The 8th National Mental Health Conference in Winnipeg March 21-23

I was fortunate to be able to attend the recent National Mental Health Conference in Winnipeg.

There were many helpful sessions, including on youth suicide and on crystal meth in Manitoba and its impacts on health and justice. I found the presentation by Delores Daniels, the mother of Serena McKay, to be particularly moving. She spoke eloquently about bullying, gossip and lateral violence using her personal journey and experience as Serena McKay's mother to illustrate the importance of addressing these issues.

Troy Draper shared his own experience with crystal meth and showed that people with meth addiction can recover. For more on his story click on this link - Troy Draper story.

Sharon Blady spoke of her own lived experience, explaining how her own struggles with depression gave her the ability to be more empathetic when she was the Minister of Health for Manitoba. Her experience shows the positive contribution that people who have this lived experience can make - a fact which is reinforced in the stories of leaders like Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill who have had experience with depression who went on to make major contributions.

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Manitoba School Boards have contributed much innovation and advancement of education in Manitoba

On Thursday March 25, in Question Period, I asked the Premier why he is getitng rid of school boards when they have contributed to much to the improvement of education in Manitoba. My question and the Premier's response are below (from Hansard). Manitoba Education System Elimination of Boards and Divisions Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Madam Speaker, Manitoba school boards have been an incredible source of new ideas and innovation. The White Horse Plains school board brought in audio and video links to Hutterite schools. The Seine River School Division piloted Roots of Empathy, to help kids learn empathy, and also Kids at Play: half-day kindergarten, half-day early-childhood education. The Seven Oaks School Division brought in Met schools. And there are many, many more examples. Why is the Premier getting rid of school boards when they've done so well at listening to parents, at ...

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The Gerrard Report

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