The Gerrard Report

April 29, 2018 I hosted a Forum on the Future of Primary and Secondary Education in Manitoba at the River Heights site of the Corydon Community Centre.I introduced the Forum with four quotes which illustrated the need for this Forum and started the discussion.
" We need to prepare kids for their future not our past."  Dr. Richard Maniuszko "Education is one of the defining ways to create a climate for innovation and growth for this city and this province." Lloyd Axworthy "Canada must grow its human capital.  Better education and training are key here." IISD Report "Our educational systems must be retooled to maximize  these needed skills and attributes: strong fundamentals in writing, reading, coding and math; creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration; grit, self-motivation, lifelong learning habits; and entrepreneurship and improvization at every level."  Thomas Friedman

Rebecca Chartrand, Executive Director for Indigenous Str…

On May 2, 2018 Naomi and I hosted a workshop at our home to talk about the pivotal importance of solar power in Africa.With a shortage of energy in many communities in Africa, people continue to cut trees in their area and burn firewood to cook food.This can be replaced with solar power so that trees and forests can grow and sequester carbon, helping the local and the global environment.We explored the situation together with Manitobans who have come from different parts of Africa.
Our leadoff speaker was Mussie Tesfagiorgis, who is on the Academic Staff at the University of Winnipeg.He began by saying that deforestation is a big issue, indeed a paramount issue in Africa with forest resources being drastically depleted.A major cause of the deforestation is the increase in population, the increase in agriculture and the increase in livestock grazing.As the number of people has increased, the livestock population has increased accompanying the deforestation leading to excessive topsoil…

Saturday Sept 1, I joined members of the Igbo community in Winnipeg, to celebrate the colourful New Yam Festival at Kings Drive Park.  The festival was organized by the Umunna (Igbo) Culltural Association of Manitoba. 

May 10th, I released a report on serious concerns about the care of residents at Lions Prairie Manor personal care home in Portage la Prairie.  My blog post is at this link.   Our report, "Treating our Elders with Dignity"(in photo above)  is available by clicking on this link.   I called for improvements to the very distressing situation which was reported.  The provincial government's Protection for Persons in Care Office has today released its report investigating the situation and has confirmed there were indeed serious problems which occurred there.   The provincial government has now put conditions on the facility's license and  closed the home to new residents until the problems are cleared up.  This report and the ensuing actions took far too long.   This is expressed in our press release sent out today, which is below.

Manitoba Liberals Question Delays in Investigation into Portage la Prairie Personal Care Home For Immediate Release
WINNIPEG – Manitoba Liber…

Phee Hudson, the Artist in residence for the Artists' week, is on the left with Naomi on the right.   Phee showed us how to paint the mountains.  Phee painting in the tea tent when the weather was suboptimum for painting outside. When I tried to paint I had some help from a Golden-mantled ground squirrel. Was the squirrel admiring my painting?  After much effort, I completed a tryptic showing the camp, the Hallam Glacier and the mountains on either side of it.   

Our objective August 22 was Mount Cardu seen in the distance above and behind the waterfall.  Iceberg Lake, above the top of the waterfall is in the foreground, with Mount Cardu rising behind. Reaching the bottom of the glacier above Iceberg Lake. Trekking up the glacier on crampons. Nearing the top of the glacier The steep head wall at the top of the glacier Climbing above the glacier and toward the peak Pausing before the final ascent
With Mike and Beatrice Wilhelm and Chucky at the top of Mount Cardu.  The top of Mount Hallam is visible to the left of us. View looking south from the top of Mount Cardu. View looking west from the top of Mount Cardu. On the way down, the view looking back across Iceberg lake to the glacier Getting ready to leave camp the next morning. Group photo taken the following morning.   A big thanks to all who helped make our few days near Mount Hallam such an amazing experience.

Doing the dishes after breakfast. Climbing toward the meadows. A lush alpine meadow. Rocks and water. Many of the rocks have a lot of mica.  Looking toward the glacier we will be on the next day. Dried tree pieces. In the evening the sky turned darker as smoke from forest fires to the north-west blew in our direction.