Danielle Da Silva

Premier sticks by Ukrainian-refugee plan

Manitoba will not borrow a page from its western neighbour by co-ordinating humanitarian charter flights for Ukrainian refugees.

Saskatchewan welcomed a second flight of newcomers last week.

Premier Heather Stefanson said the province’s current approach to resettling Ukrainians fleeing war is getting results and suggested other jurisdictions that partner with organizations to charter flights for Ukrainians are playing catch up.

“We welcomed over 5,500 Ukrainians to Manitoba through our welcoming reception centre,” Stefanson said. “Because we have one of the highest per capita welcoming of Ukrainians to Manitoba, I think what we’re doing is working.

Premier mum on inflation relief

The provincial government said it is still mulling ways to help Manitobans cope with the second-highest inflation rate in the country.

On Tuesday, Statistics Canada said inflation in Manitoba increased by 8.8 per cent in July from a year ago, compared to the national average of 7.6 per cent.

Manitoba’s rate was second only to that of Prince Edward Island. Manitoba also had the second-highest consumer price index in Canada in June.

On Tuesday, Premier Heather Stefanson was asked about her earlier promise to provide inflation relief. Three weeks ago, the premier said her government would “have some interesting things coming forward” in response to record inflation.

City police boost effort to trace ‘crime guns’

Winnipeg police are increasing their capacity to trace illegal, unmarked firearms that are often trafficked into Canada from the United States and end up being seized on the streets of Winnipeg.

Insp. Elton Hall said the police service will purchase a ductless chemical work station for technicians to restore obliterated serial numbers on seized weapons. The province provided $17,000 through the criminal property forfeiture fund to purchase the station and to support training for technicians.

“Any firearm with its serial number obliterated is a crime gun and is a trademark of a smuggled or trafficked firearm used for criminal purpose,” Hall said at a news conference Tuesday morning.

Winnipeg police have seized 455 “crime guns” so far this year and have been able to successfully lift 79 numbers from those weapons. Last year, 859 guns were seized and 89 serial numbers were restored by the firearms investigative analysis section.

No new COVID wave ‘at this point’: Roussin

Manitoba is not in a new, summer wave of COVID-19 infections, despite a reported increase in viral activity and hospitalizations, its chief provincial public health officer says.

“Up to now, we haven’t seen a dramatic increase in cases throughout this summer,” Dr. Brent Roussin said Thursday, after providing an update on the province’s monkeypox immunization campaign.

“We’re now seeing some increase, so we’ll have to follow that trend.”

AMC cuts ties with suspended grand chief Dumas

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs voted Friday to strip suspended grand chief Arlen Dumas of his title.

At a special general assembly at Assiniboia Downs in west Winnipeg, delegates for 62 member First Nations affirmed they had lost confidence in Dumas, who was re-elected to lead the political advocacy organization last summer but has since faced accusations of sexual assault and harassment.

“The vote was successful. Arlen Dumas is no longer the grand chief of AMC. We are going to be moving forward,” acting grand chief Cornell McLean told reporters at the conclusion of the meeting. The vote was 30-13 in favour of removal, with one blank ballot cast.

McLean apologized on behalf of the AMC to those who brought forward complaints against Dumas for alleged wrongdoing, including Bethany Maytwayashing and Shauna Fontaine.

Province, Norway House Cree Nation sign historic timber deal

NORWAY HOUSE CREE NATION — The scent of freshly cut white spruce and the buzz of two saws tucked away off a gravel road signal potential for the northern Manitoba community of Norway House Cree Nation, after it inked an historic agreement with the province to share profit from timber harvested on its ­territory.

About 15 minutes north of the sprawling, 9,000-person community on the shore of Little Playgreen Lake, where York Boat Days festivities were underway, Norway House Chief Larson Anderson toured newly minted Natural Resources and Northern Development Minister Greg Nesbitt around a fledgling sawmill Tuesday.

Over the past four years, the band has steadily built up its capacity to produce lumber from timber cut on treaty land, with the ability to process enough raw wood to construct as many as 50 homes for residents each year.

Nesbitt’s stop in the community — his first to a northern Manitoba First Nation since being appointed to the position in June — came after the province and Norway House hammered out a multi-pronged agreement to guarantee the sawmill will provide a long-lasting benefit to the community.

Affirming the right to make a hard choice

It was with both sadness and relief that a young Lisa Naylor learned her birth mother would have chosen abortion had it been an option while she was pregnant with her 56 years ago.

Comfort came with knowing her biological mom — who agreed to put her daughter up for adoption in 1965 after becoming pregnant as a teenager — supported abortion and the reproductive rights movement, a cause fiercely championed by the former Toronto-based Morgentaler abortion clinic volunteer who is an NDP MLA.

The hurt, however, came with knowing her mother never had that choice.

“She didn’t want to be pregnant. She was a child,” the Wolseley MLA said in a recent interview with the Free Press, recalling a formative conversation with her birth mother nearly 30 years ago.

Manitoba Housing to target ‘exceptional circumstances’ buildings: Squires

Families Minister Rochelle Squires says the Tory government is committed to turning a St. Boniface-area Manitoba Housing property into “a safe and affordable place to call home,” after a visit to the rundown, bug-infested residential tower.

On Thursday, Squires spent about 30 minutes speaking with a dozen or so tenants at 101 Marion St. about their nearly year-long fight to get maintenance, cleanliness and safety concerns taken seriously by the Crown corporation managing the primarily 55-plus building.

During her stop at the Winnipeg apartment tower — which included a tour of the main-floor common areas but no resident floors — Squires said there were obvious areas in need of additional care and maintenance but was pleased to see some outstanding repairs had recently been completed. She was also joined by Manitoba Housing acting chief executive officer and the district director.

“I’ve identified with my team in Manitoba Housing some key priorities for the Manitoba government which include some of these buildings that are experiencing exceptional circumstances,” Squires said Friday. “101 Marion is one of those buildings that need enhanced investment.”

Manitoba signs on to push for expanded immigration powers

Manitoba Immigration Minister Jon Reyes has added his name a letter calling on Ottawa to give the provinces more authority over the resettlement of skilled workers amid an unprecedented labour shortage.

“It is time that the federal government respected provinces and allowed them to seize this opportunity, recruit workers and offer them good jobs,” the letter sent Tuesday to federal Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser reads.

Provincial immigration ministers were in Saint John, N.B., this week for their annual forum.

Ontario’s Monte McNaughton, Alberta’s Kaycee Madu, and Saskatchewan’s Jeremy Harrison also co-signed the letter sent ahead of a meeting with Fraser.

Tories seek to ‘accelerate’ use of private agency nurses: NDP

The Progressive Conservative government has been accused of doubling-down on its use of agency nurses, after Shared Health last month surveyed the private health-care firms about their capacity to prop up the public health system.

Opposition Leader Wab Kinew said a recent request for information issued by the provincial health authority is proof the Manitoba government is prioritizing private, for-profit nursing agencies over the public health-care system.

In late June, Shared Health asked nursing agencies to submit a summary of their capacity to support the health-care system and the current services being provided to the regional health authorities.

The provided information would help the health authority as it decides how to move forward with “backup nursing and health-care personnel within acute, long-term, home care, congregate” and other settings, according to the request.

Manitoba unwraps arts, culture, sport support fund

Manitoba community organizations desperate for funding to improve facilities and run arts, culture and sport programs can tap into a new provincial plan intended to spur sectors hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Progressive Conservative government’s new community fund will begin accepting applications from interested groups on Aug. 16, said Premier Heather Stefanson.

The funding was previously announced as part of the 2022 budget, with a total of $100 million to be doled out over the next three years. A total of $34 million will be available for qualified community organizations during the first year.

“Often described as the first to close and the last to open, these sectors were significantly impacted by the pandemic, so this targeted support will provide them with the much-needed assistance as they rebuild and plan for a prosperous future,” Stefanson said during an announcement at Bourkevale Community Centre on Monday.

Inflation relief? Premier says stay tuned

Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson has promised relief from 40-year-high inflation is on the way.

“We need to make sure that we’re in a place where we can make those changes to ensure that Manitobans have the resources that they need to be able to put food on the table for their kids, clothing on their back, and be able to drive them to community centres for their kids’ programs,” Stefanson said following an announcement Monday about arts, culture and sports funding at the Bourkevale Community Centre.

The premier said her Progressive Conservative government will bring forward “interesting things” to assist Manitobans struggling under the weight of gas and grocery bills. She declined to give specifics.

Stefanson said she believes her government has been proactive in tackling affordability challenges by sending out rebates on education property tax and auto insurance, and by indexing both the minimum wage and the provincial basic personal amount to the consumer price index.

First Nation asks court to strike down licence for diversion

A northern Manitoba First Nation has asked the Court of Queen’s Bench to nullify a final operating licence for the Churchill River diversion, arguing Manitoba Hydro and the provincial government failed to consult them.

Tataskweyak Cree Nation and its chief, Doreen Spence, applied for a judicial review of the final licence in March after the provincial government officially signed off on the continued operations of the water control structures in May 2021.

The community, situated 900 kilometres north of Winnipeg on the shores of Split Lake, claims the river system has been devastated by the diversion, which had been operating under an interim licence since 1976, and Manitoba Hydro’s augmented flow program, which was renewed annually since 1986.

The court application claims the fishery at Southern Indian Lake has all but closed due to water choked by sediment and fish contaminated with methyl-mercury; shorelines and habitat on the lower Churchill River and the Rat-Burntwood-Nelson River system have been destroyed; the lake sturgeon population has dwindled owing to manipulated water levels; and TCN remains under a boil water advisory.

Manitoba to unveil vaccine plan for young children

Manitoba’s top doctor is set to reveal the province’s plan to vaccinate children under age five against COVID-19.

Chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin will address Manitobans this week for the first time since May, said Health Minister Audrey Gordon.

“This is an exciting announcement for so many families that have been waiting for Health Canada to approve the vaccine,” Gordon said during an unrelated announcement.

Roussin will speak about the approval process and the rollout of the shots to children aged six months to five years old, Gordon said. Health Canada approved Moderna’s Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine for the younger age group on July 14.

Province launches catalytic converter ID anti-theft campaign

High-visibility paint and an eight-digit number will serve as a warning to potential catalytic converter thieves the valuable part can be traced, as Manitoba scrap metal dealers must now report the purchase of such devices to police or face a hefty fine.

On Monday, the Progressive Conservative government’s Scrap Metal Act and regulations came into force, alongside the launch of a new campaign to etch vehicle identification onto catalytic converters in Winnipeg and Steinbach.

“There hasn’t been a simple solution found in any jurisdiction, but it is important that in Manitoba we do what we can. We try the efforts that can make a difference in our province and reduce those thefts,” Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen said during a joint news conference at Winnipeg Police Service headquarters.

The Scrap Metal Act contains a number of new regulations for the province’s recyclers, intended to cut down on the sale and purchase of illegally obtained precious metals — including those contained in catalytic converters, which are integral to controlling harmful emissions in an automotive internal combustion engine.

Scrap-metal recyclers dubious about province’s anti-theft legislation

Manitoba scrap-metal recyclers will be forced to collect a tonne of new information from customers as legislation intended to curb rampant metal and catalytic converter theft comes into force.

However, the added paperwork for local businesses and new authority given to police under The Scrap Metal Act will do little to deter thefts that are driving up costs for Manitobans, scrap dealers say.

“People who feel the necessity to commit a crime will continue to commit those crimes for whatever needs they need to fill,” Western Scrap Metals manager Al Linder told the Free Press.

Linder has been at the helm of the South Point Douglas scrap yard for 65 years and said staff are careful to reject any materials they suspect were illegally obtained.

Premier picks side in Winnipeg police union, chief dispute

Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson took aim at Winnipeg Police Service Chief Danny Smyth and threw her support behind “front-line officers,” after a recent streak of violent crime was described as nothing new by the city’s top cop.

In an interview late Tuesday afternoon, Stefanson told the Free Press she was “really disappointed” with comments made by the police chief following a series of high-profile incidents, including the stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee at The Forks.

“It sort of seemed to almost normalize these violent activities that are taking place in Winnipeg and I’m very concerned about that,” Stefanson told the Free Press. “Our front-line officers have done such amazing work throughout very, very difficult times and I wanted to send a message: we have their backs.”

During a news conference July 8, the WPS chief suggested such crimes were not unusual in the city. “Nothing that we’re talking about today is new. Nothing. This is a concern to us, but it’s not new to us (police),” Smyth said.

Family seeks more info on care home abuse allegations

Family members of seniors allegedly abused by staff at Oakview Place personal care home want stronger whistleblower protections and are encouraging employees to come forward with information to help vulnerable residents.

“The whistleblowers need to be protected,” said Gail Johnson, whose 91-year-old mother lives at Oakview Place in west Winnipeg. “If it wasn’t for them coming forward, we would never have known what happened — and if someone can’t come forward and tell you something’s going on or something’s wrong, that’s a problem.”

On June 21, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority revealed two health-care aides had allegedly abused 15 residents. A whistleblower alerted local management with Extendicare — the home’s operator — of the issue in February. However, nothing was done and the health authority was not informed of the allegations until approached directly by another whistleblower June 10.

The WRHA has not specified the type of abuse residents allegedly endured.