Letters, Nov. 13

Keep eye on outcomes

Re: PM unveils billion-dollar plan and Supportive housing key to Carney’s bold plan, Nov. 8

Recently the prime minister was in Winnipeg to announce that there is “$1 billion earmarked in the federal budget to tackle homelessness in Manitoba.” At the same event, Premier Wab Kinew said “the province will spend $84 million per year” in support of the federal initiative.

The opinion piece identifies a number of challenges before stating that “Carney and Kinew put a lot of good ideas on the table on Friday. But they also dished up a healthy serving of uncertainty.” So, I wondered, what could be done to maximize the likelihood of good intentions becoming good outcomes?

Let me suggest the following: that the three levels of government (federal, provincial and municipal) immediately establish a team whose first task would be to develop an implementation strategy outlining the major challenges and milestones — and commits to regular public reporting on progress being made to overcome the challenges and reach the milestones.

I fully support what is intended. Going forward, however, I want to be regularly reassured that those intentions are steadily turning into outcomes.

Gerald Farthing

Winnipeg

On the light side

To all the people writing letters to the editor complaining about the switch to permanent daylight time, I say: get over it. The majority have spoken and I love it!

Randy Rasmussen

Winnipeg

The Nov. 7 editorial (Hasty decision on permanent daylight time may haunt Kinew government) opining on the lack of thought put into the decision to keep daylight time seems to have been written without much thought.

A survey that reaches 72,000 people is much larger than the typical 200-400 respondents often sought by those in the business.

The ramifications cited in the editorial seem to be short-sighted and, maybe, loaded with personal bias?

Yes, kids have to go to school in the dark in the mornings for a month or two, but what about after school, the leisure time before the evening meal? Isn’t it nice that school kids can walk the dog in daylight, before dinner? They can use the backyard rink without turning those outdoor lights on, or do whatever else they like to do after school all in the daylight?

And the other serious “lifestyle disruption” is TV viewing?! Oh no, prime-time TV is an hour later — how will we cope?

As someone who was born and raised in Newfoundland, I rarely saw prime-time TV and somehow I survived. I never saw the end of a Hockey Night in Canada game… and remember that announcement of the start time: “and 9:30 in Newfoundland.”

Kids seem to manage OK trick-or-treating on Halloween in the dark, so I’m sure they will make it to school. If not, they can stream “prime-time TV” while they wait for sunrise.

Craig Blandford

East St. Paul

Stop sniping, work together

Re: Tories eye ex-developmental centre for addiction treatment hub (Nov. 9)

This feels like a missed opportunity for the NDP and Progressive Conservatives to collaborate (or at least not exchange insults).

Instead of jumping right to the blame game, why not consider the option presented? Wouldn’t the proposed site be appropriate for many people struggling today, particularly those from rural or remote communities? Shouldn’t this be the goal?

The proposed site for Winnipeg may also be appropriate. Both things can be true and both parties can be “right.” Stop the sniping and focus on the job of helping Manitobans, please.

Michelle Burdz

Winnipeg

Build up bus network

Re: Route 90 mayor’s next priority (Nov. 9)

The widening of Kenaston is never going to happen, Mayor Gillingham, so why not put the idea aside and get on with what our city really needs: a network of busways.

The federal government and the province are far more likely to put up the hundreds of millions that would be needed for a forward-looking mass transit project than for a stuck-in-the-past road widening.

The Blue Line has been a huge success. Plans are in the drawer for further lines crisscrossing the city. It’s time to bring them out and move ahead with a sense of urgency.

I hope that most of the new councillors share the same sentiment and that the mayor can be stopped in his tracks.

Joseph Leven

Winnipeg

Medical perspective welcome

Re: Ladders, not robots, attract specialists (Nov. 9)

As an older person with frequent-flyer status in Manitoba’s medical system, I am particularly interested in ideas for strengthening our health-care institutions. I commend the Free Press for showcasing the thinking of Dr. Alan Menkis.

His op-eds on governance, health-professional recruitment and retention, duties to patients and other topics are full of insights and sound advice. Reading his analysis and prescriptions for change, two thoughts come to mind.

First, Manitoba is incredibly fortunate to have such an experienced, insightful analyst generously offer his ideas.

Second, I pray that his ideas are taken seriously by the folks who lead our public health institutions. “Getting better” requires discipline, whether at a personal or institutional level.

Dr. Menkis offers us disciplined approaches to achieving better outcomes for our health-care institutions and the people they serve.

Ian Gillies

Winnipeg

RIP, CFL

It saddens me that the Blue Bombers will not be in what I expect will be the last Grey Cup I will ever watch.

I’ve probably watched every Grey Cup game since my dad pulled me onto his lap to watch Kenny Ploen and Leo Lewis rip up the tarmac for our beloved team, back around 1960 or so.

But as this will be the last Grey Cup with a Canadian-sized field of 110 yards, Canadian-placed goalposts on the actual goal line, and a deep Canadian end zone that can actually be used for long-ball plays, I don’t expect ever to watch a football game again.

I’ve loved the Bombers and I’ve loved the rules of the Canadian game that make it far more exciting and enjoyable to watch than the sad American version, with its fair catch rule, four downs, tiny fields and no chance of a wide field goal attempt ever being run back for a touchdown (one of the most exciting plays in the game).

I’ll miss our unique Canadian game as it starts its transition to the boring, dull American version. I’ll miss the tradition of stopping all else in my life to watch the uniquely Canadian Grey Cup game. I’ll miss the CFL.

Bob Martin

Winnipeg

No photo-radar love

For years now, there has been a photo-radar van sitting on south side of Abinojii Mikanah in the eastbound lane near Pembina Highway.

There has not been construction there for months and the water lines were removed from the bridge over the Red River months ago.

This “construction” speed zone is nothing but an expensive speed trap.

Last week I was caught at 79 km/h as I had not slowed down promptly enough. This is a $534 ticket!

The only reason this is declared a “construction zone” is that the city is making a killing.

Time to take the photo radar down, like other provinces and cities.

Ken McCallum

Winnipeg