Jon Gerrard

Recognizing River Heights residents

In December 2022 and January 2023, I was honoured to present Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee medals to 10 deserving River Heights residents chosen by a panel from about 30 nominations.

A sombre Yalda celebration

Yalda (also known as Chelle or Chellah) is an Iranian festival, celebrated in Iran and by Persians in other countries, is held on the winter solstice – the day of the longest night of the year. From this day forward the days will get progressively longer. Yalda marks the coming of the light, and, according to the Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies, its origins date back more than 5,000 years.

Acting to reduce hatred

We need to address discrimination, bullying and hatred in all its forms in Manitoba, which is most often directed against people from groups who have been historically targeted — such as those who are Indigenous, Jewish, Muslim (especially those who are Palestinian), Asian, 2SLBGTQ*, or neurodivergent (with ADHD, autism or learning disabilities) or those with mental illness.

Advocating for cochlear implant coverage

Many people owe a debt of gratitude to Gladys Nielsen, who came to me two years ago with her concern that she and many others with cochlear implants need, or will in the near future, replacement processors.

A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device which helps people with inner ear damage who cannot be sufficiently helped with a hearing aid. Cochlear implants use sound processors that fit behind the ear. The processor captures sound signals and sends them to a receiver implanted under the skin behind the ear. The receiver then sends the signals to electrodes implanted in the snail-shaped inner ear, the cochlear.

At some point in the life span of a cochlear implant, the processor for the implant needs to be replaced. This costs more than $10,000, a big and almost-impossible expense for an older person on a fixed income.

Together, Gladys and I set to work to advocate for provincial funding under Medicare for a major portion of the replacement processor’s cost. We began by putting together a petition. In due course, Gladys collected more than 1,000 signatures. Between October 2020 and the budget in April 2022, my colleague Cindy Lamoureux, MLA for Tyndall Park, and I read more than 40 petitions in the Legislature. This effort was complimented by a rally at the legislature in October 2021, by questions in the Manitoba legislature, and then an appearance by Gladys at the finance minister’s pre-budget consultations.

David Barber’s immense contributions

Born in Dauphin in October 1960, my friend Dr. David Barber passed away a few weeks ago and I would like to recognize this important Manitoban, who brought so much to our province, our country, and our world.

As a teen in 1975, David Barber helped to build the Fort Dauphin Museum. He enjoyed fishing at a cabin on Waterhen Lake and canoeing to Fort York and Churchill. While doing so, he developed a love of the Arctic and became one of the foremost Arctic scientists in the world. He initially began his post-secondary education in physical education at the University of Manitoba, but after travelling to the Arctic, changed his path and studied the Arctic and arctic ice at the University of Waterloo.

He would go on to lead some of the largest Arctic research projects in the world, becoming one of Canada’s most influential Arctic researchers. He recognized the extraordinary decrease in the size of the permanent ice in the Arctic and that it was the result of global warming. He also organized and led Arctic expeditions to give us a broader understanding of life in the Arctic, both above and below the ice. He put Canada at the forefront of Arctic research and was known as an ambassador of the Arctic and of science.

He had an innate ability to connect with people who were not scientists. He could take a really complex idea and simplify it so that they would understand. When he returned to Manitoba, he championed changes at the University of Manitoba which brought together a broad range of researchers to study what was and is happening in the Arctic. His ability to write grants and conceive big projects was truly remarkable. Using that skill he helped bring record amounts of about $200 million in grants to the University of Manitoba — the largest amount brought by any researcher in the physical sciences.

More action needed on International Women’s Day

As I write this article, it is International Women’s Day, and I have just returned from a breakfast marking this special day with a sombre reminder of the challenges women face in many places in the world.

The breakfast speakers focused on women’s stories from the front lines in Afghanistan. Sadly, the stories told were of the opportunities and rights being taken away from women. Under the Taliban, most girls are no longer allowed to go to school. Under the Taliban, women — even those who are highly educated with post-secondary education degrees, including doctors, lawyers, judges, and midwives — are not allowed to work. Too often women, particularly those from minority groups including Tajik, Uzbek, Hazara, Shia Muslim or Christian backgrounds, are being persecuted. It is a sad and very tragic change from the situation less than a year ago, when much greater freedom and opportunities were available to women in Afghanistan

The event was emceed by Victoria Romero, Sheva Schwartz and Anita Neville and the speakers included Kobra Arianta, originally from Afghanistan. She has relatives who remain in Afghanistan and want to come to live in Winnipeg to escape the incredibly difficult and dangerous conditions there. We also heard from Ariana Yaftali, a leader in the Afghan community in our province. She has been working closely with Hospitality House in helping to greet new refugees from Afghanistan and to help them in their transition to life here. Karen Gordon, of Hospitality House, spoke of the work she and her organization do daily to help refugees.

Lloyd Axworthy also spoke of the global situation. There are rapidly growing numbers of refugees, not only from Afghanistan, but many more recently from Ukraine. The infrastructure for helping refugees is based on what has been developed over many years but is now out of date. The global effort to help refugees needs to be improved and to be better supported financially. As one example, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees only has about one-third of the budget needed to provide services to those seeking refugee status. Because of this, the work of registering new refugees is significantly delayed. In his role as chair of the World Refugee and Migration Council, and co-chair of the new Manitoba Advisory Council on Immigration he is leading the way in calling for changes and improvements.

Promoting excellence in health care

To have an excellent health-care system, areas of excellence and those who are doing the really good work need to be supported, while gaps or shortfalls in the system need to be identified and addressed. 

One of the best ways to identify areas of excellence within our health care system is to look at awards given to doctors by their peers.  On Nov. 20, I attended a dinner where Doctors Manitoba presented these awards. The recipients have all been involved with inspiring work. They are from all over Manitoba, including at least two from River Heights. They include:

• Dr. Murray Kesselman worked for many years as section head of the pediatric intensive care unit and provided, as well, emergency care for children. He has also worked in northern/remote pediatrics and has travelled around the world as part of Operation Smile to help children born with cleft lips and/or cleft palates.

• Dr. Maryanne Crockett, a pediatric infectious disease specialist, is the director of research and knowledge translation at the Institute for Global Public Health at the University of Manitoba. She has developed transcontinental healthcare initiatives in various countries including Albania, Kosovo, Mozambique, India and Pakistan.

Afghanistan is affecting us

We have all been very surprised by the rapidity with which the Taliban took over Afghanistan - even before the United States was fully withdrawn from the country.

The recent rally for Afghanistan on the steps of the Manitoba Legislature drew many. From those who were there, I learned of the raw fear that the Taliban will limit the opportunities for and the potential of women.

I learned of the awakening that has happened in Afghanistan during the last 20 years - and about the generation of people who grew up in a more liberated world.

Since the rally, I have been surprised bythe number of people whose families came from Afghanistan who have come to my River Heights constituency office to ask for help. While I am a provincial politician, when I have people coming to my office, I do my best to help, even if it is more of a federal issue.

The many problems of the new education bill

Central to the changes being made by the current provincial government is Bill 64, which will eliminate school boards.

The bill will create 794 community school councils which, like mini school boards, will provide oversight of what is happening, including staffing, at each of the public schools in Manitoba.

At the same time, superintendents in school divisions will be replaced by 15 directors, with each responsible for schools within a region of Manitoba. The directors will be appointed by the government and will be responsible to a Provincial Education Authority.

The elimination of school boards appears to be based, in part, on a misunderstanding of their role.  

Thanks to those who helped us through

On March 9, almost a year after the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Manitoba, I put forward a resolution in the Manitoba Legislature expressing thanks and gratitude to all those who have carried us through the COVID-19 pandemic. 

It passed unanimously with all-party support. Below are excerpts from my speech.

  “It is time to say thanks to all who have helped in our efforts to survive and to do well–as well as we can - during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 “Many of those we thank are unsung heroes, people who, for example, kept our food supply moving so that we were not short of food. This includes everyone from farmers to those involved in food processing, to truckers who deliver the food to stores and to those who work in retail outlets.

Help the homeless ‘all the way home’

We need to do better. 

On Feb. 7, we Manitoba Liberals released our Phase 2 report on homelessness in Winnipeg. For me, it has been a three-month journey to understand the reasons for so much homelessness in Manitoba.

Nancy Chippendale, an activist concerned about the needs of those experiencing homelessness, approached me last fall to say that we needed to look into the situation. 

We did the planning in October. In November, December and January, we talked to many people who are trying to help those who are homeless. We also spoke with individuals with lived experience of being homeless. I learned a lot and the result is the report titled All the Way Home: Ending 40+ years of forced homelessness in Winnipeg.

Addressing homelessness in Manitoba is critical

Homelessness exists everywhere in our province. In River Heights, we have seen camps of homeless people near the walking bridge in west River Heights and near the former rehabilitation centre in east River Heights.

This spring, when the COVID-19 pandemic was in its early stages I called for special attention for people who are homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with a recent rise in COVID-19 infections, the resulting lockdown and imminent cold winter, this concern is at the forefront.

There has, in the last year, been a noticeable increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness, as made evident by the three major shelters being at or near capacity. We’ve also seen an increased number of camps of people who are homeless in various parts of Winnipeg. Transit drivers have observed an increased number of people spending the night in city bus shelters.

Other jurisdictions have found effective solutions to address homelessness. Medicine Hat is known for its ability to find a rental unit quickly for every person who becomes homeless. The U.K. and New York City are among a number of jurisdictions which have funded the cost of hotel rooms for those who are homeless in an effort to slow the spread of the pandemic.

Fasting for children in care

From noon on Thurs. Oct. 22 to noon on Fri., Oct. 23, my wife Naomi and I were fasting in a tipi in front of the Manitoba Legislature.

Our fast was part of an effort by the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and the Office of the First Nations Family Advocate to draw attention to the impact of the provincial government taking money from children in the care of Manitoba’s Child and Family Services.  

The money in question is the universal child benefit which is provided by the federal government to every family with a child or children in our province. 

In the 1990s and early 2000s, these monies for children who had been removed from their families and put into the care of Child and Family Services, instead of being provided directly to the families, were provided to the agency responsible for the children and were to be used to directly benefit the children.