“Welcome” to Winnipeg
In the Kapyong Barracks there used to live army personnel. A while ago they moved out from the town and the “barracks” - which are actually normal, nice houses - became empty. For the moment our tax money is paying for their heating to protect them from deteriorating… There is an ongoing battle about the future of these houses. One proposal was to use them in an affordable housing program, among others, for immigrants and refugees. After an article in the local newspaper (Winnipeg Free Press) last week, on the weekend we had the pleasure to read the following letter:
Sat Feb 18 2006
LETTER OF THE DAY
Re: A place to call home (Feb. 16).
I have been reading with great dismay about the River Heights Ministerial Housing Action Group (HAG) wanting to take over the houses at Kapyong Barracks. I don’t know if the public realizes or not, but it was not only the 2PPCLI that occupied these houses. There are still many of us who live in these quarters (air force). As long as this land belongs to the government and we are still occupying these houses (and paying our rent each month), I don’t believe that they should be rented out to low-income or immigrant individuals. It would bring down the value of other homes in the area as the crime rates would most likely jump substantially.
I for one do not believe that these homes should be made available to any other groups or individuals unless they are with the Canadian Forces or the RCMP. If all of these homes at some point become vacated, then maybe, but not until then do I believe that they should be made available to any other groups or individuals. This is a military community and that is the way we want to keep it.
BRENDA LEBLANC, Winnipeg
At least this letter writer is sincere. When they are not a first or second generation immigrant anymore (because, don’t forget, otherwise everybody comes from an immigrant family in this country!) - so, when they are not a “new-comer” then they really don’t like the immigrants. As an “immigrant individual” my spouse got very upset by this letter and told me even if she never wanted to write a letter to any newspaper, now she felt she should. As for me, the other “immigrant individual” in the household, I just told her what I wrote above: “at least this Brenda is sincere”…
