Right in the Centre - Clear thinking in short supply

By Ken Waddell

Neepawa Banner & Press

The first column in the New Year is a good time to ask some questions.

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Right in the centre - Truth can be elusive

By Ken Waddell

Neepawa Banner & Press

I am currently reading a book by John Ibbitson titled The Dual, Diefenbaker, Pearson and the making of modern Canada. The book is a great gift from an old friend, Ray Bollman of Moline, Manitoba. We roomed together at the University of Manitoba in the 1960s. We both participated in the U of M debating club and he claims he never won a debate with me. Being the gentleman that I am, I will refrain from that debate.. Ray is a good friend who we value highly.

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Right in the centre - Memories and going forward

By Ken Waddell

Neepawa Banner & Press

The older I get, obviously the more memories I gather unto my aging brain. The first Christmases that comes to mind seem to blend together. Always a tree cut out in the bush and placed in the house bay window. I remember the red ball placed near the top of the tree, the ball bought by my uncle for my brothers in early WWll to cheer them up as Dad was not home that Christmas. No electric lights either on the tree or in the house, as we didn’t get electricity until 1954 when I was six years old. I remember presents under the tree in plain green or red tissue. Usually there was a toy or two. One Christmas, my older brother played Santa Claus at the local Christmas concert and I didn’t even catch on. I was always naive and sometimes still am. When I was about eight or nine, my brother bought me a matchbox bulldozer and I still have it over 65 years later. Its poor little rubber tracks are pretty much evaporated away.

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Right in the centre - The CBC needs to get smaller to get stronger

By Ken Waddell

Neepawa Banner & Press

In Sept. 2022, I wrote, “Pierre Poilievre is calling for smaller government and I agree. I personally believe we should sell the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and have constantly said so. I think a strong case could be made to eliminate or very much scale down the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commisio (CRTC) as well. Hundreds of people work at the CRTC deciding who can and cannot broadcast on radio, TV and internet as well as what they can broadcast. It’s expensive censorship at best and a waste of time and effort at most.”

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Right in the centre - If only the bosses would listen!

By Ken Waddell

Neepawa Banner & Press

Unfortunately my wife and I have been hospitalized many times in the past five years. With stays in four Manitoba hospitals and three U.S ones, we have a wide range of experience. It has been mostly good experience and we received good care. We have met and interacted with dozens of medical staff and for the most part, the care has been very good. There are hundreds of extremely dedicated staff and quite frankly, I can’t believe how they do all that they do. I dedicate this column to them in the faint hope someone, somewhere will listen to these suggestions to help us all along the road to better, faster health care.

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