Letters, Sept. 18

I am truly shocked and utterly disgusted by the Manitoba NDP’s attack on defence lawyers implicit in its explanation for Mark Wasyliw’s removal from caucus. The reason explicitly given for the removal was that another lawyer at his firm, Gerri Wiebe, is representing Peter Nygard as defence counsel. This, according to the press statement from the NDP, somehow shows that Mr. Wasyliw has poor judgment that does not align with “caucus principles.”

Letters, Sept. 16

Pierre Poilievre desperately wants an early election. He must realize that the more the public sees of him and the more they learn about him, the less likely they will be to vote for him. He must know that his truth twisting, petulance, lack of common sense, disparaging of experts, slogan-spouting, rage-farming and more, will eventually catch up with him… if it hasn’t already. Time is not on his side.

Letters, Sept. 14

A teaching momentOn Saturday, Sept. 7, my wife and I went to the Banjo Bowl.

We took advantage of the Park and Ride service, parking our car at St. Vital Centre and hopping on a bus with many others to get to the game.

After the Bomber win, we hopped on another bus to head back to the mall.

Newly-named Abinojii Mikanah was our route both ways, of course.

Letters, Sept. 13

I feel sorry for the students and parents of West St. Paul School. However, what did the mayors and councils think was going to happen? West St. Paul has been involved in unfettered residential development for the past eight years. Previous mayors and councils couldn’t wait to get their hands on that tax money from new residents and business owners. However, they failed to see the ramifications of this rapid growth.

Letters, Sept. 12

The opinion piece “Nuclear dreams just aren’t coming true” (Sept. 7) by Dave Taylor lacks scientific facts and is misleading. The concept of small modular reactors (SMRs) is a working reality. Although of a different design than proposed civilian SMRs, small reactors have already been successfully deployed in nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers for decades.

Letters, Sept. 11

In juxtaposing the front-page headlines Guard acquitted in inmate’s death and Grand Chief collapses, dies outside of courthouse, the Free Press has done a great disservice to the justice system and to the memory of Grand Chief Cathy Merrick.

Letters, Sept. 10

I really wish that our provincial government would start taking the invasion of zebra mussels seriously. Inspecting watercraft and increased awareness is a feeble attempt at saving Manitoba from this destructive creature.

Letters, Sept. 9

Unfortunately, illiteracy remains largely hidden and its impact on our society largely underappreciated. I agree that more needs to be done to support adult education. But we should also ask ourselves how so many adults, who were once children, did not learn to read at elementary or middle school in Manitoba.

Letters, Sept. 7

It’s a larger problemI read with interest Ready or not, here they come, the Sept. 2 article about pandemic babies starting kindergarten this year.

As someone who volunteers in the daycare and school systems, I can tell you pandemic babies are not the only children coming to kindergarten, and in fact to grade school, lacking both social skills and basic literacy and numeracy.

It is shocking to find kids in the third grade who are not able to read the most elementary text.

Nor are a number of them able to perform simple arithmetic functions such as adding and subtracting. I have even encountered seven- and eight-year-olds who cannot reliably recite the alphabet or recognize and transcribe letters.

Letters, Sept. 6

When I used to repair printers and fax machines, I would sometimes get clients who would complain about their fax machine dialing 911. It took me a long time to figure out what was going on.

Letters, Sept. 5

Right now, COVID-19 is ripping through workplaces of all types and workers are falling ill — including some who will experience long-term or even permanent disability. Yet, knowing this, our government has still not reintroduced workplace mask mandates (even in health-care settings!) or implemented legislation guaranteeing the right to work from home for all for whom remote work is feasible.

Letters, Sept. 4

Pimicikamak Okimawin is demanding unilateral control over moose hunting in a portion of northern Manitoba. The demand is based on novel and unproven assertions about the scope of Pimicikamak Okimawin rights and the status of moose populations in the area. The answer to Pimicikamak Okimawin’s demand, either from our government or the court, has the potential to transform the landscape for resource management in this province. It is both incorrect and irresponsible to suggest that the answer to this dispute is “pretty simple”.

Letters, Sept. 3

Pierre Poilievre’s desperate letter to NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh to end the confidence and supply agreement with the governing Liberals to force an election this fall reeks of desperation, and, frankly, I don’t see why Singh would comply, the NDP are getting gains for Canadians out of this, why wouldn’t he continue to squeeze blood from a stone or make lemonade out of lemons if we’re continuing with the idea that the Liberals are lame ducks? More to the point, I’m tickled pink by Poilievre asking for help from someone he’s insulting on a daily basis.