To the Editor:
It breaks my heart to see little children and old people and all those in between struggling with heavy sandbags to try to control the rising waters of the rivers in Manitoba.
Where is our military? Oh yeah, they’re busy bombing people on the other side of the world.
In 1996 and 1997 the military were sandbagging and putting up temporary camps for the victims. But our policy seems to have changed. Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan says there “isn’t a need for a declaration of a natural disaster…” Instead they are exploring emergency preparedness programs (a bit late isn’t it?) and has told Manitoba that once the damage costs exceed about $1.2 million, federal disaster money will become available. How about a little prevention?
Jack Layton and the New Democrats are the only ones who’ve been calling for our military to come home for years. It’s not like they don’t have anything to do here.
Donna Stocker, Cawston