Ideology muddies MAID debate

Re: Lack of MAID for mental illness troubling to some (Oct. 28)

The lack of medical assistance in dying (MAID) for mental illness should be troubling for many, as it demonstrates yet again how a minority can impose on all Canadians their ideological objections. Many presenters who argued against MAID for mental illness also reject MAID for physical illness, often for religious reasons.

And the Liberal government gave an ideal opportunity. The co-chairs of the committee were known to oppose extending MAID for mental illness, which seems to have contributed to what dissenters on the committee allege was an imbalance that favoured like-minded opponents in those invited to present to the committee.

The times, they aren’t a-changin’

I would like to ask Premier Wab Kinew a very simple question: Why in the world would you want to leave the clocks on permanent daylight time rather than continue changing them twice a year, as Manitobans have been accustomed to doing for decades?

Manitoba is in the geographical middle of Canada. Our time zone should reflect our location and our relationship with the rest of Western Canada.

I simply cannot understand the reasoning behind keeping Manitoba on permanent daylight time. Changing our clocks twice a year has been part of our lives since 1963. Why fix something that has worked for generations?

Post-election reflection

The civic election offered both predictable and surprising results. The re-election of Mayor Scott Gillingham and the defeat of Transcona councillor Russ Wyatt were anticipated.

What was surprising was that, in addition to Wyatt, three other incumbents lost their bids for re-election. Devi Sharma (Old Kildonan), Ross Eadie (Mynarski) and Shawn Dobson (St. James) all went down to defeat, and it is clear to me their replacements will bring stronger voices to city hall.

A total of nine new councillors is a seismic shift in Winnipeg civic politics, not seen since the establishment of the 15-member council some 35 years ago. What is most interesting is the political leanings of the new councillors and how they will work with Mayor Gillingham.

Civic election a missed opportunity

The outcome of the latest municipal election in Winnipeg is nothing short of baffling. The decline of what was once a proud, beautiful prairie hub is impossible to ignore.

Winnipeg is rapidly sliding into a state of structural and social dilapidation, yet voters have inexplicably chosen to hand incumbent Mayor Scott Gillingham a second term. The decision smells of complacency, and sadly, it represents a massive missed opportunity for real urban renewal.

Walking through downtown Winnipeg today is an exercise in heartbreak. A city centre that should be a bustling economic and cultural core has instead transformed into an absolute eyesore. Encampments and tents are permitted to dot the heart of the city. Streets that used to thrive are now dominated by the tragic, visible reality of severe addiction, with individuals wandering and staggering through public spaces without adequate intervention or care.

Embarrassed by turnout

I am ashamed by the poor turnout of voters in the recent municipal election in Winnipeg. Just 38 per cent of eligible voters is a disgrace to the thousands of men and women who gave their lives in past wars, where they were defending democracy and the right to vote.

My grandfather was an infantry soldier in the First World War, and my father-in-law flew in Avro Lancasters in the Second World War. For both I am grateful.

Maybe the 62 per cent that had a flimsy excuse for not voting will keep this mind for the next election. People died for our right to vote.

Vote, people!

Re: Get out and exercise your franchise (Editorial, Oct. 24)

I’m now in the autumn of my life but have voted in every single election since I was first eligible, which at that time was the age of 21. This was impressed upon me at a very young age by my father, who said it was every citizen’s duty to vote.

The apathy with regard to voting these days is appalling. And I know that some of the people who do the most complaining about how things are being done are those who don’t bother to vote. Perhaps to overcome this, Canada should look at doing what Australia and several countries in Europe and Latin America have done, which is to make voting compulsory.

Time for ranked ballots?

Re: Get out and exercise your franchise (Editorial, Oct. 24)

Declining turnout is indeed a threat to our democracy and, while I am grateful that the editorial mentioned proportional representation, the issue on the municipal level can be solved far more simply — using ranked-choice voting.

In the last Winnipeg municipal election, the mayor “won” the election with only 27 per cent of the vote. Multiply that by the turnout of 37.5 per cent and the mayor’s positive mandate — the portion of the electorate that voted for him as mayor — drops to a paltry 10 per cent. That number should shock us into an awareness that the single-mark ballot has failed us miserably.

Privacy risks of health information

Manitobans deserve answers about how their personal health information is collected, accessed and protected. Three everyday practices warrant public scrutiny: repeatedly requesting birth dates at pharmacies; exposing historical medical records to reception staff; and requiring callers to disclose personal details to Health Links.

A Manitoba health card proves health coverage. Why must patients repeatedly disclose their birth dates to collect prescriptions? What assumptions or biases might arise from a person’s age or outdated medical history? Being classified as “authorized personnel” does not eliminate the risk of unnecessary scrutiny.

I have personally experienced the distress of a doctor’s receptionist drawing attention to a decades-old medical entry by asking, “Is this you?” A last name which had apparently been removed legally was visible again. Patients should not have to explain or relive painful chapters of their past simply because historical information appears on a screen.

A little background info

Re: Bring Power Smart home (Think Tank, Oct. 21)

Steven Fletcher’s op-ed column overlooks important history behind Efficiency Manitoba and the need to reconsider its targets.

In December 2003, Gary Doer’s NDP government announced plans for a separate agency to co-ordinate energy efficiency, water conservation and waste reduction. Provisionally named Efficiency Manitoba in 2004, the initiative became Green Manitoba, a special operating agency launched in April 2006.

People over cars — always

Re: Researchers: lights at crossing ‘long overdue’ (Oct. 22)

Maggie Macintosh’s article was right on the mark. The biggest problem with pedestrian crossings is the remarkable inconsistency, but there is also the fact that drivers at every traffic light are trained to keep running through amber lights until they turn to red.

I use the pedestrian crossing at Roblin Boulevard and Hunterspoint Road and drive through it every day. Almost every day I see drivers, from a full block away, who will just keep going through the flashing ambers (at the crossing), especially if there is traffic ahead of them doing the same thing.

Creating safe sports environments

We do not do enough in youth sports to create a safe environment for all youth to participate safely and fully. Access to sports is a huge part of personal development for youth, including core teamwork and interpersonal skills, discipline and responsibility and passion.

Barriers should be removed for children and youth to be able to participate — especially girls and racialized youth. Despite being one of the strongest ways to connect as a community, sports hold a lot of privilege in who can access them and who will remain able to participate.

All youth deserve to feel a sense of belonging, have access to spaces for physical activity and to experience recreation free from harassment or discrimination from players, coaches or spectators.

United in grief

Re: Grass fire not seen as threat before catastrophe, military says (Oct. 19)

We are all Canadians. Coming from a large military family, including my own daughter, I feel that when such a disaster occurs, we all feel as if our own have fallen. God bless the Canadian Armed Forces, and the first responders, at this terrible time.

Diane R. Unger

School violence deplorable

Re: Student violence surges, MGEU says (Oct. 17)

It’s heartbreaking to read and hear stories of school staff being physically and emotionally abused. Students are increasingly coming to the classroom with very complex needs. Staff hours lost to this abuse are surely increasing.

Money and resources are always scarce when it comes to funding education. Stories of para-professionals having to accommodate and work with a plethora of classroom needs are not uncommon.

Alberta can thrive within Canada

Alberta’s independence debate deserves a sober examination of the risks of national division.

Ukraine offers an important cautionary example of how separatist movements can be exploited by foreign powers to advance their own strategic interests. Russia’s intervention in eastern Ukraine in 2014 transformed separatist unrest into a prolonged armed conflict, causing civilian deaths, economic disruption and instability.

Alberta’s circumstances are very different, but the broader lesson is that separatism can create vulnerabilities to foreign interference.

Province must also retain docs

Re: Ottawa offers $6M to hire 90 new doctors (Oct. 15)

The federal government’s $6 million commitment to help Manitoba recruit up to 90 additional family doctors by 2028–29 is welcome news, but it should not be mistaken for a solution to the province’s persistent physician shortage.

The question is not simply how many doctors Manitoba can recruit, but how many it can retain —and whether patients will actually have better access to care as a result.