Letters, Dec. 10

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/12/2024 (466 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Too many flavours

Once, candy canes were just a treat, now it’s a flavour apocalypse!

There are so many flavours to choose from, a couple of them are peppermint, cherry, banana, orange, etc. There are too many flavours and colours, it’s overwhelming. Candy canes are so sweet and yummy, but I do agree you should eat a candy cane when you are sad or depressed — but if not then spend time with family and friends.

But if you’re getting a candy cane, take my advice and just get peppermint. Also, Happy Christmas everybody!

Albert Chambers, 10 years old, Winnipeg

Fresh perspective

Re: On the road again… and again, and again (Dec. 7)

The exemplary work by Mike McIntyre in the section 49. 8 gave me pause to reflect on our beloved Jets.

His recent coverage of what it takes to send our team on a road trip was an eye-opener.

The unsung heroes, who perform so many functions to keep the team near the top of its division, made for a whole different respect.

Next time I watch as a couch-coach, it will be from a whole new perspective.

Thanks for the education, Mike.

Borys P. Kozak, Winnipeg

Re: At long last, end in sight for free market nursing (Dec. 7)

What a welcome commentary by Dan Lett about the end being in sight for free market nursing. Millions of Manitoba tax dollars have been spent on private agency nurses over many years now. Last year, the amount spent exceeded $75 million. Countrywide, more than $1.5 billion public dollars filled the coffers of the private agencies that are driven entirely by greed.

It’s fair to say that the exodus of many nurses from the public system has been manufactured by governments, particularly the Brian Pallister government. Since the government created this problem, it has to fix it.

The move by the NDP government to rein in private nursing agencies is a positive step. So is providing nurses with incentives to stay in the public system. But what’s really required is systemic change.

The working conditions of nurses in virtually every hospital and health-care facility have to change. Nurses need to be paid more for the valuable work that they perform. The patient-nurse ratios have to be more reasonable. The common practice of mandatory overtime has to end. And the day-to-day working conditions for nurses have to be modified so that they are safe and do not contribute to nurses’ disaffection, which ultimately leads to their departure from the public system.

Anyone who thinks that this is just about nurses would be wrong. Patients are deeply affected by this as well.

Do you want to know why there are long wait times in ERs? What about wait times for surgeries? What about the response time to calls by patients in hospital wards? Not enough nurses and nurses run off their feet!

The end of free market nursing can’t come soon enough. Every step that the government takes to rid us of the system’s addiction to private agency nurses is a positive step.

Let us all hope that their ambitious plan to rebuild and reinforce the public health-care system in this province is fully realized and realized soon.

Karen R. Grant, Winnipeg

Mind-boggling proposal

Re: Canada’s nuclear waste problem is not solved (Think Tank, Dec. 3)

Anne Lindsey’s article puts a light on a very scary proposal. The nuclear industry is proposing to store nuclear waste near Manitoba. We have not been consulted, nor have many of the communities downstream or along the transportation route.

The proposal to transport three massive shipments a day of high level nuclear waste across our country for the next 40 years and bury it using an untested method adjacent to a watershed that drains into the Winnipeg river system boggles the mind.

Nuclear waste will threaten our water for thousands of years. The existing stockpile of nuclear waste in Canada is 130,000 tonnes and counting. There is no tested method of safely storing nuclear waste. Yet the industry is pushing for even more nuclear reactors when they still don’t have an adequate plan for the existing waste problem.

When the community of Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation agreed to further study the site the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) announced they have approval, but they don’t. This is a faulty process. Not only have communities all along the transportation route and downstream not given their approval, but they have expressed outright opposition. This includes many Treaty 3 First Nations in Ontario, and concerned Manitobans. We will all be put at risk.

Shawn Kettner, Winnipeg

Lower limit won’t work

Concerning the notion of reducing the speed limit on Wellington Crescent for bicycle safety — it won’t work.

I used a bicycle as my primary means of transportation for close to 20 of my younger years and still do so for exercise. Speed limits aren’t the problem. I hate to say it, but at least half of the fault goes to the cyclists. We hate to slow down because we had to work hard to acquire our speed.

A great many of us pay little attention to being visible, and I believe that is the single biggest factor in their getting hit by motorists.

When I bicycle around my neighbourhood, a low traffic zone, I don’t worry too much since my bike has half a dozen reflectors on it, and my helmet has more. But, if I’m going to be in a higher traffic zone or riding at dusk, I have a reflective vest, a headlamp and arm and leg bands with flashing lights on them, and I still won’t ride after dark.

It is also a sad fact that few cyclists pay much attention to traffic signals like stop signs or red lights.

What we need is to make Winnipeg a bike friendly city. Bicycle lanes require curbs separating them from traffic and their own signals and we need a heck of a lot more of them. But, wherever possible, we have to avoid squeezing the motorist as well. Take some sidewalk space for the cyclists as well as some of the roadway.

And cyclists — smarten up!

Geoff Ireland, Narol

Grinch-like behaviour

I find it paradoxical that Canada Post employees are collecting letters to Santa, yet are playing the Grinch by their strike which stops all Christmas letters and parcels from being delivered.

Are they on Santa’s side or the Grinch’s? I vote for the latter.

Theresa Gerelus, Winnipeg

Tackle truancy

Now more than ever we are seeing headlines of violence, vandalism, arson and theft. In many instances, youth are cited as the offenders.

There have been recent calls for more mental health resources for our youth to address a growing crisis. Mental health services would be ideally situated within the school setting, however in order for mental health concerns to be addressed, youth would need to be attending school. When adolescents, in particular, are not attending school and instead roaming about the city, they are targets for gang recruitment.

In recent years, funding for school truancy has been severely limited to the point that it’s non-existent. It’s time to actively address school absenteeism, get the kids off the streets and back in school with adequate on-site resources.

Beverly McIntyre, Winnipeg