Premier Pallister – MASTER OF NONE

Does Manitoba have a Plan to end the Health Emergency?

The short answer to my query posed above, is no.

It appears that the Manitoba Government is continuing to knee-jerk react when it comes to dealing with this pesky virus. A little bump in numbers of cases over the last few weeks has the population clamouring for lockdowns, quarantines, and border closures. It appears that despite the miniscule numbers of hospitalizations, ICU beds used, and deaths (seven, one, & thirteen), the goal now seems to be total eradication of the virus with zero cases no matter the severity.

So, despite the massive intrusion of government upon the lives of Manitobans, the incredible hardship being borne by businesses and individuals, and the incredible cost being incurred, the media has decided to act as cheerleaders for the draconian crackdowns. Zero effort is being made to question the Government’s decisions.

To be fair, I would say our leadership is being asked to make unprecedented decisions which may ultimately be the correct course of action. But in the absence of media asking the hard questions and demanding answers, the public is left uninformed and divided with all the opinions and contradictary information flying around.

I would like to point out that a few voices in the media wilderness are piping up and imploring the Government to figure out an exit strategy. Ken Waddell, who runs the Neepawa Banner, put out an excellent editorial today which I encourage you to read. It’s worth noting that Ken owns the paper, so he is not beholden to higher corporate interests and can speak his mind.

So if I were able to hold Premier Pallister’s feet to the fire over his Covid-19 strategy, I would have the following pointed questions for him, his Health Minister, and his Chief Medical Officer:

The goal from the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic was stated as ‘Flatten the Curve’ so the hospitals and ICUs were not overwhelmed. Kudos and back pats all around as MB never even came close to taxing our medical system. So why is there still a Health Emergency Order in place? Even with the uptick in numbers there wasn’t a commensurate rapid rise in hospital patients. Under what conditions will you release the Province from the Emergency Order?

According to StatsCan, Manitobans die from all causes at a rate of 30/day. BTW, what has the suicide rate been like since this all started? We’ve lost a whopping 13 people from Covid-19 related deaths (I’m guessing there was co-morbidity and old age involved). Is this Government operating under the premise that even one death from this virus is too many?

Have the 13 deaths, although regrettable, been worth the estimated 15% of Manitoba’s businesses closed for good and the rest of our damaged economy. Were the 13 deaths worth the extra $10 Billion plus in extra debt the Province has taken on? Were 13 deaths worth the suspension of our rights, freedoms, & liberties which the Government shows no sign of returning? Were a whole 13 deaths worth tossing a million Manitoban’s lives upside down?

Now masks seem to be the order of the day. Please show me the medical evidence you’re basing your decision on. If masks are so successful, why weren’t they mandatory back during the lockdowns and quarantines when the State of Emergency was first declared? How much did public pressure play into the decision to start making masks mandatory in schools and in the Prairie Mountain Health Region?

As for the Hutterite colonies, I hope you realize you’re putting a big target on their backs by identifying them. But since you have and it’s been stated that they’re the source of many of the new cases in Westman, do you have evidence of widespread community spread of the virus due to Hutterite activity? In addition, on the affected colonies, was there widespread testing or only testing of the symptomatic?

What criteria, other than a modest rise in case numbers, did you use to put the PMH region under Orange conditions?

The PMH region takes in the whole SW corner of the Province. Please substantiate why citizens of, for example, Swan River are being forced to follow Condition Orange procedures when the actual clusters are located in the Brandon region?

What is the exit strategy for dealing with this virus? Seems to me that a strategy of protecting the vulnerable such as the elderly and immune-compromised along with reminding Manitobans to keep up good hygiene habits would allow us to go back to normal. Instead, this Government seems determined to keep Manitobans hostage under Health Emergency Orders until there is never another single case ever.

It will be interesting as to just how far Manitobans can be pushed before more and more of us poke up our heads and cry out ‘SHOW ME THE BODIES’ and then reject the Government’s intrusion on our lives.

Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.

Trinity Nylen posing with Premier Brian Pallister and MLA Greg Nesbitt at the Gala Supper Awards

***Original published in South Mountain Press, April 5, 2019***

Erickson Student to Receive Premier’s Volunteer Service Award

Trinity Nylen, a Grade 12 student from the Erickson area, has been chosen as one of the recipients of Manitoba’s 36th Annual Volunteer Awards. Trinity will be presented with a Premier’s Volunteer Service Award during a Winnipeg gala dinner on April 11^th.

According to Volunteer Manitoba, the Premier’s Volunteer Service Award (Youth Category) is meant to honour the efforts and dedication of outstanding volunteers in Manitoba. The youth leadership category recognizes young Manitobans (under 25) who have made considerable contributions to their schools, organizations and communities through volunteer work. The young volunteers serve as role models, encouraging other young people to give of themselves for the betterment of the community.

Trinity will be one of only four young Manitobans to receive this year’s prestigious honour.

Trinity says she is excited about the event and is glad she can share the experience with her parents. The self-deprecating, young lady has a bit of trepidation at the prospect of attending such a fancy event. After a lifetime of growing up on a farm, she is more comfortable wearing coveralls and crocs and not particularly used to a fancy dress and heels. But her mantra has been, “Be willing to put yourself out there for better results. Don’t be scared to try new things or to meet new people. Try to say ‘Yes’ as much as possible.”

Trinity’s life philosophy has served this 17 year old well and she has accomplished more in a few short years than many people will do in a lifetime. The Performance Benchmarks section of her Curriculum Vitae would contain: Has dedicated extraordinary efforts to raise awareness in my community about discrimination in its various forms and has shown leadership in affecting change. Has committed time in two different high schools to various committees including the Erickson High School Gay Straight Alliance, Student Council, C.H.A.N.G.E. (Citizens Helping All Nations Grow Equally), Model UN, Minnedosa High School P.R.Y.D.E (Please Respect Your Diverse Environment) and causes such as ‘Dressember’.

The Overview portion of her resume would read as: Passionate about social justice issues and has taken advantage of every opportunity to learn about human rights, including attending conferences on the topics of LGBTQ+ issues, mental health, and Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls. As part of the Erickson Gay Straight Alliance during grades Nine and Ten, involved in organizing two Human Rights Conferences for the entire Rolling River School Division.

During the Grade Ten Conference, the guest presenter was so impressed with Trinity that they invited her to Ottawa to attend the 2016 ‘Allyship in Action!’ Conference organized by the Canadian Center for Gender and Sexual Diversity.

As for hobbies and other interests, Trinity would list: Active in school sports, playing on the soccer, rugby and basketball teams. Balances all my activities while maintaining a job at a service station. Has also taken on positions to help in the community, such as assisting with volunteering for the Erickson Junior Curling program plus the ice-making, and cleaning at the town’s campground.

In her own words, Trinity explained the catalyst that caused her to become so passionate about advancing social justice issues. “I grew up in a small conservative community in rural Manitoba, one day in the fourth grade a boy in my class was being bullied because he was acting ‘gay’. At the time I did not know what that meant, however, I knew how those words made him feel. That night I came home from school asking my family at the supper table, what it means to be gay and why it would be so upsetting to my classmate. My parents explained to me what it meant to be gay and clarified there was nothing wrong with being gay, it just isn’t very common where we live. I didn’t know it then, but this first real interaction with discrimination sparked a passion within me that would lead me to help others.”

As a Group Leader for the Minnedosa High School P.R.Y.D.E. student group, Trinity explained the importance of helping to provide a community for students struggling to learn some of life’s ‘hows and whys’. She feels strongly about helping to provide an environment and awareness where it is okay to have other views. To her way of thinking, people should not be afraid to be different.

In a few months, after graduation, the plucky teenager will be participating in a six month SWAP Canada Exchange to New Zealand. Upon her return to Canada, Trinity would like to obtain a Bachelors of Social Work degree from the University of Manitoba.

More information on Volunteer Manitoba and a full list of this year’s Volunteer Awards recipients can be found at https://www.volunteermanitoba.ca/awards

Blair’s LinkedIn Profile

Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.

Tag: Premier Pallister

COVID-19 EXIT STRATEGIES

Does Manitoba have a Plan to end the Health Emergency?

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 51 – Part 1