Letters, Nov. 9

Sign of the times

Everyone knows the saying about death and taxes, but I would like to propose a revision. There are two things certain in life: death and rising taxes.

Winnipeg has raised property taxes every year since 2023 and Mayor Scott Gillingham intends to raise them again in 2027. Some people don’t like this, but I’ve made my peace with it.

Freezing taxes is not a viable option because there will be a shortage of money. This leads to a decaying city which means pothole-filled roads and city-owned community centres not being maintained. This also negatively affects public safety, snow clearing and transit.

Can you see a pattern? Raising taxes is the sign of our times, just like higher grocery prices, mortgage rates and home utilities. Heck, even the cost of coffee has gone up. But this should improve our city over the long term.

We need to come to terms with tax hikes. We cannot go back to freezing taxes. We have no choice but to accept tax hikes to compensate for previous years. It is the only way to move Winnipeg forward with progress!

Arlene Kejick

Winnipeg

If it walks like a Donald

Re: Blue wave set to flip U.S. House, Senate (Nov. 4)

After years of elections falling short of overly optimistic polls, this “blue wave” headline accurately describes the dramatic U.S. election results that will impact Canada and the world, one way or another.

Understandably, widespread celebrations have broken out. Trump’s immaturity and vindictiveness remain, however, and he is still in the White House.

When presidents enter their last two years in office, the moniker “lame duck” is often applied to them. Or should it be “duck à l’orange”?

Dan Furlan

Winnipeg

The current president of the United States said the result of their midterm elections “wasn’t a hit on me.”

Someone close enough to the president, who can speak to him without incurring his rancour, should tell him that the result of the election was because of the many things he has done and the many things he has said, either in public or through his social account as the current President.

And those two things contributed in a “bigly” way to the election outcome.

George Morawski

Winnipeg

Don’t blow up roster

Re: “Jets fans deserve better” (Letters, Nov. 4)

Setting aside the “Manitoba Miracle II” in Montreal Tuesday night (and what a finish for the history books it was), it is hard to argue with the notion that significant changes to the Jets are needed.

The team is no longer the top regular-season team they were in 2023-24 and 2024-25, and the prospect pool is weak compared to many other NHL teams. The team strayed from its draft-and-develop strategy in pursuit of a Stanley Cup (and I didn’t hear many objections at the time) and it has cost the team dearly. Time to get back to that team and front office.

The idea, however, that the last decade for the Jets has been “mediocre” belies the facts. The Jets had the most regular-season wins of all Canadian teams in the decade leading to their President’s Trophy season.

General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff deserves credit for that, just as he deserves blame for the collapse last year and early this year. And the team that led the NHL only two years ago had a lot of very good players to rebuild a playoff contender.

The idea that we should trade Kyle Connor, Josh Morrissey, Dylan Samberg and possibly Mark Scheifele for draft picks, a complete rebuild, is foolish and dangerous to the future of the franchise in Winnipeg.

Some players need to move out (Nino Niederreiter, Vladislav Namestnikov, perhaps Dylan DeMelo) to make way for players from the Moose who have been held back too long. And perhaps fresh eyes in the front office and behind the bench are needed.

But blowing up a previously successful roster with several irreplaceable stars is certainly not the answer.

Wayne Simpson

Winnipeg

Who’s responding?

A decade ago, when my dad was having a heart attack, I had to call 911 for an ambulance to come and take him to the ER.

I was glad that they came so fast, but as this whole event was unfolding before my eyes, I thought to myself: was a fire truck alongside an ambulance necessary to handle the described emergency?

How are our emergency response team resources allocated to properly handle emergency disturbances in the city? How will our elected politicians fix the proper dispatch of emergency workers to handle minor disturbances?

Fast-forward to this week, when I was commuting through the city and spotted a minor intoxication disturbance down at The Forks. To my surprise, four police cars as well as a fire truck and an ambulance were at the scene. I found myself asking the same questions I had years before: “How many emergency workers are really needed here? Is this where our taxes go?”

Mayor Scott Gillingham, when can we expect the fourth emergency response team you promised? Surely it won’t be another decade of improper use of city resources, will it?

Lance Magnaye

Winnipeg

Civic example

As a student at an Adult Learning Centre in Winnipeg who has been studying civic politics, I was disappointed to find out that only eligible voters got the chance to go inside polling stations.

After spending weeks learning about the election and candidates, I was excited to accompany my classmates to the advance polls at city hall to observe the voting process. However, those of us who were ineligible to vote were asked to wait downstairs. This incident made my excitement and interest in voting disappear instantly.

Residents who are not yet eligible to vote should be allowed to enter voting premises. They have to experience what it feels like and looks like so they can be inspired to vote when they are qualified.

Being in the voting area and looking at what is happening will not harm anyone. Residents with future eligibility to vote should get the chance to witness the process.

Yeabzer Goitom

Winnipeg

Put a pin in it

It is heartening to see that Prime Minister Mark Carney has swapped out his Order of Canada lapel pin for a poppy. His acknowledgment of the military service and sacrifice of others has — for now — replaced his well-earned badge of distinction.

Let’s hope that following Remembrance Day, and while he remains an elected official, he will choose to wear a Canadian flag pin to mark his dedication and love for this country rather than reverting to the non-mandatory practice of sporting a symbol of self-affirmation and personal exceptionalism.

Graham Mann

Winnipeg

Celebrate life

Re: Great blue heron hit by plane at Vancouver airport makes full recovery, released (Nov. 3)

Reading about this event summoned to my mind a mourning I had the privilege of witnessing in the late 1990s in the Peterborough area.

On Lake Chemong, I saw a mother heron standing dolefully over the little pink body of her hatchling floating near the shore, with sparse feathers, its tiny breast bone protruding like a knife… reminiscent of a premature fetus.

She stayed for another two hours or so and I wonder still: would she remember her pain of loss or would she return to Heron Island to mate again one day?

I was ecstatic that this marvellous bird at Vancouver Airport had made a full recovery, and was able to return to any mate or possible hatchlings it might have.

Diane R. Unger

Cooks Creek