Before forming government, Wab Kinew and the NDP were vocal critics of healthcare privatization. They rightly argued that public dollars should strengthen Manitoba’s public healthcare system, not increase profits for private corporations. Unfortunately, once in government, they have largely adopted the same privatization policies they once condemned.

The clearest example is Dynacare, the Ontario-based, for-profit company that now dominates blood collection and testing services in Manitoba. Rather than rebuilding public laboratory services, the Kinew government has expanded Dynacare’s role in our healthcare system.

The consequences are significant. Workers performing the same laboratory work earn substantially less at Dynacare than their counterparts in the public system. According to the Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals, Dynacare laboratory staff earn roughly 24 per cent less than public-sector workers doing the same job. At the same time, profits generated from Manitoba’s healthcare system leave the province and flow to corporate shareholders in Ontario rather than being reinvested in Manitoba communities.

Patients have also seen services become less accessible. Many Manitobans remember when blood could be collected at their doctor’s office or neighbourhood clinic. In Fort Garry, residents once had two community blood collection sites. Today, there are none. Patients are increasingly required to travel to centralized “super centres,” often by car, simply to access routine testing.

I am pleased to share some exciting updates about the work our government is doing to make downtown Winnipeg safer, stronger, and more affordable for the folks in Union Station.

This summer, our government is investing $2.2 million to strengthen community-led safety initiatives across downtown Winnipeg. By investing in organizations like the Downtown Community Safety Partnership, Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, West End BIZ, West Broadway BIZ, and Exchange District BIZ, we’re supporting the people who know our constituency best. This funding will help build stronger community partnerships based on public safety, de-escalation, and wellness. Whether you’re living, commuting to work, or visiting a local business, everyone deserves to feel safe in our community.

A safer downtown also helps bring in new businesses and services to Union Station. That’s why I’m excited to see that Red River Co-op grocery store and pharmacy are planned as part of the redevelopment of the former Portage Place mall, with an expected opening in 2029. This is a welcome addition for our community as it brings greater access to fresh food and pharmacy services. For many years, Union Station residents have advocated for a grocery store like this and it’s wonderful to welcome a proudly Canadian community owned grocer.

As more grocery options come to Union Station, I know that affordability matters. Families are feeling the pressure of rising food costs every time they shop. That’s why, beginning on Canada Day (July 1), our government removed the provincial sales tax (PST) from groceries through Bill 53, helping Manitobans save money every time they shop.

It’s a strange time to be a Winnipegger.

For most of my life, the U.S. border — just an hour south of the city — felt like a friendly gateway. We crossed it for cheap gas, weekend shopping, or a Twins game in Minneapolis. The Red River Trails, those old ox cart routes from the 1820s, once connected us to St. Paul for trade and survival. That cross-border history runs deep. But lately, that relationship has felt less like neighbourly exchange and more like a threat.

Since early 2025, the rhetoric from the south has been impossible to ignore. The notion that Canada could be absorbed as a “51st state” isn’t a political hyperbole anymore — it’s a direct challenge to our sovereignty. And in Winnipeg, we feel that pressure viscerally. We’re a prairie city, tied historically and economically to the continent, but we’re also stubbornly, proudly Canadians.

You can see it in the streets. Over the past year, that pride has burst into plain view. At a community centre on Corydon Avenue, people lined up for a Canadian flag giveaway, flags flying off the table within minutes . Everything that’s happening south of the border, it’s very, very concerning … so as Canadians, we have to come together and push back.

As we quickly approach graduation season here in Point Douglas, my heart is filled with immense joy for all of those graduating and their families. I want to extend my heartfelt and warmest congratulations to all of you. Whether you are moving on from early years, completing middle school, or graduating from high school or adult education, you have reached a truly significant milestone. You have worked incredibly hard, and your dedication, character, and unique spirit shine brightly across our entire community. Graduating is a magnificent achievement, and you deserve to be celebrated for every single step of your educational journey.

In our neighbourhood, we also understand that success is built on community support, lifting one another up, and overcoming obstacles together. That is why each year, I am honoured to present the Claudette Osborne-Tyo Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers Award. This special bursary is unique in that it recognizes students at every stage of their academic path, early years, middle years, high school and adult education students who show kindness, help others, and work hard to overcome barriers in their daily lives.

This award carries a very personal connection for me and comes from a place of deep love and remembrance. In 2008, my beautiful sister, Claudette Osborne-Tyo, went missing. Her disappearance changed my life forever and set me on a lifelong path of seeking justice and advocating for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit individuals. Claudette was a loving mother, a caring sister, and someone who always tried to build bridges between people. I created this bursary in her honor to ensure her legacy of love, connection, and strength lives on through our youth.

For our students and our community, this award is just as important. It reminds our young people that they are seen, heard, and deeply appreciated. It lets them know that their efforts to break through systemic barriers and create a more compassionate world do not go unnoticed. By supporting our amazing students from early years all the way through high school, we are actively investing in the bright future leaders of our province.

4 et 11 juin • Jeudis francos Thursdays • Saint-Boniface

4 juin • Concert LGS • CCFM

4 juin • Club de marche • Henteleff Park

4 juin • Café conversation • Kilter brewing

Learn to lawn bowl June 6

Bowls Manitoba will participate in National Bowls Day on Saturday, June 6 with an open house from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the artificial lawn bowling green at Dakota Community Centre (1212 Dakota St.).

There will be equipment and instruction provided to a recommended age group of 10 and up.

Drop in anytime. No advance registration is required.

Feedback sought on Omand’s Creek bridge design

The City of Winnipeg is asking the public to weigh in on designs for a new Omand’s Creek pedestrian bridge.

After an initial input phase, the city is releasing a draft of plans to replace the bridge. The current draft design “raises the bridge to help reduce flooding and rebuilds the pathways to improve safety and accessibility for people of all ages and abilities, while respecting (Omand Park’s) natural setting.”

Residents can review the project boards and complete an online survey open until June 14.