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Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Letters, June 30
Opinion Eyes up here Now that Portage and Main is open to pedestrians: since we have lots of education for drivers to put down their cellphones when driving, can we now have similar education for pedestrians to put away their phones when walking? At another busy intersection downtown, Ellice Avenue and Route 62 just behind the University of Winnipeg, I watched as a parent or guardian walked across, hands and eyes on their cellphone. The two little children with that adult were crossing the intersection without any parental control, running on their own. One driver, who had the light to turn, had to hit the brakes to prevent what could have been a terrible accident. The adult with the children did not look up at all. Winnipeg needs some regulations to keep pedestrians aware of their surroundings and aware of their children when crossing streets. Judy Herscovitch Winnipeg Sidewalk safety Where can pedestrians walk safely? I have spent the last year in recovery from a broken hip caused by a fall incurred from a hit from behind by an adult male who was rushing to get into a store. I have incurred expenses in walkers and physiotherapy. Manitoba Health had the cost of my stay in hospital and in rehab. I expect to use sidewalks for their purpose — that is, for pedestrians. Yet I encounter many adults who ride bicycles on the sidewalks and ignore bike lanes a few metres away. Now I have to avoid stealthy electric bikes. Where will this end? Catherine Collins Winnipeg Protect necessary services Currently in Manitoba there is a 12-week processing time for Rent Assist re-applications, up from 10 weeks last year. More applications, but not more staff. In the late 1980s in Ontario, after large-scale federal government downsizing, clients waited up to six months to receive their very first unemployment benefit payment. At the same time in Ontario, after the provincial government gutted its frontline personnel levels, its vital statistics branch ended up many months behind in providing birth and marriage certificates, name change documentation and other documents, causing very serious problems for citizens travelling outside of Canada. Federally at that time, the government responsible was Progressive Conservative, and the provincial government that implemented the cuts was NDP. We see drastic, mindless government cuts south of our border, but fail to see our own attacks and omissions affecting provincial, territorial and federal services. We all need basic and necessary services in a timely, reliable manner. Holly Bertram Winnipeg MPI rate hike costly Re: MPI applies for 2.07 per cent rate hike, June 25 Manitoba Public Insurance's proposed increase to basic auto insurance rates could potentially push the average private vehicle premium up by $21 annually, starting April 1, 2026. For years, Manitobans have seen fluctuating rate decisions shaped by both MPI proposals and Public Utilities Board (PUB) interventions. Last year, MPI requested a three per cent hike but the PUB imposed an even steeper 5.7 per cent increase, citing MPI's own financial data that pointed to a need for a 6.77 per cent rise. This pattern raises questions: are MPI's projections consistently underestimating actual needs, or is this a strategic move to temper public backlash? To the average Manitoban, MPI's assurance that they're 'committed to affordability' may ring hollow. Auto insurance is mandatory, and for families already burdened by inflation and a rising cost of living, even minor increases are unwelcome. The fact MPI is now eliminating the $750 deductible and replacing it with a $1,000 option — albeit marketed as a cost-saving choice — adds another layer of complexity. Critics might argue it's simply shifting more risk to the consumer under the guise of 'flexibility.' There are also concerns about how equitable these changes are. While good drivers could benefit from the new top-tier Driver Safety Rating level, which offers up to 53 per cent in savings, what about those who have had minor infractions or whose incomes don't allow them to risk higher deductibles? The merit system, while intended to reward safe driving, might inadvertently deepen the financial gap between drivers. MPI's extension product line — covering rental insurance and additional liability — will also see a two per cent increase. This suggests that not only is basic insurance becoming costlier, but the safety net and supplementary protections are also inching upward. Despite these planned increases, the PUB has a history of making independent assessments. It rejected MPI's 2023 freeze proposal and imposed a five per cent hike instead, citing long-term financial stability concerns. Still, many Manitobans remember the $400 million in rebates given in 2021 and 2022. With such recent generosity, why are rate hikes suddenly back on the table? It's not simply a $21 increase. It's a broader pattern of inconsistency, limited transparency and rising financial pressure. While MPI's intentions to offer options and maintain long-term solvency are valid, public trust hinges on whether those intentions are matched by transparency and tangible value for customers. Yog Rahi Gupta Winnipeg Perchance to dream Re: Canada to meet NATO spending target with critical minerals, June 25 Clearly, too many countries are struggling to meet the NATO targets, or cannot even try. The money spent to protect ourselves from other countries is clearly mind-blowing. The solution is clear: everyone can start getting along, stop fighting, stop the hate and the need for defence will disappear. The money can be used to make each and every person educated, healthy and with hope to live a fabulous life free of fear. I know: it sounds like a far-fetched dream; but if something doesn't change, the dream will become a really bad nightmare. Louise Hedman Winnipeg Intersection options Re: Carberry residents blast plan for Highway 5, June 25 A potential price tag of $100 million or more for an overpass? That is a big number. The city of Winnipeg, with the province partnering, is building a number of overpasses on the Perimeter Highway, and they are well needed based on the amount of traffic flow. This will cost more than a few of those 'big numbers.' The recently completed St. Mary's Road overpass at the south Perimeter comes to mind. Not having driven south of the U.S. border for some time, I can only assume nothing has changed on I-29 going to Fargo, N.D. Seems pretty much every small community between here and there has an off-/on-ramp system, with stop signs at the overpass crossing. Effective, pretty easy to understand, and probably a lot less expensive than the aforementioned big number. They take up a lot less farmland than the latest overpass design and would be an easier build than the overly complex St. Mary's project was. The project the province is proposing, an RCUT, simply does not make sense; if it did, the Perimeter would be getting them as well. Want to do it right, do it once and do it affordably? I hate to say it but, look south. Bob Haegeman St-Pierre-Jolys Is it reasonable to build a $100-million overpass for Highway 5, for a population of 1,800, at a cost of about $55,000 per person in that community, when there is a design that will make the intersection safe at one-fifth the cost? Robert Hill Winnipeg
Times
a day ago
- Business
- Times
Banks criticised for failing SMEs with automated loan rejections
Banks are failing small firms and have created a 'void' in their services by ditching relationship managers and relying on automation to manage loan applications, according to the state body Credit Review. In a stinging report published last week, Credit Review also said that banks needed to reinvest in human expertise to offset the shrinking availability of credit in the market and compensate for tighter lending criteria in recent years. 'Bank balance sheets have shrunk and shrunk since the financial crisis but the question now is what's actually happening between banks and borrowers,' said Catherine Collins, head of the service and author of the report. 'For those it works for, automation is great. The problem we see is that for those with a more complicated business structure or model, they need some human interaction.' The report said that in many cases that came before Credit Review, which judges credit appeals brought by small businesses to loan rejections, 'considerable expertise' was required to find the appropriate solution for borrowers but banks were shifting that burden on to customers. 'There is a cost to the SME borrower of acquiring that expertise that has now been passed across by the bank who are no longer providing it to certain segments of the SME market (typically smaller borrowers),' the report said. It noted that credit advanced to non-property SMEs had fallen by 18 per cent from its pre-Covid level, due in part to the exits of Ulster Bank and KBC and the resulting lack of competition in the market. But the proportion of small businesses applying for finance each year had also fallen from more than one in three to just one in five. The lack of credit flow to indigenous small businesses has been flagged by Department of Finance officials as a potential problem for maintaining domestic demand in an economy facing grave risks from disruption in international trade and investment. Credit Review blamed the decline in the market on shortcomings in the credit application process, especially in terms of accessing expertise, how banks communicate, timeliness and flexibility. 'The responses that I see issued on bank credit decline letters remain generic, high level and unhelpful to many of the borrowers using our services,' Collins wrote. The average loan decision turnaround time of 24 days was also inhibiting small businesses from seeking bank finance, Collins said. The regulatory requirement for SME lenders is 15 days. The lack of standardisation between banks and the difficulty of switching from one to another was also a problem that limited competition and choice, she said. As a result, many businesses were now turning to alternative sources of credit from non-bank debt providers, such as invoice discounters or crowdfunders, which were in some cases subject to different regulatory requirements to banks. This segment of lenders has grown to make up more than a third of the market. Just under 60 per cent of the appeals brought to Credit Review since it was established by the Department of Finance in 2010 have been upheld. But Collins said not enough businesses were using its services, which can help firms to navigate the tricky process of accessing bank finance. 'SMEs are tricky, they require judgment calls,' she said. 'At the end of the day, you need to talk to someone. The pain is worth the gain.'
