Letters, Aug. 29

Lake fever

Re: Lake Ontario ‘then, now and always’ (Aug. 28)

Some people are stupid and uninformed and uneducated about history, as well as lacking in empathy and respect for other cultures, especially Indigenous cultures and their rich histories.

If all of the above are true for some of the American public and for Donald Trump — then you go ahead and call it Lake America!

The rest of us will stick with Lake Ontario, and we will keep the name of the province of Ontario while we are at it.

Does Donald Trump even know that the Americas were named after Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian explorer and cartographer of the Christopher Columbus colonial era? Does the first name of a colonizer from across the Atlantic Ocean, mean more than “beautiful lake” or “sparkling waters” in an Indigenous language with roots much more than 400 years old?

Here’s an idea, Donald. Why not rename the seven largest lakes in all of North America?

If we are going to do a renaming that has some meaning, let’s keep the original and historic names and add to them the Seven Grandfather Teachings of Indigenous tradition: Lake Honesty and Lake Truth. Lake Courage and Lake Bravery. Lake Love and Lake Wisdom. And finally, Lake Humility.

Maybe that’s what we should call Lake Ontario instead of Lake America — Lake Ontario/Lake Humility. Now that would be an ironic mouthful for President Trump to swallow.

On the positive side, Trump’s embarrassing and ridiculous exercise has at least provided the opportunity for some real education about the Indigenous roots of the naming of many of our lakes and other geographical features. A much wider audience has the opportunity to learn more about our rich Indigenous heritage.

And it gives us an opportunity to reflect on the deeper meaning of place names and those who would change them at their whim.

Len Van Roon Jr.

Winnipeg

Many of us grew up learning the names of the Great Lakes with the help of the mnemonic, HOMES.

Now, thanks to Trump’s complete misunderstanding of the history of the name “Ontario” — a Wendat or Huron or Mohawk word meaning, variously, “shining water” or “great lake” — we will have to update our mnemonic. I am grateful to an astute reader of another newspaper who points out that the names of the renamed Great Lakes can be initialized as SHAME.

By the way, how long will it be until Trump feels the need to change the name of Ontario, Calif.?

Francis Newman

Winnipeg

War in Iran, war in Gaza, war in Ukraine, wildfires and floods in North America and throughout the world, gasoline and food prices rising, worst Ebola outbreak in Congo ever, big cities plagued by drug addicts and homeless people, trade wars with Canada and others.

What does the American administration focus on? Lake Ontario’s name.

Is there an adult in the room?

Allan Jakilazek

Winnipeg

How deflating to see the Orange Menace gracing the front page yet again. So I quickly turned the page and was rewarded with a delightful photo of our premier running with a group of children — in his stocking feet with a huge smile on his face!

Please stop putting Trump’s irritating visage and his latest inanity on the front page.

Lisa Halket

Winnipeg

Getting kids moving

Re: Physical activity ‘for every single child’ (Aug. 28)

I write to express congratulations and appreciation to Premier Wab Kinew, Education Minister Tracy Schmidt, and the provincial government for their recent decision to institute mandatory, in-school physical and health education for senior years students across Manitoba.

Replacing the previous curriculum with 110 hours of structured, in-person instruction for Grades 11 and 12 students guarantees that every high school student, regardless of background or ability, is engaged in daily physical activity and health practices that foster lifelong well-being.

Given the plethora of research demonstrating that regular physical activity yields benefits well beyond the school years, promoting and providing quality school programs is critical. This has implications for the potential reduction of health and medical costs.

Establishing healthy practices early directly combats future chronic disease, maintains and promotes cognitive function, contributes to facilitating longevity, and provides vital mental-health support at a time when today’s youth face significant challenges.

Manitoba has long held a reputation as the “jewel of physical education” in Canada. By updating a 25-year-old curriculum and addressing current challenges such as social media, mental health issues, and healthy nutrition, Manitoba reaffirms its position as a national leader in promoting youth fitness, health, and wellness.

However, effective implementation is where the real work begins. If this initiative is to succeed across all school divisions, the province must back its vision with meaningful resources. This includes targeted funding for school divisions to employ qualified physical educators who are capable of delivering inclusive health and physical education programming. Engaging university teacher-preparation programs in this initiative is essential.

Additionally, many schools will require upgraded indoor and outdoor facilities, along with accessible equipment to accommodate instruction. It is equally essential to provide resources and support for teachers so they can plan and adapt programming for students with diverse physical, cognitive, and learning needs, as well as those from varying cultural backgrounds.

This forward-thinking initiative honours and continues Manitoba’s long-standing leadership in physical education, a tradition dating back to the late 1800s, leading to the establishment of required school physical education in 1909.

David Fitzpatrick

Winnipeg

Health-care suggestions

Re: NDP should explain Shared Health’s value to Manitobans waiting for promised ‘fix’ (Aug. 28); Treating symptoms, not the disease (Think Tank, Aug. 28)

Kudos to Tom Brodbeck for his column about Shared Health and to Charles Bernstein for his op-ed column on chronic diseases. I have long shared the concerns raised by these astute fellows.

As a person living with a chronic disease — Type 1 diabetes for 56 years — I concur that there are much more effective ways to manage it than an appearance at an emergency room.

I have never attended an ER for a diabetes-related problem. It is incumbent on our health-care system, the person living with a chronic disease and their caregivers to have appropriate options for care.

I have a family doctor, an endocrinologist, an ophthalmologist, an insulin pump trainer and access to a dietitian. I have utilized the services of diabetes educators and nurse practitioners at times.

It is critical for all these services to be available, accessible and broadly publicized so that people like me know where to turn for help before they land on the doorstep of an ER facing other demands.

I hope our government and our health-care system is paying attention to the great ideas being brought forward to get us unstuck from the mess we find ourselves in.

Ellen Karr

Winnipeg