Tax give-aways take money the government desperately needs to fund basic things like health care, and generously put it in the hands of voters who may not really need the help.

If we really wanted to help the working poor, we would take the $340-million tax give-away and make Winnipeg transit free for everyone. Winnipeg Transit fares raised about $140 million last year and the city provided transit with a subsidy of approximately $130 million. The tax break on gas prices last year could have meant a year of free bus travel for everyone and enough extra to spur planning for an expanded rapid transit system in Winnipeg.

Doing so would immediately reduce the cost of living for working people who do, or could, use the bus. It would also help us reduce our carbon footprint, which is likely to cost us more than we can imagine over time.

Jerry Storie

Winnipeg

In defence of Dynacare

Re: “Dynacare disaster” (Letters, April 15)

I read the letter on the Dynacare “disaster.” My experience has been very different.

Booking is straightforward but I do book online. Service is very professional and when I ask how has the day been it is usually a response of normal or busier but no mention of rate of pay. And my followup results to Cancercare are less than 24 hours and I am notified. The writer’s test requirements may be more complicated, requiring a pathologist to review before being sent to her physicians

Robert Cram

Winnipeg

I have had absolutely no problems booking a Dynacare appointment for myself, my wife, or my mother-in-law. Yes, it was done online but, on one occasion I called the Dynacare lab to reschedule an appointment time and was on hold for no longer than one minute before the call being answered.

On another occasion my specialist wanted me to have lab work the next day. No problem. I was a walk-in during a rather busy time and still waited only 20 minutes.

Neither my family physician nor my specialist have expressed any concern with the timeline of access to Dynacare services or the length of time to receive the results.

I suggest that Ms. Gibson try another Dynacare location.

Walt Roberts

Winnipeg

I was totally surprised to read the letter in Wednesday’s paper bemoaning Dynacare’s “monopoly on our health care.” In my opinion, Dynacare is one of best things that has happened here in decades.

Since the mid-’80s, I have been responsible for shepherding elderly relations to medical appointments and on to any tests that were required. I am now at the age where I am shepherding myself through the same processes.

Bloodwork “of old” could take place in a variety of locations, and appointments were not always offered. There were usually seats available while you waited, but they often packed patients in cheek-to-jowl and spilled over into adjacent hallways. Wait times could sometimes last up to three hours.

“My” Dynacare today is a breath of fresh air — a clean, accessible site with skilled, efficient, and courteous technicians (and the bonus of free parking!) The waiting room has rows of chairs spaced well apart and some even have arms to facilitate sitting and rising for the less able patients. The room has a screen that is kept up-to-date so the patients know where they are in the queue and how long they have yet to go.

I have never tried to book an appointment other than on the internet but I have often been to Dynacare without one, and have never had an excessive wait. I am not a skilled computer person, and find their website both up to date and easy to use. Their anticipated wait times are usually quite accurate. Appointments take place at or within minutes of the time booked, and the whole experience is quick and painless. My doctor consistently receives the results within an acceptable time frame.

Although I can sympathize with other letter writer’s frustration, in my opinion, Dynacare is one of the bright spots in a system that is currently facing a myriad of difficulties.

Sheila Skipper

Winnipeg

Humane alternative

It is spring, and our ground squirrels will soon be awaken from hibernation. Their first act will be to breed and raise young, which will disperse in summer. This thought returns us to the question of how to control their population humanely in urban parks, when needed owing to safety concerns.

I once spent a summer trapping ground squirrels with live traps baited with peanut butter. They will enter the traps readily, and can be caught multiple times if needed. The traps are inexpensive, two can be purchased at Cabela’s for under $50. Once caught, they can be relocated to sites where they do not harm and contribute to natural ecology.

If appropriate release sites, such as natural prairies, can be located, it would be easy for an animal control officer to make sure that these keystone prairie animals are kept off of soccer fields and ball parks.

James Hargrove

Winnipeg

Finland’s example

Our nation is doing well in many ways, following some things that Finland and other countries are doing.

One thing that we could do better by following Finland’s ideas is the way to end homelessness. We still have a long way to go in this area. In Finland, permanent housing is a fundamental human right, and it is also recognized as such by the United Nations Human Rights. Here, it seems to be a reward for rehabilitation, for cleaning up one’s life.

Judy Herscovitch

Winnipeg