News briefs for January 12, 2021

The Winnipeg Humane Society has hired Jessica Miller as chief executive officer.

Miller has served on the board of directors since 2018 and is a past humane society employee.

"An inspirational leader, Miller brings key strengths in planning, providing strategic direction, leveraging partnerships, and mentoring teams to the WHS," the society said in a release. 

Miller is well respected in the animal advocacy world, it added.

“The WHS has a talented team, hundreds of devoted volunteers, a dedicated board of directors, and many external partners — together we will speak for those who cannot speak for themselves, we will protect all animals, and promote their welfare and dignity. I am excited for our future,” Miller said in a release.

Alyssa Porco is the latest recruit to join to the University of Winnipeg women’s basketball team.

Porco, a 6-foot Grade 12 forward from River East Collegiate, is the first member of the head coach Tanya McKay’s 2021 recruiting class.

The City of Winnipeg will study the idea of allowing skating on some retention ponds, which could involve new safety precautions like measuring ice thickness.

On Tuesday, council’s water and waste committee directed the public service to figure out if measuring ice, or taking other precautions, on a few of the frozen ponds could ensure they are safe enough for winter recreation. The decision to study the ponds comes after various city warnings telling Winnipeggers to stay off retention ponds, as ice conditions can change quickly.

The public service will also study whether rivers and creeks can receive similar monitoring and use.

The results of the effort won’t be known this winter, however, since the report isn’t expected to be completed until May.

The city will consider ways to allow Winnipeggers to switch to monthly water and sewer bills.

On Tuesday, council’s water and waste committee approved a call to let residents choose to be charged on a monthly basis, instead of the current quarterly one.

Coun. Kevin Klein (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood) called for the change, arguing it would help Winnipeggers coping with financial pandemic losses, as well as those living on fixed or low incomes, especially if the city can offer an equal monthly payment plan based on usage history.

A report on how that might be done will return in about three months.

Five days after the first COVID-19 vaccine doses arrived in First Nations communities in Manitoba, leaders say they are trying to combat residents’ fears about taking a new vaccine.

At a news conference organized by Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Tuesday, chiefs from Norway House, Cross Lake and York Factory reported a small proportion of eligible elders refused the vaccine since the first shipments of 5,300 doses arrived last week. Some elders have expressed the belief that First Nations people are being used to test the vaccine.

Chiefs spoke about wanting to dispel that myth and explain that First Nations communities were among the first offered the vaccine because of the virus’s disproportionate impact in places that have overcrowded housing and lack health care infrastructure.

On Monday, public health officials said 61 percent of Manitoba’s COVID-19 cases are among Indigenous people.

Provincial health officials announced 92 new cases of COVID-19 and 8 more deaths in Manitoba Tuesday.

There are 3,100 active cases in Manitoba, with 302 people in hospital, 35 of them in intensive care.
The five-day test positivity rate is 10.1 in Manitoba, and 8.4 in Winnipeg.

The new deaths include:
· a woman in her 80s from the Interlake-Eastern health region  
· a man in his 50s from the Northern health region
· a woman in her 70s from Prairie Mountain Health and linked to the outbreak at the McCreary/Alonsa Health Centre  
· a man in his 70s from the Winnipeg health region and linked to the outbreak at Southeast Personal Care Home
· a man in his 70s from the Winnipeg health region  
· a man in his 80s from the Winnipeg health region  
· a woman in her 90s from the Winnipeg health region and linked to the outbreak at The Convalescent Home of Winnipeg  
· a woman in her 90s from the Winnipeg health region and linked to the outbreak at the Bethania Mennonite Personal Care Home

Of the new cases announced Tuesday, 44 are in the Winnipeg health region, 8 in Southern Health; 9 in Interlake–Eastern; 22 in Prairie Mountain; and 9 in Northern Health.

The provincial government has handed out 48 more tickets and issued 249 warnings for violations of COVID-19 public health restrictions.

The province says 33 of the tickets were for $1,296 and they were given to individuals, including 22 who violated gathering restrictions by hosting too many people from outside their households.

Eight of the tickets were given to people who didn’t wear a mask indoors in a public place, while six businesses were dinged with $5,000 fines.

The province’s tip line for enforcement of COVID-19 violations is 204-945-3744, 1-866-626-4862, and there is an online form.

The Winnipeg Jets depth chart took a bit hit Tuesday morning as a pair of players were scooped up on waivers by other NHL teams.

Defenceman Luca Sbisa was claimed by Nashville, while goaltender Eric Comrie is joining the New Jersey Devils.

Both were likely destined for Winnipeg’s NHL taxi squad as insurance against injury. Comrie most certainly would have been the third-string goalie in the organization, while Sbisa slotted in as the 7th or 8th defenceman.

Now other players, such as goaltender Mikhail Berdin and young blue-liners like Ville Heinola and Dylan Samberg, may get opportunities that wouldn’t have otherwise been readily available.

Three other players put on waivers Monday cleared, including veteran forward Mathieu Perreault, centre C.J. Suess and defenceman Nelson Nogier.

Winnipeg has until 4 p.m. today to get down to a maximum 23-player roster and four-to-six player taxi squad. 

The Jets open the 2021 season on Thursday night, hosting the Calgary Flames at Bell MTS Place.

The Winnipeg Foundation announced it distributed $73 million to over 1,000 charities in 2020 at the opening of the Centennial River Trail at The Forks Tuesday morning.

"Because of the generosity of citizens, The Winnipeg Foundation has been bringing foresight and impact to its work during its first 100 years," Doneta Brotchie, Winnipeg Foundation Board Chair, said in a press release.

The organization will be celebrating its centennial in 2021. A commemorative edition of The Winnipeg Foundation’s magazine is now available, and activities will be scheduled through the year dependent on the pandemic.

The foundation is beginning 2021 with a $100,000 grant to Clan Mothers Turtle Lodge’s Healing Village, which provides programming for Indigenous women.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government has reached a deal with Pfizer to buy an extra 20 million doses of the vaccine it produced with its German partner BioNTech.

He says that means Canada will receive 80 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines this year.

He also says that between now and sometime between April and June, Canada will have enough doses to vaccinate up to 20 million people against the deadly coronavirus.

Trudeau is also announcing the Canada-U. S. land border will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least Feb. 21 — another 30-day extension to the restrictions in place since mid-March.

— The Canadian Press

Winnipeg police officers helped residents of a North End multi-family home get out safely after a fire broke out early Tuesday.

Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said passing police officers spotted heavy flames and smoke pouring out of a three-storey house in the 300 block of Mountain Avenue at about 1:23 a.m.

The officers were able to help get residents out of the burning house before fire crews arrived.

Paramedics determined no one needed to go to hospital to be treated.

Winnipeg Transit buses were used to help shelter the residents and the city’s emergency social services will help the residents find temporary housing.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers has agreed to terms with four members of its 2020 Canadian Football League Draft class in defensive back Noah Hallett, kicker Marc Liegghio, defensive lineman Nick Dheilly and linebacker Tanner Cadwallader.

Hallet, a McMaster product, highlights the group as he was the Bombers’ first choice in the draft with the 18th overall pick. Hallett spent three seasons at McMaster, playing in 23 games and recording 68.5 total tackles, four tackles for loss, 15 pass breakups, seven interceptions, three sacks and one forced fumble. 

Winnipeg MP Jim Carr is back in the Trudeau cabinet more than a year after he announced he was fighting cancer.

According to media reports, Carr, the Liberal MP for Winnipeg South Centre, is back in cabinet after a shuffle of the cabinet announced on Tuesday.

Carr was the government’s Minister of Natural Resources before his cancer diagnosis after the 2019 federal election.

Carr has been serving as the Prime Minister’s special representative to the Prairies since then.

Premier Brian Pallister will be providing an update on the support the province has for businesses during the pandemic.

Pallister is scheduled to speak at 11 a.m.

Last week the province announced a second round of financial support for businesses.

The province has said it has paid out more than $180 million since last summer to several business support programs.