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Winnipeg Free Press

Letters, May 20

Opinion Re: Carberry residents not convinced of province's highway safety plan (May 16) This delay of improved safety at the intersection of Hwy. 5 and the Trans-Canada Highway is atrocious! The tragic accident took place almost two years ago and we still have ditherers arguing how to improve the site. It's all well and good that Premier Wab Kinew wants to hear from residents, but I suspect most have no apparent traffic design qualifications under their belts. This is not rocket science! Does the highways department have no road design engineers, nor any external consultants, who have actually driven outside of North America and recognized the safety and efficiency of roundabouts as used all over the globe? As Ms. Steen mentioned in the article, with the RCUT design, there will be still be a need to have vehicles queuing to make a U-turn involving crossing the route of other vehicles. Bonkers, I say. As an internationally experienced driver, I do know that because of the geometry of a roundabout, drivers are forced to slow down (unless they're asleep or impaired) plus any unfortunate collisions tend to be slower speed glancing blows rather than high speed t-bones. Just build a 100- to 200-metre diameter roundabout with correctly angled approach and exit lanes that large vehicles can safely navigate without fear of crossing traffic or causing anything more than a glancing blow in an altercation. We have ample space in Manitoba to accommodate them. Manitobans deserve no less. Bob Sales Winnipeg It is not only Winnipeggers who are in for a property tax shock. Many homeowners throughout Manitoba are similarly affected and will see huge increases in property and education taxes. It is indeed caused by current NDP policy that affects both assessments, education tax levy and education tax credits. The NDP has removed spending cap for school divisions, they have also fixed the Manitoba School Tax Rebate at $1,500 instead of a percentage calculation, and have skewed property tax assessments by some odd market value calculation for 2025. I cannot determine if the property tax credit advance of $350 is still in place, but for the moment I will assume it has not changed. The municipality has done its job in holding the budget and calculating the required mil rate. For my rural subdivision, with no property improvements and no municipal improvements, the assessment has gone up 29 per cent, municipal taxes have gone up 13 per cent, and the Manitoba school tax has gone up a whopping 50 per cent for an overall increase of 25 per cent which equates to about a $1,000 on 35-year-old properties. Note that because there were no changes to the property and the assessment increase was solely due to 'market value,' there was no ability to appeal. Further, the assessment was done six months prior to the establishment of the mil rates for property and education tax, so the impact of the assessment increase was totally unknown until now when the municipality established the mil rates. This is tough to deal with and is exacerbated by a 30 per cent increase in home insurance, a 10 per cent increase in auto insurance, and an ever-escalating increase in electricity, gas and water utilities. Never mind how hard it is to afford a first home, it is equally hard to afford the one you are currently living in. Something needs to change, and the current provincial government is at the root these unfair increases. They broke it, they have to fix it. Maybe read the 1994 Norrie Report on schools for starters. Gerry Shuster Selkirk Re: 'International example' (Letters, May 16) Kudos to the writer who praised Finland's success in eliminating homelessness. It's refreshing — and frustrating — to see this kind of admiration expressed, once again, in a letter to the editor. Why does it always stop there? When are we going to wake up? Scandinavian countries continue to offer Canada clear, proven alternatives: comprehensive health care that includes vision, dental, and hearing; high-quality elder care; tuition-free post-secondary education; and a robust network of social supports that foster both security and opportunity. These aren't Utopian fantasies — they are functioning, successful systems. Yes, critics will point to high tax rates. But let's be honest: the return on that public investment is staggering. In exchange, citizens enjoy stability, equity, and peace of mind — something far too many Canadians now lack. The benefits of a well-funded, well-planned public sector are simply too great to ignore. It's time for Canadian governments — federal, provincial, and municipal — to actively pursue closer ties with our Nordic counterparts. Learn from them. Adapt their ideas. Build a better, fairer future. There is much to gain, and even more to lose by staying the course. Robert Milan Victoria, B.C. Re: Treating heart failure to help heal health system (Think Tank, May 13) The article written by Dr. Shelley Zieroth, I swear, was written for me. Unfortunately, I am a Manitoban living with heart failure. I have recently been diagnosed with heart failure. My initial journey, with a concern that something was wrong with my heart, began in February at my family physician's office. My wonderful doctor put me on heart medication and started the ball rolling with referrals for cardiac testing and a referral to a cardiologist. Unfortunately, a few days later, my wife called 911 as I knew I was in trouble. Firefighters and paramedics arrived and took me to St. Boniface Hospital's emergency department on Feb. 22, as I was in AFIB and atrial flutter. I described this as 28 hours of hell. I was discharged the same way I came in, with the exception of a referral to a cardiologist. Countless calls and visits to the family physician adjusted my medications to keep me afloat until I could be seen by a cardiologist. On March 5, I collapsed, and my wife called 911. I refused to go to St. Boniface because of my previous experience; I said I'd rather die at home. On March 6, I collapsed again, and my wife called 911. They took me to Concordia Urgent Care, where I was stabilized and kept for three days. A consult was made with internal medicine and a cardiologist while I was in the hospital. I was discharged from Urgent Care with no mention of getting a Holter monitor or an echocardiogram, which are essential for properly diagnosing heart failure and the ejection fraction of my heart. Finally, on March 12, I visited the Asper Institute to meet with a nurse practitioner. I asked for a Holter monitor, only to be told, 'We know you are in AFIB.' Finally, on April 12, I was seen by a cardiologist who ordered an echocardiogram and Holter monitoring. A month passed between my visit with the nurse practitioner and the time I was seen by the cardiologist for diagnostic testing. No echocardiograms or Holter monitoring were done by two hospitals or the Asper Institute. Ironically, I was sent to the Asper Institute for 24-hour Holter monitoring. A miscommunication regarding when to start a blood thinner and antiarrhythmic again delayed my treatment. Finally, on April 22, my body had enough, and I was taken back to St. Boniface emergency, where treatment was given, and I spent a week in the hospital. I will say the care was excellent. Thousands of dollars' worth of diagnostic testing was done on me, with the exception of the initial essential echocardiogram and Holter Monitoring. On May 9, I received a referral to MyCardia for a Treadmill Stress Test on July 17, with a followup on Sept. 3; clearly, I cancelled this appointment. So, I am pleading with Premier Wab Kinew and Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara to listen very carefully to what Dr. Zieroth is telling our government about establishing a provincewide cardiac hub. Bill Worthington Winnipeg