The 2021 Drought in Manitoba

This summer drought ravaged much of Manitoba, and it was felt particularly in the Interlake. On July 21, I had the opportunity to go to the Interlake area and to visit with farmers. I saw the drought conditions first hand, and heard many stories from affected farmers. It was a dire situation which left many farmers with no choice but to sell of part, or sometimes all, of there herds. Together with our caucus team, Dougald Lamont and Cindy Lamoureux we have continued to stay in touch with produced around Manitoba and have advocated on behalf of farmers with federal and provincial ministers of Agriculture. The federal government is providing $500 million to go toward helping drought affected farmers in western Canada. The province has announced part of the specific (federal-provincial cost shared program), but we are still waiting for the announcement of financial support so that farmers can rebuild their herds after having been forced to sell them as much lower prices than they would like. I hope this announcement will come soon. The photos below are from when I was in the Interlake on July 21

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Manitoba Liberal accomplishments

Examples of Manitoba Liberal accomplishments in the last three years Ensured that 2,000 Manitoba fishers were able to earn a living in 2020 (To see the full story click on this link ). Introduced a bill that includes retired teachers on the Pension Investment Board which governs their pension investments. Introduced amendments to ensure school aged children are included in childcare and early childhood education plans moving forward. Called for improvements in the management of the COVID pandemic: · We called for attention to personal care homes even before there was a single case in a personal care home. · We called for a rapid response team to address outbreaks in personal care homes months before the PCs acted. · We called for a science-based approach to preparing schools to improve ventilation and humidity long before the PCs acted. Helped hundreds of individuals with issues during the pandemic including those on social assistance

We need a more precise and detailed provincial plan to address the coronoavirus - Covid-19

With increasing evidence that the coronavirus Covid-19 is spreading globally, it is important that Manitoba have a clear plan to deal with a number of critical issues. Having a clear plan will reduce people's anxiety and allow people to better plan individually. So far the Pallister government either has not fully planned for Covid-19, or it has not released its plan. We put out a press release this morning calling for the release of such a clear plan by the province. Manitoba Liberals: The Time for a Coronavirus Plan is Now WINNIPEG – With new coronavirus cases emerging in South Korea, Italy and elsewhere around the world, Manitoba Liberals say the Manitoba Government needs to show they are ready with a plan to ensure Manitobans stay as safe as possible in the likely case that the virus reaches Manitoba. The virus has been spreading around the world, with 82,000 cases and nearly 3,000 deaths. While it started in China, there have been recent outbreaks in South Kore

The Indigenous Science Conference in Winnipeg June 14-16

June 14 to 16, I spent three days at the Turtle Island Indigenous Science Conference. It was very worthwhile. Speaker after speaker talked of the benefits of using both western or mainstream science and Indigenous science. There is much we can learn from both approaches. With me above is Myrle Ballard, one of the principal organizers of the conference. Myrle Ballard, from Lake St. Martin in Manitoba, worked closely with Roger Dube a professor emeritus at Rochester Institute of Technology, and many others to make this conference, the first of its kind, a success. As Roger Dube, Mohawk and Abenaki, a physicist, commented "My feeling is that the fusion of traditional ecological knowledge and Western science methodology should rapidly lead the researchers to much more holistic solutions to problems." Dr. Myrle Ballard was the first person from her community to get a PhD. She is currently a professor at the University of Manitoba and the Director of Indigenous Science

The Gerrard Report

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