Supporting those living with disabilities

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/11/2021 (1505 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Nearly one in six people in our province live with disabilities, and in honour of supporting inclusion, our government shone a blue and purple spotlight on the Manitoba Legislature to mark National Disability Employment Awareness Month in October.

On Oct. 29, I was thrilled to attend a work-site at the Red River Co-op food store in Riel with an admirable individual during Take Your MLA to Work Day. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to spend time on the job with such an enthusiastic employee and this was a testament to the significant contributions made by Manitobans with disabilities in inclusive workforces throughout Manitoba.

Earlier this month, our government wrapped up the condensed two-week sitting of the third session of the 42nd Legislature. During this short session, we successfully passed Bill 72, the Disability Support Act and amendments to the Manitoba Assistance Act.

This legislation to support the development of a new income support program for individuals living with severe and prolonged disabilities has been one of my personal priorities since moving into the Families portfolio. After the legislation passed, I had the honour of participating in the royal assent ceremony in my capacity as deputy premier to declare this bill as legislation.

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the Manitoba Status of Women Secretariat’s 2021 Empower Women Award ceremony.

This prestigious award was created to recognize significant contributions made by women and girls during this pandemic. There were many nominations collected from across the province, and I am proud to announce that one of these was in our very own constituency of Riel.

Dr. Amanda Malboeuf is a dedicated veterinarian at Winrose Animal Hospital, who took the initiative to extend her clinic hours to keep up with increased demand during this pandemic. She spends many hours outside work taking additional courses to ensure she can provide the highest level of veterinary care, and she donates surgical hours to offer free or low-cost spay and neuter procedures to organizations such as the Winnipeg Humane Society and K9 Advocates.

Dr. Malboeuf often leads Truth and Reconciliation learning opportunities at the animal hospital and is a role model to many veterinarians at the beginning of their careers.

I want to congratulate Dr. Malboeuf on her nomination, and thank her for the work that she is doing in our community.

As always, if you have any questions or you need assistance with any provincial government programs or services, please feel to contact me by email or phone at my constituency office at rochelle@rochellesquires.ca or at 204-615-5241.