Letters,

Alberta’s alternatives

It’s the ‘Battle of Alberta’ and not in sports vernacular.

So, you want out of Canada, eh, Alberta?

You know what? If that’s what you want, I will not stand in your way. You’ve had the good fortune of being a rich province because of your petroleum resources, but this is apparently not enough. You want even more. You are hard done by because you have been blessed with sources of revenue “lesser” provinces do not have.

I could give you a lot of reasons why you should not leave Canada but I won’t. I am tired of the endless selfishness of the relentlessly growing number of special interests saying “me me me” and “more more more.”

I will simply say this, the vast money-printing machine you currently have is because of petroleum. As per usual human behaviour, not much thought is given to anything past the near future. The good times will always remain. Right?

The truth is, everything is very temporal. The oil train may be your pipeline to wealth now, but it is going to come to an end.

The end of the good times will come one of two ways.

First, humanity continues using petroleum products and suffers the consequences of this ill-advised behaviour — which is the decimation of the planet, resulting in the eradication of the human species.

The second way the Alberta gas tank could be financially drained is if humanity changes its ways and decides to stop using petroleum and wholeheartedly adopts non-destructive forms of energy that does not destroy the planet. I am not a seer, so I don’t know which way this will go. Rest assured though, future generations will know.

Either way, Alberta’s riches will come to an end. It is temporal. You just don’t see it now — or you don’t want to see it — but this is the reality of life. When one of these two events occurs, where will all the big money for Alberta come from, assuming humanity moves away from petroleum? It’s a moot point if the other possibility happens.

You may be rich and feel very important and hard done by right now, but this situation can and will change. History offers ample examples. What then, Alberta? What will you do?

So, there it is. Alberta. If you want to leave I will even do what any courteous quintessential Canadian would do — I will open the door for you. The choice is yours. I am tired of all the threatening and bullying be it from a province, a country, business and industry, a dishonest financial system, a special interest or a big tech billionaire. Enough is enough. I’m tired of being a peaceful pacifist. The pen is my sword.

Glenn S. Hansen

Winnipeg

City should blow own horn

Re: Tunnel vision (June 20)

I had no idea such a huge project was in the works. I’m sure I’m not the only person who has wondered why it’s taking so long to fix a sewer pipe while dealing with backed-up traffic and closed lanes.

This major infrastructure project will enhance the city’s sewer system for decades to come. Perhaps the city could tout its achievements a bit more so citizens are aware of projects like this and know where some of their tax dollars are going. Kudos to the engineers and workers making this project happen.

Ellen Wilson

Winnipeg

OK, who else?

Re: What makes a leader of the Opposition effective? (June 22)

I found Paul Thomas’s article to be an excellent analysis.

Although not directly on point with the article, one of the major problems in leading a political party is that people compare your performance to their ideal of a perfect politician. The next time you hear a person criticize Carney or Poilievre, the appropriate response would be, “Compared to whom?”

In other words, if you dislike a leader and want him or her replaced, then tell us who would do a better job and give us particulars of what constitutes a “better job.”

We have to deal with the reality of the political world and stop daydreaming about a new messiah just around the corner. Keith Starmer can tell you that the new messiah rarely arrives.

Kurt Clyde

Winnipeg

NDP has plenty of political capital

Re: NDP riding ‘incredible wave’ of support (June 18); Kinew’s political brand appears unstoppable (June 20)

Clearly, the premier and his government have a lot of political capital to spend. An interesting question is how they should spend it.

They could continue to tread carefully and cautiously in the hopes of winning the next election and then at least one more after that. Or they could use it to do some big, bold things right now and leave an historic legacy.

If they choose the latter, I suggest a primary focus on three areas:

First, climate change resiliency, e.g., lead an all-hands-on-deck effort to help individuals and communities move to renewable energy and prepare for climate change impacts such as dramatic flooding and serious heat waves.

Second, mental health and addictions, e.g. build modern treatment facilities and introduce extensive treatment programs with some being mandated.

And third, public infrastructure, e.g., extensively invest in decent social housing for low-income people and subsidize free transit in cities and large towns.

This would require doing two things very few politicians like doing — raising taxes on those who can afford it and taking big political risks.

But what a legacy if successful.

Gerald Farthing

Winnipeg

Pointing the whey

Re: No whey (June 19)

The whey protein we are now seeing is what happens when big business latches on to a current trend. For those of us who care about long-term fitness and use whey protein to supplement our protein intake, all we can do is look at protein-enhanced Pop Tarts and shake our heads.

Rene Vincent

Winnipeg

Forever grateful for polio research

Re: Confronting the scourge of polio (June 20)

Thank you Free Press, for printing this article. I lived through this frightening time as mother of two young boys. Allan Levine’s article is factual and I am forever grateful to the knowledgeable and highly qualified research people and doctors in our medical community who have made great strides in combatting this terrible disease.

Dora Rosenbaum

Winnipeg

Bumpy rides

Re: “Potholes in June?” (Letters, June 18)

Letter writer Robert Moskal asked the question “Has Winnipeg run out of asphalt for potholes?”

The answer is yes, it has all been used up building more speed bumps. Apparently city hall thinks this is a good way to spend money, while many people disagree.

Ray Hignell

Winnipeg