What does it truly mean to welcome someone to Canada? Is saying that newcomers belong here enough, or should we also ensure they have a fair opportunity to create a stable life? In Winnipeg, welcoming immigrants and refugees should involve more than simply opening the door. It should also involve helping people get settled after they arrive.

Immigrants and refugees come to Canada for various reasons and with different goals. Some arrive to study or work, while others escape difficult or dangerous circumstances to find safety. Their experiences are different from one another. Still, many newcomers may encounter barriers as they look for housing, find meaningful work, learn about available services and form relationships in a new community. These difficulties can affect individuals as well as families trying to settle in and feel a sense of belonging.

Imagine arriving in a city where almost everything is unfamiliar. You might need to learn how services operate, understand new systems, look for housing and find a job. Even with skills, education, and a strong wish to contribute, building a new life can be challenging. Being told that you are welcome does not automatically provide the opportunities necessary to succeed. A kind welcome is important, but practical support makes it possible for people to experience that welcome in their daily lives.

For this reason, the Manitoba and federal governments should co-operate more closely with community organizations so that newcomer support is easier to access and better connected. People should not have to struggle to figure out where to get help or feel responsible for solving every problem alone. Help with housing, employment, language learning and using services should be connected instead of working as separate parts of a puzzle.

Privacy risks of health information

Manitobans deserve answers about how their personal health information is collected, accessed and protected. Three everyday practices warrant public scrutiny: repeatedly requesting birth dates at pharmacies; exposing historical medical records to reception staff; and requiring callers to disclose personal details to Health Links.

A Manitoba health card proves health coverage. Why must patients repeatedly disclose their birth dates to collect prescriptions? What assumptions or biases might arise from a person’s age or outdated medical history? Being classified as “authorized personnel” does not eliminate the risk of unnecessary scrutiny.

I have personally experienced the distress of a doctor’s receptionist drawing attention to a decades-old medical entry by asking, “Is this you?” A last name which had apparently been removed legally was visible again. Patients should not have to explain or relive painful chapters of their past simply because historical information appears on a screen.

BRANDON — Asessippi Ski Area and Resort remains optimistic about the coming ski season, but is depending on disaster financial assistance to repair roughly $2.2 million in flood damage, a spokesperson said.

The ski resort plans to replace several pieces of equipment, including motors for destroyed lift shacks that power the Porcupine and Bear chairlifts, compressors and a pumphouse for snowmaking, and a damaged transformer, assistant manager Shannon Johnston said.

Some of the work will only take place this year if provincial funding is provided for relief from flood damage in June and July, she said.

“There is some stuff we are paying for, but we don’t have $2.2 million extra laying around for all of this. So yeah, we do need the help,” Johnston said. “We are looking at over $2 million in cost for replacement of these things.”