Letters, July 10

Reporter’s contributions lauded

As an entity on ‘the other side of reporting’ — in my former role as vice-president of communications and marketing with the Winnipeg Foundation — our city has to know that working with recently retired Free Press reporter Kevin Rollason on stories about Winnipeg’s charitable community was an honour and a privilege.

At a time when philanthropy was not a mainstream story, the Free Press, through Kevin, shone a spotlight on the generosity of Winnipeggers in every corner of the city.

Kevin’s reporting in this arena was always generous, kind and accurate. We worked together for more than two decades — when opportunities presented themselves — to showcase the best of the city. As a reporter, he was always curious, kind and generous digging up the stories of Winnipeg’s best side.

With appreciation and respect for all Kevin spotlighted in our city, please share our thanks and congratulations to him for his decades of great work.

LuAnn Lovlin

Winnipeg

Rebuild roads with culverts

I am not an engineer, but logic dictates that where Manitoba roads, highways and railroad lines are washed out or badly damaged because of the heavy rains and overland flood waters our province is experiencing, huge under-roadway culverts should be incorporated when they are being repaired to safely divert water under the roadways instead of over them.

These culverts should mitigate any future roadway damage.

Robert Moskal

Winnipeg

See how long this lasts

It is great news that federal support is coming to help volunteers and residents in Swan River, but it is worth remembering the difference a year makes.

Last year communities in northern Manitoba had to fight for this level of support in the face of wildfire evacuations and relief. Indigenous leaders had to lobby actively and publicly for support and aid. No matter the season, regardless of whether crises are caused by climate conditions or policy decisions, certain communities need to work far harder to get the same level of support that more centrally-located populations can expect.

Hopefully this means the province and feds have improved disaster co-ordination and response. But the test, as it too often is, will be when northern communities need our support.

Kelsey Enns

Winnipeg

Crying foul over provincial directive

Re: City considers million-dollar chop to tree-planting program (July 8)

Joyanne Pursaga reports that the “Manitoba government recently directed the city to spend an additional $1.236 million of it’s provincial ‘strategic infrastructure basket’ funding on the Assiniboine Park Conservancy Journey to Churchill exhibit.”

In response, Winnipeg’s mayor and executive policy committee have decided that this provincial demand be met by axing that amount from the urban forest tree planting budget.

Along with the excellent points Jean Altemeyer makes on why this is a bad idea, let me add a couple more:

Enjoyment of trees is available to all at no charge. Families wishing to enjoy Journey to Churchill will typically need a car to get there and then shell out $23 for each adult and $13 for each child.

Trees last a long time and are part of what makes this city livable. Thus trees are rightly considered infrastructure. But how is an exhibit considered infrastructure? And how is it that the NDP, the party of the people, is prioritizing an exhibit that can only be enjoyed by families with a fair amount of disposable income, over trees that can be enjoyed by all for generations?

Steven Ratzlaff

Winnipeg

Carbon capture is not the answer

Further to carbon capture facilities — we’re not content with destroying the atmosphere with fossil fuels above the ground; now we want to pollute the interior of the earth with carbon derived from fossil fuels and potentially suffer additional adverse planetary effects.

One might also realize the enormous costs, be they monetary or ecological, to build and operate a carbon capture facility utilizing questionable technology. A bad situation supposedly solved by a bad option will not equate to a positive solution.

Glenn S. Hansen

Winnipeg

Meaningless emissions reduction promises

Re: ‘Forward guidance’ on Canadian climate targets (Think Tank, July 4)

David McLaughlin states that he is tired of being gaslit about fossil fuels. I think he means he is tired of politicians promising to reduce carbon emissions when their actions clearly will not accomplish this goal or target. This is evidenced by the fact that, over the last 30 years, emissions have increased and thus missed every target set.

However, the bigger gaslighting has been achieved by proponents claiming that the burning of fossil fuels makes economic sense. If the oil and gas industry was presented with the bill for all the damage caused by the extreme weather that is the result of the burning of their product, we would be well on our way to a clean energy future.

As it stands, their mantra is “Drill, baby, drill” and ours should be “Pay, baby, pay.”

Warren Martin

Flin Flon

Bus shelters need love, too

There are serious ongoing cleaning and safety issues with bus shelters throughout the city.

I see filthy transit shelters miles away from downtown that don’t appear to have been cleared of garbage and cigarette butts, or the glass panels, seats and concrete floors power-washed, in years.

I’ve encountered blood and feces smeared on surfaces inside and outside shelters and items such as needles, condoms, drug pipes and vaping devices discarded in and around shelters. The insides of many shelters smell foul.

For safety and proper usage, I think that it is time to remove all doors on shelters and to install armoured shatter-resistant glass on all of these already expensive structures.

Bus shelters are a very important part of the city-wide transit system and desperately need much better care and attention. Currently, they are neglected and are obviously treated as something of minor importance and optional for paying transit riders.

Holly Bertram

Winnipeg

Time to move on?

I can’t help but think that it’s time to finally put an end to Canada’s ties to the monarchy and our colonial past. Harry’s repeated stumbles, including his recent defeat in the law courts, show the Royals have overstayed their welcome. The monarchy, in my opinion, is a symbol of our colonial past and in the process of reconciliation we must move beyond it.

For the future of Canada, we must become truly sovereign and have no connection with a millionaire playboy.

Kerry Arksey

Winnipeg