The Free Press has some absolutely wonderful op-ed writers who always make me think and help me consider ideas and problems from new perspectives.
Photo of Brent Bellamy from The Free Press
I'm drawn to Brent Bellamy's opinion pieces because he writes about things that are important to me and the area where I live. My home is in Winnipeg's Exchange District and Brent has lots of great ideas for how we can make the downtown of our city more liveable, safe and vibrant.
I am troubled by the homeless people I see every day in my neighbourhood and Brent has helped me understand some of the zoning by-laws currently on the books in Winnipeg which are preventing the construction of desperately needed housing in the city.
As someone who likes to walk as much as possible, I loved Brent's column about creating 15-minute cities where citizens should only have to walk for about 15 minutes to access all the goods and services they need.
Photo of Erna Buffie from her Facebook Page
Erna Buffie is another Free Press op-ed writer I enjoy. One of the main themes of her pieces is the protection of the local environment. In particular, she is a cheerleader for preserving the city's trees.
My blog readers who followed my year-long diary about my relationship with four trees in my neighbourhood probably understand why Erna's columns often resonate with me.
In one of her latest articles, she tells us why saying yes to planting more trees and no to building more roads is a winning scenario for Winnipeg.
I loved this piece where she bemoans the way people cut down trees indiscriminately. Erna beautifully describes all the things that trees add to our lives and our living spaces.
Photo of Kyle Hiebert from the CBC website
Although Kyle Hiebert grew up in my hometown of Steinbach and went to school and played sports with my son, that's only part of why I am drawn to his articles. Kyle writes clearly and succinctly about international issues that might be hard to understand.
His recent article about how Russia is using African countries to prop up their economy was an eye-opener for me.
I really appreciated another piece he wrote about how climate change and conflict are intertwined. He suggests if countries put as much effort, time and money into protecting the environment as they do into fighting with each other, things might finally start changing for the better.
Photo of John Wiens by Phil Hassock for the Winnipeg Free Press
As a grandmother and former public school teacher I truly appreciate John Wiens' op-eds about education and the well-being of children. John is a former teacher, principal, superintendent and university dean of education, so he brings a wealth of lived experience to his writing.
I was in tears after reading John's moving piece about the way war and armed conflict are impacting the children of our world.
John has made me think about whether it isn't time to change the way the school year is set up and to consider how education and democracy are intertwined.
I read The Free Press faithfully and appreciate many of their regular columnists but I am glad they also accept submissions from so many great freelancers whose excellent op-eds I often find inspirational and thought-provoking.
Other posts...........
Winnipeg History in Iconic Photographs
The Joy of Freelancing
Looking At the Newspaper With My Dad
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