Letters, April 29

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/04/2022 (1498 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Cause of potholes contested

Re: MPI pothole advice is sound (Letters, April 27)

Letter writer Sig Laser blames the pothole situation in Winnipeg on tax cuts, urban sprawl and underfunding of transit. I think he is more than a little misguided on all counts.

As far as urban sprawl, Winnipeg was cobbled together by the NDP government of Edward Schreyer 50 years ago by the forced amalgamation of 11 municipalities. These municipalities had their own operations departments, police forces, fire and ambulance departments and were really self-sustaining cities, including St. Vital, St. James, East Kildonan, etc.

Most of the assessment and therefore taxes for the City of Winnipeg prior to 1972 came from the downtown core and from the Exchange, but that all started to change when Polo Park and other shopping centers were created. The city was suffering financially, and one large Winnipeg was seen to be the answer. Those former 11 cities or municipalities still exist and continue to expand. That is not urban sprawl; that is natural progression.

As for tax cuts, we pay $2,000 to $4,000 per year plus $800 for water for a family residence. Compared to other cities in Canada, we are not undertaxed.

As for underfunding of transit, buses have been running empty during COVID-19 and it will take years to get ridership back to where it was. It pains me to see an articulated 90-passenger bus on St. Mary’s Road with two or three passengers. The cost per passenger is ridiculous and should not be tolerated.

The potholes need to be repaired and the streets upgraded. The city will have to make some hard choices to find the money, and I am not talking about closing the wading pools like they always tout when the councillors look for changes.

Peter Kaufmann

Winnipeg

We need more money spent on roads, much of which should come from drivers. MPI’s excess funds should go to road repair, not back into the hands of drivers. Also, add a “road repair levy” to our annual premiums.

Let’s face it, if we want good roads, we need to pay for them.

Ian Walkty

Winnipeg

Someone should create a Manitoba pothole map app. Highways, streets and roads would be continuously monitored for emerging potholes and completed repairs. It would be paid work for someone to minimize vehicle damage for fellow Manitoba citizens by recommending alternative routes while repairs are made, weather permitting.

David Albert Newman

Winnipeg

Clogged drains damage roads

Re: Councillor’s pothole politics full of holes (Opinion, April 28)

I agree that short-term repairs for potholes are probably a waste of money, as suggested by various city councillors cited by columnist Dan Lett.

The city cancelled a program to clean some roads a few years ago, leaving dead leaves and dirt by the curbs. In the spring, this material decomposes and becomes muck, which clogs the drains. We were cleaning a drain one spring and a city crew appeared to do that job. The experienced city worker predicted that this cancellation of a city service would result in quicker deterioration of the roads because the clogged drains would result in standing water on the roads.

The city should reinstate this program of fall street cleaning even if it means a deficit budget. Winnipeg has an older infrastructure and we should do what we can to avoid further deterioration.

Ruth Swan

Winnipeg

Boastful ads waste money

Re: Check out Tories’ propaganda while you’re waiting (Opinion, April 26)

I agree with columnist Tom Brodbeck that provincial government advertising on billboards, claiming “Budget 2022 is clearing the surgical and diagnostic backlog,” is a waste of our taxpayers’ money, especially so since we also have to dip into our pockets to fundraise for Concordia Hospital’s new surgical room. Every spare dollar needs to go into rebuilding our health-care systems, not boasting that the budget is suddenly and miraculously going to fix an issue that has existed for many years.

We neither need nor want advertisements showing us how the government plans on doing the job. We need to see results.

Bonnie Bricker

Winnipeg

All hands needed for cleanup

Re: City streets a load of rubbish (April 28)

One of the few positive attributes of winter is that is covers up rubbish and makes Winnipeg look less like a dump.

I, too, have noticed an uptick in trash on streets, boulevards and sidewalks. The people I see tossing trash onto streets is at a level I’ve not seen before. Talk about no pride.

Even if they do conscientiously throw away their garbage in a receptacle, it’s usually brimming to overflowing. The city needs to empty trash receptacles more often.

More community and neighbourhood associations need to take advantage of the province’s green-team grant, which is juiced up considerably this year.

We can all do our part. I just bought a trigger stick for $22 and picked up all the trash in my yard and boulevard, which this purchase made extremely easy. People can join with others on their community or neighbourhood clean-up teams, and go to their local parks and pick up trash. Every little bit helps.

Will Jones

Winnipeg

Must do better for rivers

Re: 60 million litres of raw sewage released into Red River during storm (April 27)

People scream about potholes and not enough lanes on roads, but only a few stalwart activists seem concerned Winnipeg regularly pumps its untreated sewage into our rivers. We’re working on it, of course, but it’s always seen as a long-term project in the extreme and secondary to other city tasks, especially politically.

If we had directed some of the extravagant amounts we’ve sourced with little question for bridges, overpasses, underpasses and highway projects, we would be much further along on appropriate sewage control. Instead of revering and protecting our rivers as though they are priceless, we spend our riches protecting the aggressively demanded right of Winnipeggers to flood our city with cars.

It is our duty to do better.

Herb Neufeld

Winnipeg

Kudos to the wastewater services division of the city’s water and waste department for acting quickly to prevent flooding in neighbourhoods upstream during the recent storm. This may not be a popular move to environmentalists, but the reduction in costs to homeowners and public-health impacts due to sewage in basements made it the right decision in an emergent situation.

Tom Pearson

Winnipeg

More Comrie, less Hellebucyk

Re: Eric Comrie gets first NHL shutout in 4-0 win over Flyers (April 28)

Every time backup goaltender Eric Comrie starts in goal, the Jets’ brass are proven wrong for playing him so seldom. If Comrie had started 30-plus games, the Jets likely would be playoff-bound.

Comrie does everything right that franchise goaltender Connor Hellebucyk does wrong. Comrie challenges the other teams, stays on his feet and swallows rebounds. Jets players regularly say they like and trust him, and they play better in front of him.

It’s time the Jets institute a two-goaltender method, not the current system of one annointed and one backup. They should plan for a 60/40 split, with the goalie playing best getting 60 per cent of games.

If Hellebucyk is played less, he may even play better.

John Zaplitny

Carman