The Gerrard Report

Ground was broken earlier today for the new Inuit Art Centre at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.  

A very large crowd of teachers assembled at the Manitoba Legislature this afternoon.  They came protesting the cuts the Pallister government have made to the support of children and children's learning.   One of the speeches which resonated with me was from a teacher in Brandon who spoke about the difference it can make to helping a child with a learning disability, a speech delay or an anxiety issue.   Under the Pallister cuts the children as most risk are most affected.   Helping kids who are struggling can make a difference which lasts a lifetime and enables such children to succeed.  We need to stand strong against these Pallister cuts to help children who are doing their best to learn  

Wednesday May 23, I asked in Question Period what the government was doing to prevent triggering another methamphetamine epidemic in the communities which are being evacuated this year.  My question and the Minister's answer is below. Community Evacuations  - Prevention of Meth Epidemic Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Madam Speaker, we are about protecting a community which is in a pretty desperate situation right now.       Large numbers of people have been and are being evacuated from Sapotaweyak, from Little Grand Rapids, from Pelican Rapids and from Kinonjeoshtegon, and potentially from other communities like Pauingassi.       Last year, when people were evacuated, it triggered the meth epidemic which we are still dealing with in these communities because evacuees were preyed upon by drug dealers.       I ask the Minister of Health: What measures are being taken today to prevent meth ...

Yesterday, in Question Period, I asked about the fire plan to protect Little Grand Rapids.  I also asked why the government was not using Fire Boats as part of its plan to protect Little Grand Rapids, a community along the shore of Family Lake.   My question and the Minister's response is below (from Hansard). Use of Fire Boats for Protection Mr. Gerrard: Madam Speaker, I hope the minister will table today the fire plan for Little Grand Rapids so we can understand why there's been a delay in evacuating people, what the plan has been for the community and whether firebreaks were set up to protect the community.       You know, the community of Little Grand Rapids is located on the shore of Family Lake. It would, for example, have been an ideal situation to have dropped a fire boat in to protect homes along the shore. In the last two years, the government has rejected the possibility of using fire boats.       Will...

Tuesday May 22, I had the opportunity to speak in the Manitoba Legislature to recognize Pat Wege for her contributions over many years to promoting child care and early childhood education in our province.  My comments are below.  Mr. Gerrard:  Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate Pat Wege on many, many successful years as the executive director of the Manitoba Child   Care Association. Your contributions and achievements are many. You have been very strong in keeping governments of all stripes to account. You've always been pointing out that Manitoba should be doing more in terms of child care and improving the quality and how important this is to children and families here in Manitoba.       It is good to see that there has been some increase in funding, largely due to the federal government, in the last couple of years. But there is still a long way to go, and even as we continue the journey forward, it is the steps that Pa...

Tuesday May 22, I spoke in the Manitoba Legislature about Multiple Sclerosis on the occasion of the recognition of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month.   My comments are below and can also be seen on video at   this link. Mr. Gerrard:  Madam Speaker, as has been pointed out, Canada has  the highest incidence of multiple sclerosis in the world, and within Canada, Manitoba has among the highest incidence and prevalence rates. It is therefore very important that we, in Manitoba, pay a lot of attention to multiple sclerosis and to those who have this condition. There are an estimated three and a half thousand Manitobans living with MS, and the direct costs of these are considerable, both personally and of course for the provincial government.       Fortunately, there are many hard-working, devoted Canadians and particularly with the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada who are working tirelessly to do better in both preventing and t...

In question period earlier today, I called on the Minister responsible for Emergency Measures to ensure people at Little Grand Rapids who have been unable to be evacuated because of dense smoke can be evacuated quickly because the fire is close by and moving into the community.  The need is urgent.  My question and the Minister's response is below: Wildfire in Little Grand Rapids - Evacuation Difficulties Hon. Jon Gerrard   (River Heights):  Madam Speaker, wildfires are raging across our province right now. One of these, a fire which is twice the size of the city of Winnipeg, is threatening the communities of Little Grand Rapids and Paungassi. Indeed, it is now, as I understand it, very close to and indeed moving into the community of Little Grand Rapids, and I hear from the MLA for Kewatinook that the fire has already destroyed three homes. I understand there is a difficulty in landing planes and that because of very dense smoke, many are still not yet ev...

Earlier this spring Maureen Wood began walking from St. Theresa Point to Winnipeg to draw attention to the meth crisis in her community. Last summer (2017) when more than 6,000 people were evacuated from the Island Lakes area because of forest fires, drug dealers gave free samples of meth to some of the evacuees and so the meth crisis began.   Maureen Wood picked up additional walkers in Garden Hill and Wasagamack and by the time she left the Island Lakes area there were a group of about 40 walkers.  They travelled the winter road, came through Norway House and reached Winnipeg more than 1,000 kilometers later.  In Winnipeg they met with Liberal, NDP and Conservative MLAs and the Health Minister to bring awareness of the meth crisis and to ask for help. Judy Klassen, Liberal MLA for Kewatinook, asked the Health Minister for support in Question Period. But they did not stop there.  They continued their walk all the way to Ottawa, overcoming numerous challenges ...

This morning CBC news reported on positive outcomes achieved by Morberg House.   Three individuals who were at Morberg House were followed up.  Sam Lavallee who was homeless and on the streets has been able to turn his life around.  Austin Saunders was homeless and unable to find help until he moved into Morberg House where he had hope for the first time in his life.  He is now doing much better, has a place of his own and is engaged to be married.  Matt Ford moved into Morberg House in June 2017 and there he found the help he couldn't find anywhere else.  He is now in his own apartment and doing much better. For the full stories click on this link.

Tuesday May 15, Cindy Lamoureux, MLA for Burrows, introduced Bill 229, The Intoxicated Persons Detention Amendment Act.   We have found in conversations with individuals in the community who are dealing with individuals with methamphetamine addiction that police are unable to detain individuals with methamphetamine intoxication, unlike with alcohol intoxication where they clearly can.   The result is that individuals with methamphetamine intoxication are unable to be helped as much as they should be.   Cindy Lamoureux introduced this amendment to make sure that police have the power to detain individuals with methamphetamine intoxication just like they do for alcohol intoxication.   If enacted this would be a step toward being better able to deal with the methamphetamine crisis in Manitoba.  Ms. Cindy  Lamoureux  (Burrows):  I move, seconded by the member for Kewatinook (Ms. Klassen), that Bill 229, The Intoxicated Pe...