Letters, June 14

Michel Durand-Wood nails it, again, with his “de-meddlement” of the finances and effects associated with widening the major Winnipeg north-south artery, Kenaston Boulevard.

Letters, June 13

While I understand the concern and frustration expressed by the Humane Society and Animal Services regarding abandoned animals, I feel there are opportunities for rescue shelters to ensure people are fully informed of the responsibilities, including financial, of pet ownership prior to adopting out animals.

Letters, June 12

Ray St. Germain is a Manitoba icon who deserves to have his name on this street sign. The excuse that there is a street, a school, a park and a community near St. Norbert that are named St. Germain, is another example of bureaucracy overruling common sense. Ray, and his family’s, contribution to country music in Canada is remarkable. Ray’s incredible voice and charismatic sense of humour have made him a wonderful ambassador for Winnipeg and the province of Manitoba.

Letters, June 11

I’m on this route weekly with my toddler in her little bike seat. This is the route my dad bikes to work. I’m so angry and upset with the city that 182 of our neighbours needed to show up and demand action. An official bike route on four wide lanes needs more than a small metal bike route sign for protection. How much is a life worth?

Letters, June 10

We appreciate Sig Laser’s Letter to the Editor of June 7, supporting longer-term solutions to prevent situations such as the current one facing Winnipeg’s Holy Trinity Church.

Letters, June 8

Try a stiffer sentenceRe: Judge warned accused to turn his life around (June 6)

So an accused suspect with a long history of car theft, evading police, etc has been warned by Judge Jean McBride and Judge Heather Pullan to turn his life around and to stop his behaviour.

If only Judges McBride and Pullan were as good at sentencing as they are with advice; the accused would have been in jail long ago for a substantial sentence and his most recent crime would have been prevented.

Janice Chase

Letters, June 7

The PCs are in such disarray. Why would they launch this attack going into a byelection for Heather Stefanson’s former riding? All this will do is drag up and remind everyone of her $31-million deals she “forgot” to disclose.

Letters, June 6

While my sympathies lie with Israel, I believe this issue poses some problems for Mr. Pinsky. The voters in Tuxedo may wonder why an international conflict is being dragged into a provincial byelection. The provincial NDP has no influence over the course of the conflict and the personal opinions of MLA Jennifer Chen and Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine are irrelevant.

Letters, June 5

With wait times at ERs in Winnipeg at an all-time high, one would think that now is not a good time for the government to take a summer break.

Letters, June 4

One of the reasons you write, and we read these columns is that part of what a free press does is give us informational nutrition for truth-based thought. But then, accompanying the editorial was a photo of convicted felon Donald Trump. Only it was captioned ‘Former president Donald Trump.’ It mindlessly did not include his new, well earned title of ‘convicted felon.’

Letters, June 3

In my opinion there is a simple solution that would not involve using taxpayer dollars. If we all agree libraries are an important resource and must be saved, then we need to look at some fresh new ideas.

Letters, June 1

Suggested solutionsRe: Finding a solution to a complex issue (Editorial, May 30)

Further to the insightful editorial, what is not being discussed are the issues that bring individuals to shoplift, amongst which are poverty, mental illness, and drug addiction, which our MacKinnon’s Y-Not? Anti-Poverty Program, of which I am executive director, and other charities seek to alleviate.

People who shoplift do not think of their impact or how they are wronging the Zeid family whose store offers a service to the community that benefits from access to shopping. Why should the Zeid family bear the loss of $6,000 a year from shoplifting when this is a systemic problem?

Shoplifters in cycles of poverty think only of their immediate and real needs: hunger, a way to feed children, getting food when drugs and drug dealers are consuming their scant resources. Dr. Gabor Mate (Hungry Ghosts) convincingly proves we need compassion as addicts’ underlying traumas perpetuate addictions, so harm reduction is the most practical route.

Letters, May 31

Police do not need money from the government to respond to the unacceptable increase in shoplifting. The WPS needs to assign police where they are needed.

Letters, May 30

Pup park problemsRe: City needs more safe spaces for small dogs: advocate (May 29)

How can this possibly be enforced when the police cannot even prevent a storeowner’s car from being firebombed by shoplifters-turned-terrorists? Is a carnival-style sign to be posted, reading “If your dog measures below this line, you may enter”?

Although I feel deeply sorry for Elena Perron having witnessed her dog being attacked, I have to ask the following question; At what point are we responsible for our own actions? Would it be when a pedestrian with their nose glued to their cellphone walks across a road without looking and is injured? Or when a motorist has a collision which was easily avoidable had they waived their right-of-way to a driver who is less experienced? Or is it when someone ignores warnings she shouldn’t take her small dog to a particular park because it would be unsafe?

Ms. Perron correctly said, “She has every right as any other dog to be at a dog park.” And so she knowingly put her pup in harm’s way just to prove her point. And my kids also have every right to play at whatever park they like, but if that park has any dangers, such as open access to water, or wooded areas, I’m choosing another park because being in the right won’t bring my loved one back.

Letters, May 29

I would like to encourage our community to rally around and support the Zeid family and their Food Fare store by making a point of shopping there, in view of the shoplifting they are dealing with at their store, and, particularly in view of the recent torching of their vehicles.