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The Supreme Court of Canada decided this morning that the federal carbon tax is constitutional.

The split decision upholds a key aspect of the Liberal's plan that works towards reducing emissions in Canada.

A written ruling from Chief Justice Richard Wagner states climate change is real and is an existential threat to Canada and the entire world.

Several Conservative premiers have advocated against the carbon tax over concerns the plan would unfairly impact their provincial economies.

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Contributed by 730 CKDM

Published: Mar 25, 2021 - 8:37 am

(This story has been updated to clarify that there have been two separate confirmed cases reported at the school this week)

Public Health issued another advisory on Wednesday regarding another confirmed case of COVID-19 at Winnipegosis Collegiate.

The letter sent to the school community states a 2nd confirmed case of COVID-19 attended the school on March 22 in Grade 9, 11 and 12 classrooms when they may have been infectious.

The school was closed on Tuesday, March 23 and reopened the following day after a member of the school community at Winnipegosis Collegiate informed the school they tested positive for COVID-19.

Earlier this week, public health officials said the initial case was at the school on March 16th and 17th in the Grade 9 classroom and on Mr. Richard's bus when they may have been contagious.

Public Health says the school is working closely with health officials and is following their recommendations.  

It's recommended parents take their children for testing if any cold or flu-like symptoms develop.

To view the updated press release from Public Health, click here.

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Contributed by 730 CKDM

Published: Mar 24, 2021 - 7:00 pm

Officials with Manitoba’s vaccine task force provided an update on how the immunization campaign is progressing.

Co-lead of the province's vaccine task force, Johanu Botha, confirmed some Manitobans have been experiencing issues trying to book appointments this week at some vaccination supersites, including the site at Brandon’s Keystone Centre.

Botha says the province has been opening up more appointments each day, which are being “swallowed up pretty fast, for now.”

Going forward, he says Manitobans can expect to see the vaccination sites to get into a “groove” where appointments will almost always be available at the supersites.

Appointments for super sites or pop-ups can be made by calling (toll-free) 1-844-626-8222 (1-844-MAN-VACC). Supersite appointments can also be made online.

The eligibility criteria for the general public will remain the same for the time being — individuals 65 years of age or older, and First Nations people 45 and older.

Earlier this week the province announced more COVID vaccine pop-up clinics — with plans to announce more pop-ups in the future. Click here to see the latest schedule from the province.

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Contributed by 730 CKDM

Published: Mar 24, 2021 - 2:59 pm

On Wednesday health officials in Manitoba announced 81 new cases of COVID-19, and no addition deaths.

The current five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 4.6 per cent provincially and 3.8 per cent in Winnipeg. The total number of lab-confirmed cases in Manitoba to 33,591.

There are 1,261 active cases and 31,401 individuals who have recovered from COVID-19.

There are 58 people in hospital with active COVID-19 and 80 people in hospital with COVID-19 who are no longer infectious but continue to require care, for a total of 138 hospitalizations.

There are 14 people in intensive care units with active COVID-19 and 13 people with COVID-19 who are no longer infectious but continue to require critical care, for a total of 27 ICU patients.

There were no new variant cases detected today. The total number of confirmed variant of concern cases of B.1.1.7 is 63 and B.1.351 is 14, bringing the total number of confirmed variant of concern cases to 77.

Today’s new COVID-19 cases are from the following health regions:
• two cases in the Interlake–Eastern health region
• 37 cases in the Northern health region
• four cases in the Prairie Mountain Health region 
• three cases in the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region
• 35 cases in the Winnipeg health region

According to the province’s data, there are active cases of COVID-19 in the following Parkland health districts: Dauphin (0), Duck Mountain (4), Porcupine Mountain (27), Asessippi (4), and Little Saskatchewan (1). Brandon has 2 active cases.

In the Interlake, the Eriksdale/Ashern health district has no active cases of COVID-19. Fisher/Peguis health district has seven active cases.

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Contributed by Trillian Reynoldson

Published: Mar 24, 2021 - 12:51 pm

The head of the Manitoba Teachers’ Society (MTS) says the province’s plan to overhaul the education system fails to address several key areas of concern.

MTS President James Bedford says the organization representing Manitoba’s teachers has been supportive of the education review since it was first announced in January 2019.

Two years later, Bedford says the introduction of Bill 64 — the most extensive restructuring of Manitoba’s education system in decades — has left teachers feeling the most critical issues are not being addressed.

“Our members don’t see things in Bill 64 that improve learning for students in the classroom, it’s as simple as that. Where’s the connection between Bill 64 and students in the classroom? We just don’t see it.”

With a dramatic reduction in the number of school divisions — from 37 down to 15 regional bodies — the MTS president says the much greater role that school divisions play is being lost in the conversation.

Each community is different, says Bedford, adding "the concern that MTS members have with the wholesale elimination of what would appear to be virtually everything to do with school divisions and that governance” will cause difficulties addressing the unique needs of any particular community of schools.

“Teachers are very concerned about the future of education in schools. They don’t see this as a positive thing.”

Childhood Poverty Not Addressed In Bill 64, Says MTS President 

Bedford says one of the most critical factors hindering classroom outcomes in Manitoba is the issue of childhood poverty.

“Children who come from impoverished backgrounds are at a deficit when it comes to the education system. It’s difficult for them to get to school. It’s difficult for them to remain engaged in a single school. They come to school hungry. They don’t have access to the levels of technology that other students have. I could go on.”

The province’s overhaul of the education system outline in Bill 64 does not address the issue of childhood poverty, says Bedford.

“What we really need to do is go back to look at what does the research tell is truly the greatest impediment — and the research points to poverty. You fix poverty and so many other things get fixed with it.” 

Bedford gives the government credit for saying more work needs to be done. "But the way Manitoba’s teachers see it, is you need to address the most critical issues first."

"So if you want to improve classroom outcomes — address poverty. How does Bill 64 address poverty? It doesn’t.”

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Contributed by Matt Hamel

Published: Mar 24, 2021 - 11:55 am

The Meaning of Home writing contest once again inspired young students to create essays and poems for a great cause.

This year there were five area schools participating, with 204 written entries from 13 classrooms — which works out to $2,040 in funding being directed to Habitat for Humanity Dauphin.

Mariann Harvey, secretary of the Dauphin chapter, says the Meaning of Home organization will now review all the submissions to decide the national winners in the coming months.

Last year Gilbert Plains Elementary student Tiana Sanko secured $10,000 for Habitat For Humanity Dauphin as a runner-up in the national round of the contest.

Mariann credited their youth ambassadors — Ava and Kara Paziuk — and their mother Sharon as being instrumental in the success of Meaning of Home this year. 

Any contest winnings will be directed towards Habitat for Humanity’s Dauphin chapter to build homes for low-income families.

The Dauphin & District Chamber of Commerce donated $200 in local Chamber bucks to the local area, randomly selecting $25 chamber bucks to four lucky participating students and four random draws of $25 chamber bucks to those classrooms that participated.

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Contributed by Matt Hamel

Published: Mar 23, 2021 - 4:07 pm

Manitoba Hydro workers went on strike today after contract negotiations with the company were halted.

This comes after the union rejected the company’s latest offer.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2034 announced that 2,300 of its members would begin striking as of 1:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.

The strike is set to last until Thursday morning.

A general strike was planned last week but was called off after the company proposed a final offer.

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Contributed by Tess Kovach

Published: Mar 23, 2021 - 2:56 pm

On Tuesday health officials in Manitoba announced 98 new cases and one death, a woman in her 80s from the Winnipeg Health Region.

The current five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 5.3 per cent provincially and 3.9 per cent in Winnipeg. The total number of lab confirmed cases in Manitoba is 33,511.

There are 1,247 active cases and 31,335 individuals who have recovered from COVID-19.

There are 63 people in hospital with active COVID-19 and 79 people in hospital with COVID-19 who are no longer infectious but continue to require care, for a total of 142 hospitalizations.

There are 11 people in intensive care units with active COVID-19 as well as 14 people with COVID-19 who are no longer infectious but continue to require critical care, for a total of 25 ICU patients.

There were no new variant cases detected today. The total number of confirmed variant of concern cases of B.1.1.7 is 63 and B.1.351 is 14, bringing the total number of confirmed variant of concern cases to 77.

Today’s new COVID-19 cases are from the following health regions:
• three cases in the Interlake–Eastern health region
• 31 cases in the Northern health region
• four cases in the Prairie Mountain Health region
• three cases in the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region  
• 57 cases in the Winnipeg health region.

According to the province’s data, there are active cases of COVID-19 in the following Parkland health districts: Dauphin (0), Duck Mountain (6), Porcupine Mountain (23), Asessippi (4), and Little Saskatchewan (1). Brandon has 3 active cases.

In the Interlake, the Eriksdale/Ashern health district has no active cases of COVID-19. Fisher/Peguis health district has six active cases.

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Contributed by Trillian Reynoldson

Published: Mar 23, 2021 - 1:52 pm

COVID enforcement officials issued 59 warnings and 32 tickets in Manitoba last week.

From March 15^th to March 21^st, a total of $44,888 in fines was issued to Manitoba businesses and individuals.

There were 26 tickets issued to individuals for various offences, four for not wearing a mask in indoor public places and two to Manitoba businesses.

17 of the fines issued to individuals were in relation to private gatherings that went against current health orders.

A total of 3,492 warnings and 1,082 tickets have been issued since April 2020, resulting in more than $1.5 million in fines.

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Contributed by Trillian Reynoldson

Published: Mar 23, 2021 - 12:23 pm

Health officials have announced some minor changes to Manitoba’s public health orders that will take effect this Friday.

Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin noted that there will be no changes to indoor and outdoor gathering sizes at personal residences or in restaurants, due to the risks of prolonged contact.

All of Manitoba will remain under the critical (red) level on the Pandemic Response System.

The province announced the following restrictions will be relaxed as of Friday, March 26^th:

• gathering limits at outdoor public places will be increased to 25 (up from 10 people)
• gathering limits at weddings and funerals will be increased to 25 (up from 10 people)
• maintaining the capacity limits for retail stores at 50 percent, but expanding the in-store limits to a 500-person capacity, whichever is lower, with other public health measures still in effect
• relaxing rules for drive-in events to allow people to leave their vehicles while still observing public health measures

Dr. Brent Roussin says additional changes may be considered after spring break, Passover, and Easter if the province’s case numbers remain low.

For a full list of proposed changes to the health orders, click here.

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Contributed by Tess Kovach

Published: Mar 23, 2021 - 12:23 pm