Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 3, 1990, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press Freedom of Trade Liberty of religion Equality of civil rights published seven Days a week at 300 Carton Winnipeg r3c 3c1 by newspapers division of Canadian newspapers company limited Telephone 9439331 a member of the Manitoba press Council Arthur Wood publisher John Dafoe Page editor Murray Burt managing editor Rudy Redekop controller Winnipeg free press est 1872 Winnipeg Tribune est 1890 it looks like an election in his yearned Premier tary Filmon stated repeatedly that it was not his intention to Call an election during Liberal Leader Sharon Carstairs and nip Leader Gary doer in their be every bit As reluctant to face the no one in any party can be really enthusiastic about an election because no one can be sure of or even of doing better than the last despite these this will most Likely be the year during which the minority Filmon government will be put to the test in a provincial general the practical reasons for an election this year will probably outweigh the expressed desires and strategies of the the first of these practical reasons is the fact that the Filmon government this year will present its third both opposition parties supported its first Bud mainly because it was a catchup de signed to get the provincial business Back on the track from which it had been derailed As a result of the defeat of the Pawley the second budget was a different the liberals voted against it but the government was sustained by nip As reluctant As doer May be to face the electorate the Prospect of supporting a third conservative budget May Well be even More propping up a tory minority government a second time would put him in a bad position to argue that the government he kept in Power twice should be turfed out of the by opposing the second also painted themselves into a bit of a having opposed the fiscal policies of the Filmon government they can hardly change their minds this if an election does take it will most Likely be the result of this years either the government will be Defeated on the budget or it will introduce the budget and then go to the people before the opposition has a Chance to vote it Down or to pick it to the second practical reason for an election this year is the Pace at which minority government the provincial auditors annual report last month was in Complete because the figures were not the current session of the legislature drags not because there is pressing business but because the opposition is Able to set the Agenda and the that tends to Lead to a Good Deal of hours have been spent debating whether Manitoba needs a Law requiring clean automobile licence Premier Filmon and his colleagues no doubt dream of the Day when they might Lead a majority government which is not dependent on the whims of opposition to get its program whenever the temptation gets Strong to seek that majority by calling an something tends to happen to damage the governments electoral it is Hilmons bad Luck that the thing that happens usually takes place in the Premier has worked hard to distance himself from the unpopular acts of Brian Mulroney Federal the trouble is like it or he and the prime minister do belong to the same with the Federal government struggling to impose a goods and services tax and to keep Canada out of a it is Likely that More events will take place in Ottawa Over the next few months which will sap any conservative Zeal for an if there is one Job that is Likely to strike Filmon As More frustrating than Leader of a minority government it is Leader of the the polls do give Filmon a High acceptance rating with the Manitoba Public and he is therefore Likely to seize any moment where his governments popularity is enough to make people forget their dislike of his Federal even those moments could present prob the frustrations of minority government Are invisible to the in the Public tends to like minority governments because they Are Kinder and gentler than those with a All three political parties realize As they realize that Manitoban Are not champing at the bit to change those in charge of provincial the trick for a party that really wants a vote will be to trigger an election while passing the blame on to someone the three leaders say they do not want an what one or More May mean is that they do not want to be blamed for causing Manitoba gets a free ride in All likelihood the Manitoba government will get the Federal environmental review it wanted of dams on the Souris River without any Effort on its part and without effecting political embarrassment on conservative col leagues in Ottawa or others have done the Grimy work that Manitoba should have done in As soon As Saskatchewan Premier Grant Devine con firmed that his government planned to build the Raf fert Alameda the Good Effort of the Canadian wildlife federation and two Saskatchewan Bachelor who returned to court to Force the Federal review and won a favourable will Likely produce a very belated full the Manitoba should not be resting very comfortably on the laurels of it should be urging environment minister Lucien Bouchard to suspend the Federal licence for dam construction until the review panel files its it is Likely that Manitoba will get the environmental review that environment minister Glen Cummings said i june was it is the same review he urged Bouchard to order last it is the same review that on learning that Bou Chard had no such redefined As it is the same review that a Federal court judge recently found to be required by successive Manitoba environment ministers have been As Cavalier about the Validity of the nations environmental Law As Federal Cabinet ministers have been offhand in exercising their the error of the Manitoba government from the outset was to ignore the Law and to rely instead on on gentlemanly to defend Manitoba interests downstream of the it was absurd to attempt to negotiate and to strike deals when environmental consequences were Deal find out later is simply a backwards the review that Bouchard must order by the end of the or face a judicial quashing of the was shunned by politicians and by their advisers from Regina to the nations it was shunned for most of the last four years by most of the government leaders in Winnipeg who might have insisted upon Bouchard of course has the option to Appeal the recent Federal court ruling which found him in breach of environmental he chose not to do so when it was the decision of his predecessor that was on he would be Wise to make the same Choice this to Swallow his Medicine and to admit that he Justice Francis who handed Down the most recent ruling in this much litigated saw the Issue correctly the important aspect of the Public review is that it must be wholly it is the Antithesis of secret or unpublicized arrangements in these matters of quintessentially Public the politicians have every right to ignore review panel recommendations to do their deals in the aftermath of a the Public has every and the Protection of to have the information and study the ruling which validates the also allows the Raffert Alameda project to be its project developers claim that the Rafferty dam already is 60 per cent the ruling does not Force an immediate halt to construction pending the Cummings should be a Little less now that he has what he he should urge Bouchard to make it not a mockery of a he should urge Bouchard to suspend the another laurels cannot be a politically comfortable resting coping with the fear of silence on acting As the very Model of a polite i have asked a waiter or waitress at a restaurant to turn Down the volume of what i loosely describe As the waiter responds to my request As if i had asked him to pour a Pitcher of water Over my head at the very rub the seats with Honey at the neighbouring imposing a void he looks at me As if i am out of my am i really serious do i really want to impose a void in the restaurant and obliterate the Back ground Din have i nothing better to do than engage in conversation have i no understanding that sound of such volume is Normal to Public places As Corn is on the cob finally the waiter Speaks and says icily certainly ill ask to have it toned then he vanishes there Are other waiters who will react to my pleading and reduce the loud speaker a notch or the Relief May not last sooner or one of the sensing that patrons Are in a position to carry on a Normal raises the volume to its former discourse is its a curious no one is really listening to the but it is part of the scene As surely As the ficus tree in the there is a fear of the background music at a High volume inhibits dulls the senses and discourages social inter the mind is i have compared notes with others on the behaviour of those who Are hired to provide recorded music at Val Werler Many Public i go to different says one and invariably i ask that the music be turned five minutes it is up one official of the provincial environment department dealing with noise pollution maintains a number of people do not go to socials or bars because of the blaring they feel their Well being is violated and refuse to be subjected to this at a High noise can be injurious to ones not to mention the assault on the according to the Canadian ency people can harm their ears after listening to a typical Rock band for More than 15 of there Are Public places that show some sanity in controlling the noise there Are restaurants that will play music softly and in the genre of the cuisine whether greek or background blather music can be a romantic and satisfying element in i have no quarrel with a delightful i find it annoying to be confronted with background blather in department and even Hospital waiting the music seems to be doctored to provide an even level of listeners must not be excited and for there will be no rousing ode to Joy in Beethoven ninth most infuriating of All is to be put on hold when calling an airline and be subjected to insipid i can appreciate airlines dont want you to think they have forgot ten about i being made captive to this exercise in forced cheerfulness to cover the inadequacies of the not for listening i spoke to Harold an authority on sound equipment and president Here of Muzak Muzak one that provides piped music to Many of he its Defini Tely not for its there As part of the Smithen maintains it has been shown it improves efficiency of of fice it also for exam impart a feeling of activity when stores Are not really there Are two different programs for Muzak customers one called environmental music and another contemporary adult introduced a few years ago and including a lot of vocals and some hard it says something about the Way of doing things in Toronto in the expansion of their shops they wanted the noisier compared to other Winni Peg tends to mute the volume of piped it is available 24 hours a originating in new York and reaching Winnipeg via we Are being hurtful hobbies How ironic it was to find on the same Page of the 8 free press articles detailing the outrage and sadness resulting from the shootings in and a sports headline about the sugar Ray Duran boxing match stating that spectators boo 12 nonviolent not enough blood and guts and eyes split open like an overripe grape 52 for All those sports enthusiasts out there i have never understood How an activity where the main goal is to destroy brain cells and disfigure faces could be considered or Why most of our video games involve or Why it is easier for a 16yearold to buy a gun than a How is that so Many of our hobbies and entertainments Are so hurtful and plainly destructive Are we really so Duran in insecure and underdeveloped that we need these activities to express our need to dominate others it is a rare individual who goes to such lengths As the Montreal gun Man to express frustration and re the More restrained Gen eral Public should perhaps examine How it entertains the attitude fostered in How we play seems to be More than a Little indicative of How we wage War on one another on a daily Karin Erhardt Winnipeg arts glasnost i have recently received copies of the free press containing letters by Joan Parr about the Politico Busi Ness methods of the Manitoba arts How Apt her splendid glasnost needed in Manitoba perhaps i might contribute my mite to the discussion of this based on a fairly recent experience of a typical Manitoba Clam in 1983 the University of Toronto press published Reading from left to right one mans political which contains material on my experience As a teacher and citizen in 1985 the alumni journal of the University of Manitoba got around to reviewing the the review contained several elementary errors of and suggested that some parts of the Book could be of mild interest Only to a few parochial residents of so what who cares i wrote a letter to the editor of the alumni journal commenting on the comment May be but it does not get published by the univer sity of and being a graduate with a few distinctions in Bis time does not ensure a right of but there will always be Hope for a Community of which Joan Parr and her like Are ferns letters the Winnipeg free press welcomes letters from writers must give their name and names will be used and letters Are subject to magical movie i recently read Paul Mckines re View of the movie prancer in the free press and almost did not go to see it when it arrived in our that would have been unfortunate As my family and i found it to be a refreshing family movie that appealed to the magic of Christmas in All of so Many movies use foul language and sex As the main theme but this movie was indeed refreshing and it was a modern Day fairy i Felt that your reviewer was looking at this movie from a strictly Urban in a Rural setting such As with Many children from Homes that Are in close touch with nature and this movie was very close to our Many of us Are banners and the situation on almost All farms is exactly How this Man portrays we often wonder if the future will be the character of the dad is not an unusual he was concerned about his farm and How to care for his i lived in Winnipeg As a teenager and adult before moving to Neepawa and living on a farm and i know the misunderstandings held about farms and Farmers by the Urban your review reflects these perhaps for you it was Boring but for us it was no one needed to tie the children to their seats As there want a sound As they watched with great these children understand How it feels to be close to an animal and to care for its Hunting and Hunters Are All around us during Deer season and often such As and cattle Are injured or killed by care less City people out in the country to your review was very narrow and definitely does not reflect everyone Judith Martin ramp uniforms i have read with much interest the controversy on whether or not sikhs should be allowed to Wear turbans As part of their ramp uniforms and like Many other canadians i have some very Strong feelings on the the their uniforms and their image on the Canadian is one of the few things remaining that is truly Canadian in my anyone joining the ramp willingly should be proud to become an Active part of that when sikh canadians can show me where they have been forced to serve in the ramp then i would consider they might have a legitimate reason to but not until the charter of human rights is a wonderful thing and very progressive but Falls Short of the Mark when officialdom uses it to impose an Issue on All canadians to pacify a would the feelings of officialdom be the same if scotsmen demanded the right to Wear Kilts in the or ukrainians Wear or westerners the right to Wear Cowboy boots and five gallon or Eski mos to Wear mukluks sure it sounds and it and so is the demand by sikhs to Wear Burns Winnipeg school review in its continuing diatribe against the High school a recent a pointless school shuffle 17 goes to unusual lengths to justify its a number of inaccurate statements in the editorial were perhaps to justify the position taken by the newspaper before the review even the for suggests that Junior High schools and High schools would require Point less reorganization As a result of a recommendation that Grade 9 be considered part of the High How typically myopic of a Winnipeg newspaper not to understand that most High schools in the province already have Grade 9 As part of their the report had stated while housing Grade 9 students May pres ent a problem for these Stu dents or their curriculum should not be lumped in with that of younger students and explained this is hardly sufficient to cause panic in the nor would it Likely Trig Ger massive changes to existing it might cause some consideration of student needs and other the editorials statement that the report challenges and changes was written for the committee by the department of education is there were a variety of sources for Early drafts of the re but the authorship was never that of the the committee conducted no direct research As that was not part of its but it did commission some reports based on current re other research was also contributed from education from presentations and from re search documents available from Manitoba education and Why should the report contain a description of the present High school system such a statement already the editorial is inaccurate to state that the committee worked Long past its because the Public presentations were an essential Compo nent of the the committee built it into the process and ensured that this aspect was not the original timeline was extended to accommodate this the editorial missed the most Crit ical aspect of the recommendation regarding Grade 9 that was that students should acquire standing on a subject by subject basis As do other High school Stu the focused on a single typographical error in the numbering of the recommend those who work in High who see firsthand the Many prob lems to be and who will be there Long after the editorials focus know that the review provided a unique Opportunity to examine what High schools and should Wadelius the be Back by Midnight and if anyone say no1 to ;