Mourning the 215 children who didn't come home

The recent discovery of the bodies of 215 children near the Indian Residential School at Kamloops, British Columbia has emphasized the tragedy of children who attended the residential schools. Even as we mourn the loss of these children, we must dedicate ourselves to a better understanding of what happened and to the process of reconciliation. On Wednesday June 2, I joined many others in front of the Legislature to spend time trying to better comprehend what happened in Kamloops, and what happened at many other residential schools across Canada. My comments in the Legislature on June 1 are at this link.

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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 ...

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

Debating the importance of the french language, education in french and french services in Manitoba

Thursday, May 17, we had a debate on a resolution on french language education and french language services in the Manitoba. The debate arose because the Pallister government has made major cutbacks in french language education. In part these cuts have reduced the status and funding for le Bureau de l'éducation française which is the division of the Department of Education which deals with education in french. Several items are notable: The Pallister Conservatives block a motion to have the normal full hour of debate. Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): I have a question. Before I ask it, this is a pretty important subject and I'd like to have leave to make sure that we have a full hour of debate, and so the debate would go 'til about 12:15. Mr. Deputy Speaker: Has there been leave to go to 12:15? An Honourable Member: Agreed. An Honourable Member: No. Mr. Deputy Speaker: N...

The Gerrard Report

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