A tribute to Agriculture in Manitoba

Tuesday March 19 I spoke in the Manitoba Legislature in support of our farmers and others involved in agriculture and food production, distribution and retail in Manitoba on Agricultural Awareness Day.

Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Madam Speaker, agriculture is at the core of who we are as Manitobans.

All of us have to eat. All of us benefit from the nutritious food produced by farmers. Many of us benefit from the jobs and opportunities which result from us having a strong agricultural industry, a strong food-processing industry and a strong retail and restaurant sector.

Agricultural Awareness Day is a day to pay attention to agriculture. I thank our presenters today–Robyn, Steven and Curtis–who gave us an update on the importance of protein in the food produced on our farms and of new developments in the canola and poultry industries.

Agricultural Awareness Day is an opportunity to connect with individuals in agriculture from all over our province.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the budding chefs from Assiniboine Community College–Klarisa Baer and Beth Butterfield–and the budding chefs from Red River College–Peter Matkowski and Anna Borys. Your creative delicacies were amazing.

I had a good discussion with farmers on the canola market given recent developments in relation to China. I gather canola prices have firmed up and the farmers I talked with are optimistic. I had a good discussion with farmers about the carbon tax, which exempts purple gas. I understand that farmers will be looking through the federal budget today to see if any of their other issues are addressed.

Thank you to all the farmers and all those in varied other parts of the agricultural industry who are here today, your contributions to our province and to the health of Manitobans is significant.

Thank you, merci, miigwech.

Comments

Comparison between Manitoba and South Dakota shows dramatic impact of Physical Distancing

Manitoba implemented physical distancing measures in mid-March. South Dakota has still not made physical distancing mandatory. The result is a dramatic difference in the incidence of covid-19 viral infections between the two jurisdictions. This graph shows the number of people with Covid-19 infections from March 27 to April 14. Manitoba ( red line ) started leveling off about April 4 and has seen only a small increase in Covid-19 infections since then. South Dakota ( blue line ) has seen a dramatic increase in Covid-19 infections since April 4. Those who are skeptical of the impact of physical distancing in Manitoba should look at this graph! Data are from the Johns Hopkins daily tabulations

Pushing for safe consumption sites and safe supply to reduce overdose deaths

On Monday June 20th, Thomas Linner of the Manitoba Health Coalition, Arlene Last-Kolb Regional Director of Moms Stop the Harm and Winnipeg City Councillor Sherri Rollins were at the Manitoba Legislature to advocate for better measures to reduce deaths from drug overdoses, most particularly for safe consumption sites and for a safe supply, measures which can reduce overdose deaths.

Being able to participate matters - Let’s build a more inclusive, accessible Manitoba

Too often, our homes, buildings, and outdoor spaces are designed without sufficient consideration given to how they will impact little people, those with large bodies, or those with disabilities. Manitoba should become a leader in designing and building new structures so they’re comfortable and accessible to all. Further, the province needs to do more to adapt our existing infrastructure, so that it meets everyone’s needs. The design of our built environment makes daily living a challenge for too many. A friend, who uses a wheelchair, must call ahead wherever she goes to ensure she can enter a restaurant, store, salon, etc. A young person in River Heights has a struggle each fall to make sure that with his cerebral palsy he is able to get the support he needs to do well in school. A large-bodied man I know has been bedridden for five months because he lacks access to a usable lift or wheelchair. Samantha Trubyk, President of the Little People ...

The Gerrard Report

Search This Blog