Comment

Comment November 30, 2021

Fishers are not the cause of Lake Winnipeg’s condition

Historically, Manitoba has treated Lake Winnipeg as a sink for resources, citing the lake’s economic value as motivation to maintain its ecological integrity. But this approach means sustaining the bare minimum of environmental standards to ensure its supposed value does not diminish. The result of this approach is a policy of perpetual catch-up — pollute as you go and fix the problem later. That is exactly what the PCs are doing when they blame the sustainability practices of fishers for the lake’s pollution and utter humble praises for Manitoba Hydro in the same speech.

Comment November 30, 2021

More questions than answers in speech from the throne

The Liberal Party of Canada pitched itself as the progressive option on the campaign trail, but the speech from the throne on Nov. 23 lacked bold new ideas. Instead of emphasizing challenges of Canadians — such as the absence of universal pharmacare or ending fossil fuel subsidies — the new Liberal government presented a plan that lacks vision and heavily relies on past promises that have yet to be fulfilled.

Editorial November 29, 2021

The strike is an inconvenient necessity for students

A number of incidents have further eroded the relationship between UMFA, the university administration and the provincial government since then, and the effect is palpable. In 2016, as I remember it, the mood was determined but apologetic — the academic strike was a new and frightening concept to most students, and both UMFA and the university made significant efforts to explain what was happening and maintained an outwardly friendly relationship. But this disagreement has gone on for years now, and what seemed like a small fight has escalated to full-blown resentment.

Comment November 24, 2021

Canadian electric vehicle manufacturing on a tightrope

The North American Leaders’ Summit, held after a five-year hiatus, showcased trilateral dialogues between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico about building a united front to counter the various challenges the continent faces. A Canadian delegation led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emphasized issues like climate change, pandemic recovery and the supply chain, but the elephant in the room was U.S. President Joe Biden’s protectionist policies which may have great impacts on the Canadian auto-manufacturing industry. Such aspects of Biden’s Build Back Better Framework are putting the historic friendship fostered by each leader in doubt.

Editorial November 24, 2021

Canada’s waste disposal policy is settler colonialism

Canada’s waste policies are textbook examples of colonialism. The reason our cities aren’t overflowing with plastics and waste is primarily because they are shipped away from our sight. However, this doesn’t mean they don’t exist — it just means land elsewhere is being expropriated to make room for settlers’ ambitions.

Comment November 24, 2021

Canada must demilitarize to achieve climate neutrality

By using the military for Canada’s climate crises, Trudeau is implying Canadians are on their own until after the damage is done. The prime minister clearly prefers to adapt to global warming rather than mitigate it. The military is part of the problem, not the solution.

Comment November 18, 2021

Remembering Betty Osborne, Manitoba forgot action

Violence against Indigenous women does not stop with the crime — violence also materializes in the investigation. By refusing to properly look into these crimes, white, male-dominated police forces send a clear message to Indigenous communities: that police serve to protect some people and to cause irreparable damage to others.

Comment, Editorial November 17, 2021

Planting a future with no room to grow

For many Manitobans, November can be a sad month. Temperatures start to drop, the days get shorter and it’s usually when we get the first snowfall. For me, it is a bitter reminder of the growing season’s conclusion.

Comment, Letters November 17, 2021

Austerity holding students and province back

The strike currently taking place at the U of M is only the most recent symptom of the government’s austerity agenda and is making matters worse. If labour market tightness is the problem — as Manitoba’s new premier asserted during her leadership campaign — we should be investing more in our post-secondary institutions and doing more to support students to move through their programs and get in the job market.

Editorial November 17, 2021

Reimagining downtown Winnipeg

At the start of the academic term, my architecture studio had undertaken the challenge of designing pavilions for the Graham Avenue Transit Mall. Starting with a thoughtful intention of repurposing and redefining the uses of abandoned machinery found at the Salvage Supermarket, our next step was to define a flexible intervention that would encourage better engagement with the public.