Province plans to reopen legislative building doors to public soon

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This article was published 10/03/2022 (1316 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After more than two years of being closed to the public, there are signs that Manitoba’s seat of democracy will be opening its doors again.

Government Services Minister Reg Helwer said this week that reopening plans for the legislative building are underway.

“We’re working with the clerk and with staff to determine how that will occur,” he told reporters in a scrum.

On Sunday, it will be two years since the clerk of the legislative assembly announced that the building’s public galleries and indoor tours would be shut down until further notice to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The “proactive and precautionary measures” were announced when Manitoba had confirmed just four cases of the novel coronavirus. As of this week, more than 132,000 cases had been reported.

During the building’s closure there have been some security concerns on the grounds, including an incident last summer involving a motorist who drove up the front steps, prompting the installation of concrete bollards at the entrances.

Vehicle access to the grounds has been restricted to people with business at the legislature, and a metal detector was installed inside the the main entrance.

Prior to the occupation by anti-vaccine-mandate protesters with trucks, semi-trailers and farm tractors that began Feb. 4, concrete barriers were put in place at the Broadway entrance to prevent protester vehicles and big rigs from accessing the driveway leading to the building. The barriers remain even though the so-called “freedom convoy” left more than two weeks ago.

“Obviously we have some barriers in place that we have to remove,” said Helwer, who wouldn’t provide a date for that will occur.

“We have those ongoing discussions with the clerk and with protectivee services and when we get to the point that we can either announce or just open the building, that will be done.”

Meanwhile, there’s been speculation that the public gallery may reopen after MLAs return from March break April 4. Delaying the reopening of the people’s house is a “double standard,” Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont said.

“The PCs are telling everybody ‘Open up and do whatever you want but don’t come into the legislature’,” Lamont told reporters Thursday.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca