Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 22, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba THINK TANK COMMENT EDITOR: RUSSELL WANGERSKY 204-697-7269 ● RUSSELL.WANGERSKY@WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM A7 WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 22, 2025 Ideas, Issues, Insights THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES The first American ‘No Kings’ protest in June. The sentiment has spread far and wide across the U.S. during President Donald Trump’s second term in the White House. The topsy-turvy world of an American monarchy A S a descendant of United Empire Loyal- ists, the American Revolution doesn’t give me a warm fuzzy feeling. Ancestors who survived it lost everything, fleeing to the rocky shores of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick for hardscrabble lives of fishing and subsistence farming. As the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence approaches, however, another revolution seems to be brewing which I would join in a heartbeat. At its centre is a blunt and simple reminder: “No Kings.” Saturday was the second countrywide protest in the U.S. in support of this message. When President Donald Trump held his military parade in Washington on June 14 (his 79th birthday), parroting displays of armed power in the capitals of authoritarian states, “No Kings” rallies were held elsewhere at the same time. While the White House and Trump’s minions in government dearly want to label such events as “insurrections,” they are instead affirmations of why the United States exists at all. They give the lie to the idea that somehow the Trumpites are conservatives, wanting to uphold conservative values in American society. The Loyalists were, in fact, the conservative group back in 1776. They wanted to keep things the same, to continue as a British colony under an absentee king, George III. His administration was typically corrupt and incompetent — the normal state of affairs for the time. Tax money (less local deductions) flowed to the Crown. There was the irritation of British troops and their allies in garrison, but these were sources of security, not an army of occupation, and good money was made in keeping them fed and supplied. Then came the revolution. The conservatives lost everything, and those who could fled the country. Their revolutionary opposition coalesced under their “liberal” leader, George Washington. He and his fellow liberals were the authors and signatories of the Declaration of Independence, and the formulators of the constitution and its amendments. At the core of this liberal government, quite obviously, was the choice that never again would the new republic suffer the tyranny of a king. “No Kings.” It will be interesting, as July 4 approaches, to see how Trump and his MAGA minions re-spin this story of the American Revolution. Under - mining the constitution at every possible turn, reneging on the principles of the Declaration of Independence, and asserting rule-by-decree from the (now gilded) Oval Office, Trump is clearly the man who would be king. In an ironic twist of fate, the real conservatives in America today are actually on the opposing side. Those protesting authoritarian power are supporting the constitution, not overthrowing it. Those demanding rule of law, as the “founding fathers” envisioned it, are not a liberal danger to American freedom, but in fact are its defenders. The only hope the Republican Party has of survival in a post-Trump era is to reclaim that original liberal vision of America, over a world dominated by and run for the benefit of kings and their elites. Whether that royal entourage includes barons or billionaires doesn’t really matter. Such elites disregard the plight of ordinary people, which is why on Friday night before “No Kings” Day, Trump hosted a US$1 million-a-plate political fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago. While these elites airily dismiss health care, jobs, food security and affordable housing, that is not what the founders intended. The constitution was envisioned to be a living document, with each amendment trying to solve emerging issues re- lated to the abuse of power. Those founders tried very hard to limit executive authority and ensure a balance of powers among the different levels and locations of government. And that system has worked well enough, even through a bitter civil war and its aftermath — at least, until Trump. Yet almost seven million peo- ple participated in over 2,700 peaceful “No Kings” rallies last Saturday, even more than in June. Trumpites used extremist language ahead of these protests, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s idiocies setting the tone: “The Democrat Party’s main constituency are made up of Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens, and violent criminals.” Yet as they rail against these rallies as evidence of an antifa-led conspiracy (antifa means “an- ti-fascist”), MAGA minions across the country are only dialing up the heat against themselves. After all, to oppose fascism means “No Kings.” So, their support of Trump’s efforts to become King Donald the First seems an odd way for the Republican party to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence from the British. We will soon know, as these protests continue and grow, whether July 4 will mark the return of the American republic to its revolutionary and constitutional roots, or its death spiral into author- itarian despotism. Those first founders wisely made all oaths of office to the constitution, to defend it “against all enemies, foreign and domestic” Later, others made the pledge of allegiance to the flag “and the Republic for which it stands.” Not to a king, of any stripe or colour. Peter Denton writes from his home in rural Manitoba. River contamination problems seem unending AS the City of Winnipeg attempts to move for- ward with sewage treatment by revamping the 100-year-old North End sewage treatment plant, it has announced that it will cease ultraviolet treat- ment, which is the final stage in reducing bacteria and viruses before release. This will result in sewage with fecal coliform counts several times higher than acceptable levels being discharged into the Red River near the Kildonan golf course from this October until February 2026. According to director of water and waste Tim Shanks, due to the physical nature of the plant up- grade, this is the best option both in terms of cost and impact on the environment. In an attempt at transparency, the city has loosened its communi- cations stranglehold on officials, allowing Shanks to defend his department. He has made it clear that nobody wants to increase coliform and the folks working on the city’s woeful sewage prob- lems are trying to make the community a better place, not trying to cut corners or disrespect the environment. Alternatives to cutting UV such as chlorination followed by dechlorination would cost up to $8 million and would not adequately meet disinfec- tion requirements. UV treatment has only been in effect since 2006, and this temporary cessa- tion would return discharges to those levels. The province has altered the city’s licence to allow this compromised disinfection, but with some very specific contingency planning. Equipment must be pre-purchased, financial penalties will be levied on the contractor if this window of time is exceeded and double shift work is to be imple- mented if necessary. Communities downstream will be notified not to make contact with the water and signage is to be installed within three kilo- metres of the discharge site. Grab sampling and public reporting will be required. These measures make it clear the province has shortened the leash on city sewer activities, and it is no wonder why. Taken on its own, this interrup- tion in treating sewage could be looked upon as a one-off that will improve the system, but in con- junction with pump failures and combined sewer overflows, it displays a low regard for our urban environment. Alexis Kanu, executive director of the Lake Winnipeg Foundation, considers the city’s approach incredibly disrespectful to a living waterway. The city continues to demonstrate that our rivers are the only recourse when pipes fail or construction occurs. It has been well over a year since the city’s 220-million litre spill at the Abinojii bridge, and provincial Environment Minister Mike Moyes continues to have no comment as court proceed- ings drag on. The federal government, which also opened an investigation into the spill and has laid a charge under the Fisheries Act, refuses to comment. The two levels of government whose laws are set to protect our environment are also the ones that should be providing the financial backing to ensure the infrastructure is robust enough to protect our waterways. The irony is that if the province and federal government levy financial penalties for the city’s polluting ways, they are drawing from the meagre municipal pot which they themselves should be replenishing. As a result, the city will likely get a slap on the wrist. There are very few heavy rainfalls where the city’s combined sewers aren’t overwhelmed. As recently as early October, yet another spill of 2.5-million litres of diluted wastewater wound up in the river, spilled from the Mayfair lift station. A power failure caused officials to return to the yard for a portable generator, which proceeded to malfunction. When prodded about the condition of equipment and proximity to the site, Shanks agreed it was a fair criticism but offered no solutions. We can only expect more torrential downfalls as our climate continues to change. This is a problem that begs for a solution to avoid using our rivers as a last resort, as separating our combined sewers is still decades away. Choices cannot be limited to flooded basements or polluted rivers. Citizens are starting to feel the pinch from years of “borrowing from Peter to pay Paul,” which has left little in our waste and water coffers and has resulted in a substantial increase in rates. Although not yet finalized, a cost-sharing agree- ment would see the province and feds ante up to share the cost for this stage of the North End treatment project but no plan has been made to scrape up the $2 billion required to complete it. Meaningful long-term secure financing from the upper levels of government would relieve our municipality of having to scrounge to complete essential public works. Our rivers and lakes hold an incomparable value to Manitobans and deserve a plan that would avoid relying on them as a back- up to a system that is perpetually in disrepair. Dave Taylor has drawn attention to the pollution of rivers in Manitoba for several decades and is a regular contributor to the Free Press. Visit his blog at https://wpgsewage.wordpress.com. Being human — by choice I HAVE Found myself thinking about what draws me to a children’s television host who spent decades talking about how we live together in neighbourhoods. Fred Rogers had this gentle way of speak- ing to children about the everyday challeng- es of being human: how to handle anger, disappointment, fear and joy. But the more I consider his approach, the more I realize he wasn’t really teaching children how to behave, how to feel about themselves, how to understand the world around them. He was making something much more fundamental feel possible and worthwhile: he was making human decency aspirational. Mr. Rogers knew that how we treat each other matters, not because it’s polite or prop- er, but because it’s how we create the kind of world we actually want to live in. His genius wasn’t in the specific lessons he taught, but in how he made kindness, patience, honesty and gentleness feel like the most essential ways to be human. I keep wondering if that’s what we’re missing sometimes. Not more rules about how to behave, but a sense that kindness and integrity are worth striving for. The world is tough. We all know this. We need to function, to get things done, to navigate complicated situations where there aren’t easy answers. I’m not thinking about becoming saints or pretending that life is simple. What comes to mind are those small moments when we choose to extend a bit more patience even when we’re frustrated, or when we offer understanding instead of judgment even when it would be easier not to. I see this way of showing up for others happening around me more often than the news might suggest. I see people giving back even when they’re struggling themselves. I watch neighbours show up for each other in ways that no one will write articles about. I notice the thoughtful gestures, the way peo- ple offer presence and understanding when someone needs it most. These aren’t heroic acts. They’re the everyday choices that shape how we experience living together. I get the feeling that many people want this. They want to be good neighbours, good colleagues, good family members. They want their children to grow up kind and resilient. They want to contribute something positive to their communities. Maybe what I’m thinking about is that making thoughtful choices, even when it’s inconvenient, even when we’re tired, even when no one notices, is at the root of many of life’s most meaningful moments. This doesn’t mean ignoring real problems or pretending that kindness alone solves everything. What I find myself valuing is recognizing that how we treat each other while we navigate those problems matters deeply. It means acknowledging that the small choices we make in our daily interac- tions create the texture of life for everyone around us. The parents who choose patience over efficiency when their children are strug- gling. The co-workers who take time to really listen instead of rushing to solutions. The strangers who offer help without being asked. The people who find ways to speak up when someone’s being treated unfairly. These aren’t extraordinary people. They’re ordinary people making choices that align with their deepest values, even when it costs them something. Maybe that’s what making human decency aspirational looks like. Not perfection, but alignment. Not sainthood, but the ongoing practice of choosing our better selves, even in small ways, even when it’s hard. When I look at the overlapping commu- nities we are part of, I can’t help but notice how our actions ripple outward in ways we don’t always see. The patience we extend to a stressed cashier, the way we listen to a friend who’s going through a difficult time, the kindness we show to someone who’s different from us. These moments feel like they matter more than we usually give them credit for. Fred Rogers knew this. He spent his life helping children understand that their feel- ings mattered, that they were loved, and that they had something valuable to contribute to their communities. Maybe what we grown- ups need is a similar invitation to trust that our impulse toward decency is worth honouring. I believe there’s still space for the kind of basic humanity that makes life richer for ev- eryone. As I reflect on this more and more, the question doesn’t seem to be whether we’re capable of it. I see evidence every day that we are. What I find myself wondering is whether we’ll choose to make it a priori- ty, whether we’ll decide human decency is worth wanting. I think it is. Carina Blumgrund writes from Winnipeg. PETER DENTON CARINA BLUMGRUND DAVE TAYLOR ;