Fort Rouge represented in Manitoba time capsule

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/07/2020 (2128 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

To mark the 150th birthday of the province and the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Manitoba Legislature, the Manitoba Legislative Assembly buried a time capsule to be opened in 100 years.

The following is a section of letter I have addressed to future Manitobans:

“One lesson we have already learned in 2020 is we have a lot of work left to do to achieve those goals. Our NDP caucus was already committed to fixing income inequality, stopping climate change and ending systemic racism — not to mention making Manitoba an awesome place to live where everyone has an increasing standard of well-being — but the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly emphasized the importance of that work.

“We have seen lately some of the most important people to our survival — those who provided our food, cared for our elders and children, and who continued going out to work during the COVID-19 lockdown — were often the lowest-paid among all workers. We need to fix that and tackle the broader challenge of income inequality which sees some accumulate extraordinary wealth while others live in tents, including right here in Manitoba.

“The insidious nature of COVID-19 targeting those who live with underlying health conditions has underlined the importance of not just universal health care but also an increased focus on primary, secondary and tertiary health care prevention, including access to water, healthy food and exercise.

“During this same period global greenhouse gas emissions sank as almost all of us sheltered in place. Hopefully this helped to dispel any remaining climate change deniers. It also is a reminder we need to flatten the emissions curve the same way we tried to flatten the epidemic curve.

“Our province must also conquer the systemic racism that exists here for many reasons, to uphold the proposition that all humans are created equal for one, but perhaps most simply because we are all worse off when we live in a society where not all children reach their full potential.

“Alas I can only do my part to make this a better place and ask that you do the same. I hope you remember to only take the good things we hand down to you and you leave our mistakes here with us in the past. Be well my relatives.”

As your Fort Rouge MLA, I am honoured to have had the opportunity to speak to your future children and grandchildren about our great province.

As always, feel free to contact my office at 204-615-1922 or email me at wab.kinew@yourmanitoba.ca