The Gerrard Report

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    

  In today's Winnipeg Free Press, there is an article I wrote calling for better accountability for politicians with regards to their failure to make big decisions in health care when they should have been made.  For the full article click on this link     In essence, the failures of NDP and PC governments to make critical decisions in health care have resulted in poorer health care quality and have cost Manitobans billions of dollars.  Manitobans need to better recognize the need to hold politicians involved in these decisions, or lack of decisions when needed, and the associated costs accountable. 

  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 ventilati...

 On June 26th, Naomi and I were fortunate to be able to attend the reception by the Canadian Black Artists United at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.  It featured art by Yisa Akinbolaji, Zavier Mutshipayi, Bola Oriyomi and Tuluwalope Toludare. 

  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.  

 On June 19th, I joined many others at the 30th anniversary celebration of the St. Norbert Arts Centre.   For the occasion, the Art gallery was named - The Women of Vision Gallery, in honour of Shirley Loewen.   The new stage was dedicated - the Jerry Atwell Theatre Centre.  The lane leading to SNAC was name - Louise Lane - after long time supporter of SNAC - Louise May.  It was an afternoon of entertainment and celebration. 

 On June 18, I joined others in Assinboine Park involved with the Brain Tumour Walk and the Walk for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).  Photos are below.

  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 o...

 On the morning of June 12, I joined many others in a walk down Wellington Crescent to raise funds for the Children's Rehabilitation Foundation.   

 On June 11th in the afternoon, I joined others to honour Charles Huband on his 90th birthday for the contribution he has made to the Westminster Housing Society which provides access to low income housing for residents in the Broadway neighbourhood and nearby.   As part of the celebration a mural has been erected on Langside Ave to recognize Charles Huband's achievements. 

 During the day on Saturday June 11th, our River Heights team helped with a booth on Academy Road.  A lot of people came by.   The event was a success.  Thank you for all who helped make this a successful day. Some photos are below. 

 On June 11, in the morning, I attended the official launch of the new Physical Activity Centre at Kelvin High School.   Although it was completed previous to this, the official opening had been delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Below, I am with Councillor John Orlikow at the Physical Activity Centre.  We learned that the centre is being well used and is helping students keep fit to be able to participate in sports and other activities.   

  On June 9, Health Minister Audrey Gordon announced that the government would be funding 80% of the cost of replacement processors for those with Cochlear Implants.  Gladys Nielsen and I had worked hard for the last to years for advocate for this.  It was an important announcement for people with Cochlear implants.  When the processor stops working, it is imperative to have a replacement.  Because it is expensive, a number of people with Cochlear Implants would not have been able to afford this without this provincial funding.  

 June 6th to June 9th, Cindy Lamoureux and I were in Ottawa meeting with various Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries and participating in a recognition of Philippine Heritage Month. We thank Agnes Dunne for helping to arrange these meetings. Several photos are below. 

 On June 5, together with many other Liberals, I participated in the Pride Parade in Winnipeg.   Photos to come 

On June 4, Naomi and I were honoured to be able to attend Gaman: Honouring our Survivors Dinner.  This dinner honoured the survivors of the Japanese Canadians in Internment Camps during the Second World War.  The photo above is of the many survivors who attended the dinner.   

On June 4th, I was fortunate to be asked to speak as part of a Community Service of Thanksgiving for her Majesty's Reign.  The occasion was to recognize the 70 years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II - her Platinum Jubilee.  It was held in The Cathedral Church of St. John the Evangelist in Winnipeg.  We learned that this church was one of only two in the world which have a stained glass window featuring the Queen (shown in photo below).  My brief comments on the occasion are below:   We are here today to pay tribute to the longest reigning monarch in British history, and one of the longest reigning monarchs in the world. It is not just the length of her reign, but the quality of her time as monarch.    When measured by both length of time and quality of rule, Elizabeth II stands out and it is for this reason that we are here today on her Platinum Jubilee. I remember June 2, 1953, the day of her coronation.   My brother Chris was born a y...

On May 29 Naomi and I attended the screening of the Documentary "Unusual in Every Way" a film produced and directed by Yolande Papini-Pollock and Don Barnard and shown at the Rady Jewish Community Centre's Winnipeg International Jewish Film Festival.  It documents the difficulties in the life of Don Barnard, an Indigenous man living with a disability and affected by the intergenerational trauma of Indigenous people in Manitoba.  The film highlights the unusual friendship Don Barnard developed with Solly Dreman, an Israeli professor of clinical psychology and his wife Orly, and includes a visit by Don Barnard to Israel. 

  I was privileged to attend the first Black Manitoba Chamber of Commerce dinner on May 27th.  Congratulations to the founder and president Zita Somakoko (top above) and to all those who helped with ensuring the success of this inaugural event. 

 On May 26th, I was fortunate to be able to attend a zoom conference on the future of Airships.   Airships have some major advantages in terms of using less in the way of fossil fuels and in terms of being able to transport large loads efficiently as the slides below show.   The presentations at the Conference were very positive towards airships and demonstrated that in the next few years we can expect to hear a lot  more about the progress using airships.   Thanks are due to Barry Prentice of the University of Manitoba who was the prime organizer of this international conference.  It is to be noted that the first Airships to the Arctic Conference was held in 2002.  I was fortunate to attend that conference as well.   The two photos below, taken from a presentation at the conference, show 1) graphically the advantage in airships for large cargos and 2) a summary of the advantages of airships.