Letters, June 12

Loud and frequent is good

Re: “Alert system flaws” (Letters, June 11)

With respect to Konrad Antony, what is abysmal is the warning we received of the approach of violent storms previously. Which, of course, was little to none at all.

Of course, the system could be improved. All systems can be improved. Nonetheless, the imperfect system currently provided saves lives.

I live in Winnipeg and also received about a dozen alerts on my cell phone. Each and every time an alert arrived, I checked out the windows on all sides of my home, to see if conditions had deteriorated. If they had, I would have had time to protect myself.

Further, of course the alarm is loud. There is little point otherwise. I would suggest that the repeated alarms and messages are useful, as they are a reminder that weather can change on a dime, and our best protection is to be warned and prepared.

Lynn Silver

Winnipeg

Careful what you wish for

Re: “Alert system flaws” (Letters, June 11)

When the wind goes from a dead calm to 80 km/h in seconds, only a tornado or storms capable of producing them are present. It was clear from the radar that the storm was getting more violent. Yellows were replaced by solid red and purple — bad news. It was time to go downstairs to watch the hockey game.

After the storm, as neighbours gathered, one waded into the flooded street to retrieve her yard chairs. Hmm, wonder how they got there?

The alerts were an indication of the severity of the storm, ignoring them is foolhardy and dangerous. Go ahead and turn your phone off, but don’t turn it back on when you need help.

Bill Allan

Winnipeg

Chief Justice speaks out

Re: Artificial intelligence ‘promising, problematic’ for courts, chief justice says (June 9)

Although the Free Press carried an item by the Canadian Press about the Chief Justice of Canada’s June 9 news conference, there was no news of Chief Justice Wagner’s important caution about politicians who lately feel free to question the judicial system with “rhetorical attacks.”

This warning by the chief justice is about another kind of “intelligence” — one that challenges the independence of the judiciary as a Canadian core value. Examples of these attacks include the astounding wish of the Alberta premier that she could “direct the judges” and the tiring complaint of the Ontario premier that judges are soft on crime.

The chief justices of all the Ontario and Alberta courts have responded with strong public proclamations of judicial independence. On Tuesday, the Chief Justice of Canada did not criticize them for stepping outside the courtroom to address the public; indeed, he affirmed that it was their duty to do so.

It will be interesting to see if politicians in Canada have paid attention or if there will be more advocacy by the judiciary.

Rocky Pollack

Winnipeg

Fighting the good fight

Re: Hats off to Steven Guilbeault (Think Tank, June 10)

Steven Guilbeault was a victim of the problem all governments face in democratic systems: “We know what needs to be done. We just don’t know how to do it and still be elected.”

You can call this a moral failure, or an absence of courage, but it is a dynamic baked into our system.

Brandson rightly notes that governments at all levels have laws that could remedy our environmental problems. To be effective, those laws must result in either sanctions or programs. For example, it is widely recognized that toxic algae blooms in lake Winnipeg are due to a combination of excessive nutrient runoff from agriculture, municipal wastewater discharges and massive wetland drainage, all aggravated by climate change.

Within the province, all of these things can be addressed under provincial law without much involvement of federal authorities. The issue of trans-boundary nutrient inflows and climate change requires federal authority but, again, remedies are subject to the political calculation of voter impact.

Brandson is also correct in calling out inter-governmental duplication and inefficiencies. No level of government has clean hands in passing the buck. Steven Guilbeault deserved credit for what he tried to accomplish. He stood for change that will come in time — hopefully not too late to avoid disaster.

Vaclav Havel said, “there is only one thing I will not concede; that it might be meaningless to strive in a good cause.”

Let’s all hope Guilbeault keeps striving.

Ian Gillies

Winnipeg

Restore the No. 10 bus

Re: City hall needs to fix transit issues — quickly (June 9)

Thank you, Tom Brodbeck. I think it was a huge mistake to get rid of the No. 10 Wolseley/St. Boniface bus route.

My life partner Chris Vogel and I live in the heart of the granola belt in Winnipeg. That would be Wolseley. We have Prairie Sky Books at the end of our block, and Nellie McClung Park a stone’s throw away. We love Wolseley, and the No. 10 bus route served Wolseley well.

Before the system overhaul, Chris and I caught the No. 10 at the bus stop at Nellie McClung Park, and it took us right downtown. Chris and I are in our late 70s, and during the winter, the bus was much easier than using our car. It was super-convenient and super-cheap for seniors. Chris and I have Peggo cards, but we won’t be using them anymore.

The new route that replaced the No. 10 skirts the downtown area, doesn’t run through Wolseley, and is totally useless for Chris and me. I suggest that Winnipeg Transit add the old No. 10 to the new set of routes that are in place following the overhaul.

Rich North

Winnipeg

Spend now or pay more later

Re: “Long-term solutions required” (Letters, June 11)

Although not “news,” Jim Silver’s letter was so important that it should have been on the front page.

It was absolutely right and is exactly what many who deal with these seemingly unsolvable problems have been saying for a very long time.

Those who disagree with his solution will always bleat about how much it will cost. I would point to the old saying, “penny wise and pound foolish’. If we don’t spend now to begin to solve these issues, we will end up having to pay exponentially more later, and not just in money.

To those in political power, and those with wealth, I urge you to take particular heed.

Margaret Mills

Headingley

KD cake sounds amazing

Re: Master of the Kraft (June 10)

Yes, yes, yes! Kraft dinner was/is the all-time staple in our house when our kids were young. We made KD for special occasions, like to celebrate a success at school or to heal a hurt ankle or thumb.

On a trip with students to France many years ago, after a week of travel and French food, the high school students wanted us to make a pot of KD just to get that feeling of being home back in Canada.

My question is whether KD cheesecake is a dessert or main course? Hmm?

Ken Reddig

Morden