Breaking the Silence on Domestic Violence

Durdana Islam and her painting Breaking Barriers. She spoke of her work and of the importance of ending domestic violence at the opening of the art show on November 19, 2021. Her art was part of an art exhibition at the Mennonite Heritage Gallery in Winnipeg which runs from November 19, 2021 to January 15, 2022. The timing and the place of this exhibition was particularly relevant because Manitoba has consistently had the highest rate of intimate partner violence in Canada. The rate in Manitoba in 2019 was 896 victims per 100,000 citizens, nearly double the Canadian average of 482 per 100,000. The situation in Manitoba must be better addressed than it has been during many years of NDP and Conservative governments in our province.

Thanks are due to Dr. Zita Somakoko and Isabel Cheer who were involved in initiating this effort, and to the Mennonite Heritage Gallery for hosting this art.

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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.

There is an imperative to have a provincial plan to ensure every child learns to read

Too many Manitoba children with learning disabilities like dyslexia are not being identified and helped early on starting in Kindergarten and grades 1 and 2. The Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that it is the provinces responsibility to ensure that every child learns to read, and even when, in the case of a child with dyslexia intensive intervention is needed. In 12 years Manitoba has failed to produce a provincial plan to address this issue. We are holding a Forum (see below) on this subject. Please come out to the Forum. There is no cost. Everyone is welcome. To learn more about the need to do better helping children, youth and adults with a learning disability click on this link

The Gerrard Report

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