Gareth du Plooy

  • The heavy hand of government regulation

    Upon receiving a flyer recently from my local MLA describing the achievements of my provincial government, I noticed that 75 per cent of these accomplishments involved the banning of something.

  • Re-thinking the anti-poverty strategy

    Wading through the ocean of press releases and “calls to action” from Manitoba’s anti-poverty groups in preparation for this piece triggered many feelings. Confusion. Sorrow, perhaps. Exasperation kicked in by the time I had read the term “coalition” for the 400th time.

  • Crying wolf over gentrification

    It’s a coup de grâce. The West End is finally and veritably improving and much, but very importantly not all, of the positive changes stem from various recent University of Winnipeg expansions. After years of planning and anticipation these positive changes are becoming reality, from the new Furby/Langside Campus to the recently announced board approval of the redevelopment of the former United Army Surplus and Greyhound bus depot sites (see page 3). Yet it is dishearteningly predictable that those who take the most ambiguous of stances on this issue are products of the university itself.