Letters, Sept. 19

Addicted to gambling

Re: Sweeney’s sexist U.S. gambling site ad not the real problem, Sept 17

Dan Lett’s analysis of the issue was very good. Something I would like to elaborate about the Canadian context is that provincial governments are not just betting on sports gaming to be big money, they’re actively encouraging problem gambling.

Take the Alberta-based ad in which a gambler is encouraged to spend their time gambling on their phone whenever there’s a break in the action at a baseball game. Every half-inning, every pitching change, should be spent gambling rather than being in the moment. The Ontario ads aren’t much better, just more subtle in how they normalize problematic gambling behaviour.

The normalization of addictive behaviour by some of our provincial governments is disconcertingly insidious.

Kelsey Enns

Winnipeg

I agree with Dan Lett regarding online gambling sites.

Yes, Sydney Sweeney’s ad is problematic in that it sexualizes female athletes.

The real problem is the number of online gambling sites out there. It just amazes me the number of online gambling ads that show up on late night TV.

The majority of them are for the Ontario market. Is the Ontario government hoping for revenue from them? Where’s the concern for Ontario residents becoming addicted?

I hope Manitoba doesn’t go this way. I hope the new health curriculum will look at addiction and online gambling. We need to get ahead of this to prevent ruining more lives.

Leanne Hanuschuk

Winnipeg

Wind and solar

Re: Gas turbine peaker plants are a mistake, Think Tank, Sept. 17

I was much heartened by the article by Don Scott on the Think Tank page of the Free Press.

Manitoba has abundant wind and solar energy which can be harnessed much more to supplement our hydro power. This, combined with the great advancement of battery technology, would eliminate the need for new and very expensive gas-powered turbines which would only be needed as backup and would sit idle for much of the year.

Manitoba Hydro, please, for the sake of our children and grandchildren, for the sake of humanity, pursue these relatively clean alternatives.

Tom Lurvey

Winnipeg

Access needed

Re: Province rips Bell over second 911 outage, Sept. 17

Minister Mike Moroz’ concerns about putting out a 911 telephone outage emergency alert at the hours of its 90-minute occurrence early Thursday are somewhat understandable, but they largely miss the broadcast forest for the cellular trees; alerters can elect to initially not send an alert to handsets and specify that it only be for TV/AM/FM radio broadcast if they wish.

This would have been an effective way to warn those most likely to be impacted without causing a debatable stir while most of the rest of us were asleep, while allowing flexibility to later also update the message to send them to handsets if the outage became prolonged.

It may also shock readers of this publication to know that the City of Winnipeg, despite having pledged its support at the turn of the century for one of Pelmorex’s original proposals for what eventually became “Canada’s” alert system, did not get and still does not have alerting keys of its own in return over 11 years later after its launch, and has to beg the province, or since November 2023 in the case of the Winnipeg Police Service, their colleagues in the RCMP, to push an alert.

There is little reason why the City of Winnipeg and its first response agencies should not have direct access to keep its own citizens informed, prepared and protected as the majority of times they will be the first government to learn of a serious emergency situation and tell the province about it, rather than vice versa.

The same can also be said for Manitoba’s other municipalities and there is also a case to be made that Manitoba Hydro should also have a key of its own in case of a wide-area natural gas emergency like what occurred in the Polo Park area in April 2018, requiring a significant public safety power shutoff.

Connor McDonell

Winnipeg

Scoundrel next door

Re: Trump calls possible Canada-EU move a hostile act after escalating trade war, Sept. 16

Donald Trump has proven himself a scoundrel, a bully and the laughing stock of the world.

But his statement about Canada’s EU association is beyond the pale. One can make a huge laundry list of his “hostile acts” going back to his first term in office. His second term actions fit more into the realm of draconian.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is smart enough to reason that the Trump administration is not sophisticated enough to foresee something like this could happen. Now they (Trump) are panicking. It would be popcorn entertainment to watch if Carney were to say that they would withdraw the EU association if the U.S. halts all of its tariffs against Canada.

But not to reason. Trump will get his comeuppance in less than seven weeks. One only wishes it could be sooner. He will be a blight in the history of the United States for generations to come.

David Cohen

Winnipeg

U.S. expats, vote!

It’s so easy for us to fall prey to the helpless feeling of ‘What can I do?’ Frustration is the feeling that emerges when thinking about how to deal with the U.S. federal tariffs and attitudes toward Canada at this time.

Yes, there are everyday things you can do: i.e., check your spending habits; keep in touch with your MP and MLA.

However, if you are an American citizen living in Canada, this is your time to shine. This is the time for you to rise to the occasion and vote in the U.S. midterm election in November. Let your voice be heard!

If you haven’t voted from abroad before, I assure you that it’s not an impossible task. My group will answer your questions and help you to register.

Please contact us at info@aces-mb.ca. Every vote will count.

Barbara Coombs

Events Coordinator

American-Canadian Expats in Manitoba

Send a message

Alex Ovechkin didn’t “keep politics out of sports.”

He appeared in a United Russia campaign ad — the party led by Vladimir Putin, indicted by the ICC for abducting Ukrainian children and waging a genocidal war of aggression against democratic Ukraine. The UN has documented torture and sexual violence by this regime. That’s not neutrality. It’s complicity.

Winnipeg is home to thousands of Ukrainian refugees who fled that war.

And just last week, Canada signed a 100‑year partnership agreement with Ukraine during President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit — a commitment to stand with a democracy fighting for its survival.

When Ovechkin’s team, the Washington Capitals, play here on March 5, the Jets should make our values unmistakable: declare Ukraine Solidarity Night, fly the Ukrainian flag and have Hoosli Ukrainian Male Chorus sing the anthems.

Hockey shouldn’t be a stage for celebrity athletes who choose to stand with war criminals.

Martin Zeilig

Winnipeg

Times are a’ changing

It’s disappointing that a mere 70-odd thousand people who took the poll on the time change speak for a province of over 1 million.

I’ve no objection to not changing the time but selecting daylight saving time was the wrong choice and people will regret it.

The majority of health experts gave many reasons why standard time was optimal for one’s health. But what the heck, why should the provincial decision-makers care about people’s health?

Catherine Keating

Winnipeg

Stop changing the clock!

Oh good; now Manitobans will be as healthy as Saskatchewanians! Because we stop changing the clock twice a year!

Or at least 50 per cent will be healthier; the other 50 per cent that have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep will notice no change. (Personally I like the twice a year time change: I like my long summer evenings and my early winter mornings.)

Anni Markmann

Ste Anne