Winnipeg Free Press Newspaper Archives Mar 29 2015, Page 9

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - March 29, 2015, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE A10 POLL Will the closure of Future Shop affect your shopping? Previous polls: Are you in favour of relocating Winnipeg’s rail yards and lines? Yes. It would free up land and reduce the risk of accidents. 61% No. Too expensive and complicated. 33% Don’t know. 6% Has your opinion of Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec changed given his latest winning streak? Nope, I’ve always been a fan of his. 45% Nope, I’ll never be a fan of his. 13% Yes, he has won me over with this last stretch of goaltending. 42% Do you think Doug McNeil is the right choice for CAO? Yes, he has lots of experience. 15% Yes, I like that he wants city hall to be more transparent. 15% No, I don’t agree with his ideas. 12% I’m not sure, I don’t know much about him. 58% Do you agree with the appointment of Janice Filmon as the next lieutenantgovernor of Manitoba? Yes. 54% No. 46% Should the city be using malathion against mosquitoes? Yes. 67% No. 33% OPINION WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, MONDAY, APRIL 21, 2014 A 10 Winnipeg Free Press Sunday, March 29, 2015 winnipegfreepress. com Vote online at winnipegfreepress. com R EADERS were deeply divided when the City of Winnipeg said it will review its use of malathion to kill mosquitoes after a United Nations study classified the chemical as probably carcinogenic. The denizens of Wolseley must be ecstatic at this report. — mr. spelchek I wonder how the workers applying malathion for the benefit of Winnipeggers feel about risking their lives through exposure to a probable carcinogen in order to save the rest of us a few mosquito bites. — Spence Furby Let’s put all this into perspective. Yes, malathion is a harmful chemical, but the risk from this chemical is minimized by controlling usage through ultra- low- volume fogging that results in a very small amount of exposure. — Facts_ and_ Logic I don’t worry about this for myself, as I am in my 60s, but I do think that for the sake of our children and grandchildren we need to stop exposing them to these toxins, even if there is only a small chance they are carcinogenic. The intended effects of these insecticides are only temporary, but the unintended consequences on human health and the environment may last for lifetimes. — xwdman Pretty much anything is deadly in big enough quantities. The study in question was focused on agricultural workers involved in the application of malathion — so, frequent, prolonged exposure to very large quantities and concentrations. It’s a huge leap to suggest the amount of exposure from occasional fogging is also dangerous. And you should note the scientists have not made that leap, only readers have. — squonk I don’t like mosquitoes, and I like cancer even less. The city’s policy on using malathion attempts to strike a balance between those who oppose the use of this pesticide for health and ecological reasons and those who believe it is the only effective way of reducing mosquito populations. It’s only used when the trap counts get very high, and Winnipeggers have the choice of opting out. However, considering it is ‘ probably’ a carcinogen, I hope the City of Winnipeg devotes more resources to eradicating mosquitoes the natural way, through biological means and safer alternatives to sprays that poison beneficial insects and may harm birds and other wildlife as well as the human population. — 23698142 Great, more ammo for the buffer- zone fanatics. — Ceedger Please take a step back and think. A very harmful chemical is sprayed while we sleep. — Winnipeg: Canada’s Best City It looks like the city could be exposed to legal suits if it continues to spray. — trb22 If only money- squandering politicians were effective against mosquitoes. — Woofers Study’s finding sparks debate on malathion Y OUNG men and women from inner- city Winnipeg made their neighbourhood proud Monday night. Six youths who grew up playing basketball at the Spence Neighbourhood Association brought home championship banners. Making Spence Street sports history, youths from the neighbourhood played for championship teams at the Manitoba varsity high school basketball finals, for Oak Park and Sisler high schools. And last weekend, youths from Spence won the AAA junior varsity girls championship, playing for the University of Winnipeg Collegiate. The Spence Neighbourhood Association’s barrier- free sports programming is helping create winners. The most valuable players of both the AAAA girls and boys provincial champions played their first league basketball games through the Spence programs: Kyanna Pingue- Giles of the Sisler Spartans and William Sesay of the Oak Park Raiders. The same can be said for the MVP of the AAA junior varsity girls final, Alicia Dunsford, of the U of W Collegiate and her all- star twin sister, Rachelle Dunsford. Likewise for Sisler all- star Kyia Pingue- Giles ( Kyanna’s twin) and Liyanah Serapio, a Team Manitoba player and starter for Sisler. More than 300 inner- city youths participate in the association’s programs, which eliminate barriers for youth in sports. All get to play sports, be part of a team and build healthy relationships with coaches and adult mentors. The success of these student athletes, supported by strong, loving families, is what happens when we invest in inner- city youth. Athletes in the program are supported by the U of W, the Spence Neighbourhood Association, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg and the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba. Together, these groups help provide uniforms, transportation to games, quality coaching and healthy snacks. Family and mentors supported these youth as they developed as athletes, moving on to elite teams and competition. It was a community effort. Providing recreation to inner- city youth requires a no- barrier approach. Fundraising by the neighbourhood association helps cover league fees, transportation, a co- ordinator for the teams and the committed investment of volunteer coaches and mentors. Strategic investment in youth takes time to reap rewards: We drove these kids to basketball games for the first time back in 2008- 2009. However, there is work to be done so all young people have a chance to fully participate. Winnipeg’s child- poverty rate is the third- highest among large cities in Canada, behind Vancouver and St. John’s, World Vision’s Poverty at Your Doorstep report states. Economic circumstances should not determine where you finish in life. Youths prove to us they are more than willing to take advantage of opportunities to excel, where they are supported. How many other youths have the same kind of talent that could drive our city forward but remain stifled by barriers to participating in school, good housing and adequate mental- health supports? How many artists, athletes, doctors, researchers, executives and lawyers are we missing out on, who could raise our collective achievement to new heights? Supporting young people so they can realize their dreams starts with community- based programs that are close to home. More needs to be done to support youths. Once these elite athletes started playing at the high school level, many had to leave their immediate neighbourhood, often by bus, in the darkness of Winnipeg winters, to attend schools with high- level sports. One pair of siblings earned scholarships to the U of W Collegiate. For all Winnipeg youths to excel and drive our city forward, we need to provide resources to support these same high- quality relationships and opportunities in sports, arts and education in every neighbourhood. This means adequate funding at the city, provincial and federal levels. This is our collective challenge. If these young all- stars are brave enough to learn and to grow, we should be brave enough to provide the supports required to realize their dreams. Jamil Mahmood, executive director of the Spence Neighbourhood Association, and Nick Tanchuk, a former sports co- ordinator at the association, are research affiliates at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives- Manitoba. By Jamil Mahood and Nick Tanchuck Neighbourhood program breaks down barriers JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Kyanna Pingue- Giles of the Sisler Spartans makes a basket against the Oak Park Raiders on Monday. A_ 10_ Mar- 29- 15_ FP_ 01. indd A10 3/ 28/ 15 6: 50: 12 PM