Manitoba Liberals give a major boost to retired teachers.

On May 10, I spoke in support of the private members bill initiated by Cindy Lamoureux, the Liberal MLA for Tyndall Park. This bill provides retired teachers representation on the TRAF Board – the board which oversees the pensions of retired teachers. This has long been desired by retired teachers – to give them representation on the board which oversees the money for their retirement. Following the debate on this bill, it passed second reading and will now be going to committee in the fall. My comments are below.

Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Madam Speaker, I will speak just very briefly.

I think this is an important initiative by my colleague from Tyndall Park. It is really, incredibly important that RTAM be represented on the TRAF board. This is, in essence, money which is going to retired teachers; it is their money. Democracy, a major principle is that those who are involved should be able to be represented, and I think it's about time that this happened.

I think the people who are concerned about conflicts of interest and things like that, that the problem here, if any, is that RTAM representatives want, more than anybody else, this fund to perform well. And so, I think all of us want a fund which is sustainable and performs well, and I think that there's no one better to ensure that than people from RTAM who have the wisdom and experience over many years to contribute in this way.

I want to thank the retired teachers who contributed so much during the COVID pandemic, because that was really incredibly important that they were here and helping to save our education system, quite frankly. And they did an incredible job, and for that we thank teachers who retired, who came back and rallied to help students at a difficult time.

So, those are my comments. Thank you. Merci. Miigwech.

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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

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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

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