Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 31, 2001, Winnipeg, Manitoba Focus a13 Fhi i tin m 2001 settling in at the Lake once More when Manitoban set out for their they say they Are going to the they dont say they Are going to Victoria Winnipeg Sandy Hook or they Are heading to the Why do we use this generic term were blessed with thousands of a fabulous Assort ment of but we employ the singular perhaps it is because we in the Prairies Are fascinated with the water is our greatest the Interlake including the champions Lake win Lake Manitoba and Lake win is the most prominent Lake country in the Plains of North Ameri this bears repeating because we Manitoban tend to underestimate what we have in this so i head to the Lake to open my cot Tage to enjoy this marvellous Environ released from its thick cover of Lake Winnipeg is giving us a sea son of summer it is entertain poetic and i am sitting on the deck with who retired with his wife to Winnipeg Beach in 1995 in the cottage owned for Many years by his they like the unhurried life at the it is near noon and Neil and i enjoy a Beer and contemplate the the Waves Roll glistening and sparkling As they catch the i find it difficult describing the the music of water rippling by the it is utterly says Neil if i had a cottage on the i would sit on the watch the Day and never get any thing that the Lake is Mes Clouds have filtered the Light and the Lake is the Colour of the rocks peering out by the Shore As Black As the next Day is Grey and the Lake and sky lost in one opening the cottage is a time of renewal of friendships bonded at the people seen for the most part exclusively in they reappear with the flowering of the Trees and the warming of the Neighbour Toby is excited that the Robins have made their annual return to her Back you should see the Beautiful she i resume scrabble games with Estelle and Back to Winnipeg Beach for the summer from Harry for the first didst get out much during the Winter because of his his hands Are gnarled and twisted from a life of i worked very hard in my he in surprised i am still turning 90 in a widower who still manages his own household and raises a will repair a Lawn Mower for a he is being rewarded for his giving nature with invitations for dinner and by people dropping in with a people Are pretty he that the Way it is supposed to be looking after each i am blessed with three children and six grandchildren who live in Winnipeg and Are lovers of the son Michael makes a special trip to the Lake to get me wont let me do a gets Beer from the hotel and the wonderful water from the Artesian How Nice to Start off this i am treated like a grand daughter Judy clucks Over she will not let a Day go by without calling husband Leon examines my Back door to determine whether it needs adjusting because of settlement of the son Jonathon and wife Lisa appear at my cottage with a wheelbarrow to do some heavy Yard my resources Are i wonder about the Lovely runs of Small White Flowers around the they Are smaller Pussy a member of the Sunflower Jonathon informed me after consulting his Book on a few Days a violent Lake Flung Sand and Stone Over my my family came to the Rescue by removing a couple of tons of it was an amazing the Interlake including the champions Lake Lake Manitoba and Lake is the most prominent Lake coun try in the Plains of North America adding Winnipeg trustees would improve representation by Neri Leslie Dee Gillies and Ingrid Zacharias critics of the present Public school Board system use Low voter turnout results at school Board elections to Call into question the relevance of locally elected school in the by election on 20 in the Winnipeg school Divi the winning candidate received or per cent of the eligible voters in the total voter turnout for the by election was or per cent of eligible resident we Are concerned about the Low level of voter turnout at school Board elections in the Winnipeg school Divi residents have a hard time knowing who the candidates Are and what they it is very difficult to make an informed decision under these no wonder critics of locally elected school boards describe the current system As an obvious mockery of democratic marking the ballot Blind free May the average size of a Ward in the Winnipeg school division is resident the average size of a Ward in school divisions in the City of Winnipeg outside the Winnipeg school division is resident the area contains resident electors while a school Board Ward in the North end area has resident there is something wrong with a sys tem in which the Winnipeg school division has resident electors and nine trustees and the fort Garry school division has resident electors and also has nine the present school Board Ward sys tem in the City of Winnipeg creates barriers for residents of the inner City and older neighbourhoods run Ning for school Board that candidates in suburban school divisions do not the size of the wards in the Winnipeg school division Means that the financial Cost of running for school Phil Hossack Winnipeg free press archives an increase in the number of school trustees would better serve a group of parents Board in that division relative to sub Urban divisions is prohibitive for Many on May we presented a petition that called upon the Board of trustees of the Winnipeg school division to enact a bylaw that would increase the number of trustees to 11 from nine and increase the number of wards to 11 from three with each Ward electing one this would reduce the average size of a Ward in the Winnipeg school division from to resident electors and would put the number of resident electors in the division in line with other suburban school the present Ward system in Winnipeg school division must be improved to address the diverse Geo graphic and Ethan cultural nature of the school our proposal will enable the division to address the specific needs of geographic areas such As Elm Vood a Community that has never had a local resident elected As the socioeconomic interests of the inner and the communities unique to the Winnipeg school Divi Sion such As the aboriginal and eth no cultural dialogue difficult the present size of school Board wards in the Winnipeg division makes it difficult for trustees to have meaningful dialogue with Community Resi dents regarding education elections have been reduced to a name recognition marketing contest through the use of candidate signs on City Street by decreasing the average Ward size to Resi Dent trustees would be Able to spend More time in their local Community schools and have greater interaction with their residents would have a better under standing of who the trustees Are and what they changing our Ward system would encourage greater Public participation and sup the results from the 1998 school Board elections held in school Divi Sions throughout Winnipeg reinforce the Point that the smaller the Ward the greater the voter the 22 Winnipeg free press school vote concluded by calling upon supporters of the Public school system to try to Fig ure out what measures might make the Public once again care about the schools so that you might 15 per cent of people out to vote for school our proposal is one measure that could significantly improve democratic participation in the next Winnipeg school division school Board election that will be held in the fall of tin1 Aii Lliott of the article an1 All parents of children who attend schools in Winnipeg school Tel flip Fri Itell the free press letters from they must include the authors address and Telephone number m letters May be letters to the 1355 Mountain r2x fax email review committee backs physician profiles the editorial Sinclair got it right May 26 is inaccurate and misleading in its interpretation of two but related recommendations made by the committee that reviewed judge Murray Sinclair inquest the committee in calling for the development and publication of physician profiles such profiles would bal Ance the Public right to know and to have easy Access to information about physicians with the right of physicians to an balanced and fair interpretation of their qualifications and history of medical achieving this balance is More difficult than might appear at first contrary to the complaint As reported in your newspaper of the same Day by the coalition advocating physician the committee did recommend that groups other than Manitoba health and the College of physicians and surgeons should be involved with the development of such see Page 139 of the report your editorial incorrectly states that the committee rejected a patients rights handbook because it rejected the publication of information on the backgrounds and performance records of not Only did we Call for physician pro we also proposed a physician achievement review involving the periodic evaluation of performance by both professional Peers and ran Dom samples of such reviews would be used in conjunction with the periodic re certification of physicians to practise Medicine in the our report discusses the advantages and disadvantages of describing the relationship of individuals to the health system in terms of when it comes to individuals have both rights and rights have budgetary costs associated with their the experience in the since 1991 with a patients charter has seen Little change in How individuals relate to the healthcare evidence on this Point is found in our what we proposed was a guide to Manito Bas health services which would con Tain crucial information on insured the right to a second Opin conditions for out province travel to obtain medically necessary treatment and the mechanisms Avail Able to Lodge we agree that judge Sinclair got Many things we endorse Many of his recommendations and All of he our task was to develop a prac tical plan to Reform the we Welcome informed criticism and debate of our Paul Thomas review and implementation committee for the paediatric cardiac surgery inquest report Winnipeg private health care has its place re targets private clinics with new Law May an Ideal world would be one in which effective healthcare services were provided to All residents in a timely it is a world that do snot in Manitoba already operates within a two tier healthcare my 62yearold Mother has cataracts in both although her local ophthalmologist can arrange to have one of the cataracts removed in the summer of he also advises her that she will be legally Blind by the end of the As recommended by the is to travel to Alberta where a private Eye clinic will remove both cataracts within three the Cost is plus travel expenses she is financially Able to it would seem that for the Many who Are currently travelling across Borders for health they Are already pay ing More for a two tier healthcare while its not an ideologically perfect perhaps its an appropriate comparison to note that while we provide Public education for All Mani Toba private schools Are also available and seem to health care is a difficult i Hope that in the True interests of our government will open the door to private clinics and not Sacri fice service to support an ideology that aged faster than our Sandra Malcomson Winnipeg who will pay for teacher demands a leather Clad Manitoba teach ers society president Jan Speelman roaring in on a Scooter biker mama warns May this stunt from the same Union fat cat Boss who ridiculed a similar stunt done by someone in a wetsuit the demands is Speelman is asking for Are As ridiculous As her Entrance accompanied by the song born to be items such As paid adoption 10 Days off for medical needs in addition to the already generous sick and moving expenses who is going to pay for this Robert Bruce Winnipeg keep your butt in the please just a Brief response to Amira pos ners letter make most of time spent waiting on train May i admired the tone and contents of your letter this is my philosophy life is too rushed and taking a few minutes to look listen to As you suggest is a Fine you had me All the Way to throw your cigarette butt out the if your car is missing its in sure you could get one if May i suggest that you use even at the risk of getting it rather than Messing up our outdoors aside from i Hope you continue to enjoy your moments of relax by the to other motorists waiting for trains if you turn off your car while the train goes you will reduce Wear and fuel con sumption and harmful Jeanie Dubberley Winnipeg Conclo owners ignored the letter to the editor by Doug Madden province ignores Condo own May 23 proves once More that our provincial from our Premier Down to All appropriate Las just int interested in Correct ing the injustice of having set the por Tion on condominium taxes at 45 per similar to the portion on single family even though condominiums take up less land space and certainly receive less it seems this tax which More than doubled in the last 10 is just too Good to give these ministers servants of the people have totally disregarded the representations of nearly Condo is this not a Strong enough protest to warrant some attention from this government and not be passed off or forgotten it would be at this for Premier Gary doer to personally consider correcting this injustice or to direct this matter to the minister with authority to do iss1e Oiring Winnipeg doonesbury by Garry Trudeau Huml instruct ;