Sunday sellout helps folk fest reach second-highest attendance

On Wednesday, Oct. 28, Manitobans will head to the polls for municipal elections. Alongside their choices for mayors, reeves and councillors, voters will also have an opportunity to elect their school trustees.

In 2021, people across Manitoba rejected the government’s attempts to eradicate locally elected school boards and to centralize school governance. By defeating Bill 64, Manitobans demonstrated their commitment to maintaining locally elected school boards and to the ideals of public education.

School trustees are locally elected representatives who help govern their public school divisions. They make decisions about the direction and priorities of their school divisions, oversee budgets and help establish policies and programs that shape students’ educational experiences. Trustees also help determine how resources are allocated, advocate for the needs of students and communities and provide a link between local residents and the provincial government. They can raise — and address — concerns about class sizes, staffing, student supports, accessibility, school facilities and the resources educators need to do their jobs.

Despite the important role trustees play in communities across the country, school board elections in Canada have historically received little public or media attention. Low voter turnout for municipal elections (25 to 35 per cent), combined with ballot drop-off for the section on school trustees, single-digit turnouts for standalone school board elections and the number of trustees who run unopposed are all emblematic of the perception that school board elections are low stakes.

DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS: I started enjoying the company of women in my running group so much that I ran more and more, and dropped 35 pounds over the summer and early fall. And in the summer I became attracted to a bisexual woman in the group.

At first, we claimed we were “doing OK” with the men we married. But now, feelings of all kinds are accelerating between us.

I must say I’ve suspected my husband has had another woman in recent years, but now it doesn’t bother me the same way. I finally understand wanting two people at one time. I tell myself I’m not “cheating” on anybody — because I’m not cheating on my husband with another man. But that’s not even fooling me, anymore. I’m feeling a lot more emotion for my female love interest.

So now what? I don’t want to disrupt my whole family, so should I keep it a secret for everyone’s sake? I must say the female object of my affection isn’t thinking of leaving her husband and family. I could be wrong, but I suspect she’s just having a fun time experimenting.