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Winnipeg Free Press

Letters, May 5

Opinion Remembering councillor Re: City councillor Schreyer dies; colleagues in shock, mayor says (April 30) Such a hole is left with the sudden and unexpected passing of Coun. Jason Schreyer. I appreciated him as my local city councillor, who was an insightful person with a keen interest in the well-being and empowerment of people. Once running into him and his wife, Sara, while out shopping, our conversation turned to the deep demands on the city budget as he described escalating construction costs, especially for roads. He saliently demonstrated these complexities in a straightforward way — a true gift for any representative. Friends in the neighbourhood spoke of their delight in seeing Schreyer sing beautifully as he supported local Charlie's Restaurant and Lounge on their karaoke nights. In my experience, Schreyer seemed to recognize the power the arts can hold — he was open to creative ideas for the city; he was an entertainer and artist himself. I believe Winnipeg's future lies in its culture, in the strengths and betterments beginning to weave though society, for example, through ongoing reconciliation and coalition of purpose between Indigenous and settler and newcomer cultures, and by way of the arts that bring to us prismatic experiences, insights and delights when art interprets any part of our world. Schreyer, to my witness, was a person who understood these things. He also moved to reverse the easy neglect of marginalization for his constituents. His traction with food security in the Elmwood area was impressive and pioneering and I hope it will continue. Shirley Kowalchuk Winnipeg The Pallister era Re: Poilievre could rebound from U.S.-style misstep (May 2) Tom Brodbeck's article reminds me of a chapter in Manitoba politics a decade ago. In 2016, Brian Pallister replaced Greg Selinger in the premier's office. Pallister's campaign was positive and he came across as a pleasant, middle-of-the-road kind of guy. I thought that his campaign was exemplary. The NDP, on the other hand, ran a campaign that was negative and nasty. It didn't work. Pallister won that election by a landslide and reduced the NDP to a dozen seats in the legislature. The Manitoba election of 2016 was a case of bait and switch. The government that Pallister promised leading up to the election was not the government that Manitoba got. The Pallister government was about as right wing as it gets in mainstream Canadian politics. Rich North Winnipeg In defence of city planners Re: Cell towers, urban planning and frustration (Think Tank, May 1) I read the op-ed by Jerry Woloshyn with a sigh. It's frustrating to see yet another example of personal grievance aired publicly as polemic against the planning, property and development (PPD) department of the City of Winnipeg. I don't mean to pick on Mr. Woloshyn specifically, as his letter is merely one of many instances over the last several years wherein alleged PPD incompetence or skulduggery is cited as the reason for a planning decision that the writer disagrees with. Our city planners are professionals. Their positions can be controversial but are never unreasoned. They are educated, hardworking, under-resourced, and severely misunderstood by, apparently, great swaths of the general public. Their job is to uphold the planning policies, bylaws and guidelines approved by Winnipeg city council. Ultimate decisions on planning matters reside with city councillors, not planners. Planners don't control the timing of traffic lights, or the execution of road construction, or the ugly siding your neighbour might install on their newly built house. In these times of economic uncertainty, affordable housing scarcity and empty municipal coffers, we need our city to be efficient. Without the consistency that good city planning brings, efficiency, never mind sustainable growth, is impossible. I suggest that Winnipeggers dissatisfied with city planning decisions more rightly take their complaint to their duly elected city councillors, who are the people actually implementing them. Your issue is with the rule-makers, not the rule-keepers. Marissa Dudych Winnipeg Word of caution Re: First Nations people rally as federal housing suit heard (May 1) Other than through judicial decisions, Section 35 First Nation treaty and Aboriginal rights — though recognized and affirmed — have not been clearly defined. Canada, as the fiduciary of First Nations' constitutional rights, asserts in its statement of defence to a federal housing class action lawsuit concerning inadequate on-reserve housing that it is not legally obligated or duty-bound to build or maintain such housing. This position contradicts existing judicial decisions that have found otherwise. Health, like many other treaty rights, remains an undefined treaty right. Clean drinking water, supporting infrastructure, and appropriate housing can reasonably be understood as essential components of the treaty right to health. A lack of access to these necessities inevitably leads to challenges in achieving and maintaining healthy living conditions for First Nations people. With respect to the class action, I am not convinced that resolving breaches of treaty rights through class action litigation is wise, primarily due to the requirement of a full and final release to settle a successful class action. This often results in a one-time payment in exchange for the right to pursue ongoing or future claims — effectively limiting future access to the treaty right to appropriate housing. That said, I understand why First Nations leadership has chosen to seek a judicial resolution to the dire housing crisis in their communities. My word of caution is this: proceed carefully. Kenneth B. Young Winnipeg Destructive rhetoric Re: Alberta Premier Smith congratulates Carney, warns him against future 'hostile acts' (April 29) Alberta's leader, Danielle Smith, threatens secession as separatists from Quebec do, if their provincial wants are not met. Prime Minister Mark Carney has countrywide responsibility to protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples. These Canadians, suffering from generational discriminations, work to protect the environment. Separatist groups will create enormous horrid damages for self-entitled wealth. Education regarding consequences of destructive actions is needed in schools. Patrick Mason Ottawa, Ont. Convenience matters It was with dismay that I read (in very small print) on the bus stop sign outside my apartment that the bus would no longer be available by the end of June at this stop. It will be moved a block away. Whoever made this decision did not take into account the many apartments near this stop. Residents of these apartments depend on this service just outside our doors. Many folks using this service use canes, walkers and, yes, even wheelchairs and many seniors live in these blocks and this change will greatly impact their travel plans immensely. I was told these changes were implemented to provide faster service. In my humble opinion I think convenience is more important to the majority of our citizens than speed. I trust the powers that be will revisit these decisions and not wait until 2026 to review these changes. Betty Clark Winnipeg Questioning tradition Re: In defence of facts and farmers (Think Tank, April 28) I find it rather hard to believe Sen. Don Plett's claim that horses are part of the culinary tradition of one billion people in 77 countries. Sure, a few people in Quebec eat horse meat. I've never seen it on the menu anywhere else in Canada. I sure as heck would not eat it. And I certainly wouldn't call it a Canadian culinary tradition. I wonder what ties the senator has to the horsemeat export trade that he is so intent on protecting it. I am sure that if there was a referendum in Canada, we would vastly vote to abolish it. Mel Ransom Ottawa, Ont.