Letters, June 27

Step in the right direction

Re: Time to take a step forward … and walk together (June 20); Ryle perfect choice to bring reconciliation to the bench, (June 20); Justice system should reflect people it serves (Editorial, June 23)

In 1991, the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry stated that Canada and Manitoba overly relied on incarceration when dealing with criminal misbehaviour. Thus, the AJI recommended that the courts encourage community-based sentencing options (often referred to as restorative justice) stating that “While this shift is required generally in our justice system, it is particularly necessary in order to respond more effectively to Aboriginal offenders.”

In 2024, Canada’s incarceration rate was significantly higher than that of Norway, which makes much greater use of community-based sanctions (including restorative processes) and places a much stronger emphasis on rehabilitation and reintegration.

Today, in support of the appointment of an associate chief judge of reconciliation, Manitoba’s chief judge refers to a journey “arriving at a place less reliant on incarceration” noting that “Indigenous legal orders deal with restoration.”

Niigaan Sinclair’s opinion piece states that the task is “to help judges fix a system that continues to over-police, over-incarcerate, and over-penalize Indigenous Peoples.” The editorial supports “finding ways for the court system to better reflect Indigenous traditions, values and legal perspectives.”

Because I believe in reconciliation, and that incarceration should always be a measure of last resort, I support a sentencing system where clearly appropriate alternates to incarceration can be imposed.

However, as they say, the devil is in the details. Hence, I would encourage Manitoba Justice to outline (in considerable detail) just what the alternatives could be, and when and how they might be utilized.

Anything less will likely not be enough to convince a large and growing number of people who already thinks the justice system is often out-of-touch and far too lenient.

Gerald Farthing

Winnipeg

Needs of unhoused are immediate

Re: Call for managed homeless camp gets rough ride at city hall (June 26/26)

The current debate on homelessness in Winnipeg is too often framed as an either/or choice: build more housing or deal with encampments. That framing is both false and limiting.

Expanding affordable housing is essential, yes. However, this is a long-term solution that will take years to deliver results. Meanwhile, people in Winnipeg are living without safe shelter today.

We need an immediate, pragmatic response alongside long-term planning, as proposed by Marion Willis of St. Boniface Street Links. A managed, supported encampment, a temporary, supervised, and connected-to-outreach encampment, could address urgent safety concerns for our most-vulnerable neighbours while helping transition them into housing.

I invite the mayor and unconvinced city council members to rethink their position and support this temporary solution. This is not about choosing one approach over another. It is about recognizing that a complex crisis requires a multi-pronged response.

I urge city council, the province, and community agencies to sit down together, going beyond their individual mandates, and develop a co-ordinated strategy that addresses both immediate needs and lasting solutions contributing to improving the quality of life of all citizens.

Jules Rocque

Winnipeg

Province must support public transit

Re: Troubled Transit needs province to come to its rescue (June 25)

Dan Lett’s on the money with his take on Winnipeg Transit’s woes. As the leader of the Green Party of Manitoba, I have to share we have long advocated for the provincial government stepping up its funding of public transit.

Premier Kinew, stop dangling the free-youth-transit carrot and meaningfully invest 50-50 on public transit with Winnipeg and the other municipalities.

Two additional grassroots suggestions:

First, how about offering free transit for all Manitobans during July and August? Let’s see if ridership picks up. We’d be surprised if it didn’t, despite the summer vacation season. Seriously consider extending this permanently.

At the same time, how about hiring a couple dozen summer students to board the buses and hand out short rider surveys? Talk about a valuable summer employment project, gathering feedback from those who know best — the actual users of our transit system.

Janine Gibson

Steinbach

A job well done

Re: Can you dig it? (June 20)

I very much enjoyed the article on the sewer infrastructure work that the city has completed.

Infrastructure definitely does not get the applause that it deserves; and good infrastructure is so important to us and for future generations.

Barbara Coombs

Winnipeg

Why now?

Re: Police begin massive 10-day drug sweep (June 26)

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when citizens would be arrested and charged for possessing even the tiniest amount of illicit drugs such as cannabis. The idea of people openly smoking or injecting hard drugs on the streets was simply inconceivable.

If Mayor Gillingham is expecting praise for this “crackdown” I would ask why he and our police force have turned a blind eye to this travesty for so long, and are only now answering the call of “fed up” citizens.

We’ve been fed up for years, and I wonder if the upcoming municipal election was part of the mayor’s motivation for this crackdown.

Linda Mlodzinski

Winnipeg

Let parents be parents

Re: “Fighting social media ban a head-scratcher” (Letters, June 20)

When my husband and I were raising my boys, there was no TV or video games in their rooms, my oldest son got his first cell phone at the age of 14 only because of safety — so he could call myself or my husband if there was something urgent.

The cell was banned from the bedroom until the age of 16. My kids were not happy about this, but that’s called parenting.

We spent our time outdoors with them doing various activities like camping , swimming, biking and taking them to the skateboard park. They also had activities such as snowboarding, skiing, hockey and lacrosse over the years.

This kept us busy as parents. driving them and watching them .but they weren’t bored. They were also allowed to have many friends over.

My son, 10 years later, at 26, thanked me for doing the best thing for him … limiting his social media and cell phone use. Parents need to be parents.

Judy Quilty

Selkirk

PMO should do its homework

Mark Carney should make the effort to do a little research before espousing his support for the Sio Silica extraction project.

It would have taken minimal effort for his team to look into the facts surrounding this proposed operation and if they did their homework it would be hard to believe Mr. Carney would mention it at all. If this was an oversight on his part he should publicly say so; if it wasn’t, then shame on him.

Ken McLean

Starbuck