Letters, Sept. 29

Opinion

Get postal service back in black

Re: Posties retaliate by resuming strike (Sept. 26).

Finally, the government is taking action to put an end to the financial mess at Canada Post. This started years ago when Trudeau capitulated to a few whiners about loss of door to door delivery, and has just gotten worse year after year.

While I admit that the postal service is still important and necessary, the level of service currently delivered has not been required for many years. Delivery should be changed to every second or third day as there is nothing coming by regular mail that you can’t wait one or two more days for. Fact is that many people with community mailboxes only pick up their mail once or twice a week.

The move to community mailboxes will finally bring those 25 per cent of Canadians with home delivery to the same level of service that the rest of us get, leveling the playing field. Lana Smidt said in your article that, “I hope the public is as outraged as we are because this is affecting them.”

She is right, but not for the reason that she has stated. As a taxpayer, I am outraged that Canada Post has been allowed to lose as much as $10 million a day for years and nothing has been done. It’s time to implement these difficult changes so that Canada Post can get back in the black.

Lindley Ward

Winnipeg

Poor prospects in province

Re: Kinew vows to turn Manitoba into ‘have’ province by 2040 (Sept. 26)

The article on becoming a “have” province is once again filled with hollow promises by this NDP government. The economic horse is dead, and this government is doing nothing to improve the business environment. Instead of creating grants and trade offices to reward insiders, the province needs to create a business-friendly environment that encourages companies to expand and hire. This can be done by deregulating and eliminating punitive payroll taxes that discourage hiring.

This government can’t even approve a sand mine, so how will they ever approve a critical mineral project? This single-handedly shows mining companies that we aren’t open even to considering mining projects. For the Port of Churchill, will the Beluga whale migration or a pipeline win the argument? This is why so many of our friends and family have moved out of province, poor economic prospects with no chance of change.

Justin Schinkel

Winnipeg

Time to walk away

Re: Ottawa still reviewing F-35 program after deadline passes (Sept. 25)

Ottawa, you have got to be kidding! The Canadian government is still pondering buying 88 F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin and the United States government at a total cost of $27.7 billion, even as the U.S. government continues to wipe its tariff-laden authoritarian feet on the backs of Canadians.

At worst, let’s buy the first 16 which Canada is committed to. At best, let’s buy no jets from the U.S. and simply walk away. Where to? The European firm Saab stands ready to fulfil Canada’s jet plane requirements. Get a grip, Ottawa!

Michael R. Moskal

Winnipeg

Excellence in care

Re: Small home with a big heart (Sept. 24)

Congratulations to The Convalescent Home of Winnipeg for being recognized as one of the best care facilities in North America. This honour demonstrates what is possible when older adults are treated with dignity, compassion, and respect. Families across Manitoba want nothing less for their loved ones.

But while some homes excel, others fall short. When neglect or abuse occurs, our laws often focus only on individuals — the nurse, the aide, the staff member. In Canadian law, however, a “person” is not only a human being (a natural person). Corporations are also “legal persons.” That means when a company controls staffing levels, budgets, and policies, it too has a duty of care.

If a corporation can sign contracts, pay taxes, and be fined for polluting a river, surely it can also be held accountable when its decisions harm seniors. Yet Manitoba’s Protection for Persons in Care office has acknowledged that it does not investigate corporations for systemic issues. And the new seniors advocate, as the law stands, has no investigatory powers at all.

We should celebrate excellence like the Convalescent Home. But we must also ensure accountability where duties are not fulfilled. To keep its promise to seniors, the government must amend the Seniors Advocate Act to give the advocate the power to investigate both natural and legal persons. Only then can we ensure that every older adult in Manitoba receives the care they deserve.

Anne Thompson

Winnipeg

The Convalescent Home of Winnipeg is well deserving of the honour recently bestowed upon it. My own mother spent the last years of her life in the facility and I will forever be grateful for the love, respect and attention afforded her by the caregivers who make this place truly special.

It’s also located in a vibrant neighbourhood and my mother loved the excursions we were able to navigate along Corydon along with its proximity to places of worship which at her stage of life, meant everything.

We should all be so fortunate to age with such dignity.

Dan Donahue

Winnipeg

Investigations necessary

Re: Probes swamp doctors’ college (Sept. 25)

I read this article with considerable interest, having complained about the care I received from four doctors leading to a near death experience nine years ago. I appreciated reading how transparent and forthcoming Dr. Guillaume Poliquin was in outlining the challenges the college faces in investigating patient complaints.

I was interested to read that the College has only one investigator and is training a second investigator. Ironically this might be a step in the right direction as in my experience the college investigators were retired physicians who were looking for a sinecure position. As such, they were given no training because the belief was they had years of experience.

I would be interested in knowing what kind of “training” this new investigator is receiving.

I would also like to know what Poliquin means when he says patient safety is “top of mind.” If patient safety is a top priority, why did I have to fight like hell to get the college to acknowledge and communicate to their registrants that serious mistakes were made in treating me nine years ago?

I acknowledge that change is often necessary and takes time. But let’s also acknowledge that accountability and patient safety is extremely important.

Mac Horsburgh

Winnipeg

Against CFL changes

As a season ticket holder in Winnipeg I vehemently oppose any changes to the rules that make the game less uniquely Canadian and more like the U.S. game.

The runbacks for missed field goals and the rouge are fun and exciting aspects to the game.

The long wide field, and the superior kicking game must not be changed.

Any effort to make our game less unique just reinforces the perception that the CFL is a second class league instead of the uniquely Canadian league that it is.

Is this just an effort by Toronto to kill the CFL so the NFL can move in?

Blake Taylor

Winnipeg