Politics
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A bare minimum
This fall, Manitoba was on track to have the lowest provincial minimum wage in Canada – that is, until the provincial government made an announcement.
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Setting a bad precedent
More than two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, two things are still true: we live in unprecedented times, and we are tired of hearing “we live in unprecedented times.” Another truism – despite attempts by government officials to suggest otherwise – is that the pandemic is far from over and still claiming many lives.
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Who represents you?
The University of Winnipeg Students’ Association (UWSA) general election has attracted scandal for the past three years, and the 2022-2023 general election was no different.
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Touchdown for Khan
Fort Whyte voters took to the polls on March 22 to elect former premier Brian Pallister’s replacement.
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Inflation vs. students
Russia’s war in Ukraine has caused massive global impacts. In retaliation against Russia, many countries have stopped importing Russian oil. As such, many different industries are affected, causing a ripple effect throughout different economies.
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Letting the community down
On March 6, the loved ones of people who died of overdoses placed black balloons accompanied by memorials around the city. Black Balloon Day is an international event to honour those who have died of overdoses and to raise awareness about the opioid crisis.
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Data for the public good
A Winnipeg Free Press story by Ryan Thorpe published in February 2022 made a big splash, revealing that “Winnipeg’s public works dept. wastes millions of tax dollars on unnecessary projects.” What was unique about this investigation was that it was based on the meticulous research of Christian Sweryda, a private citizen.
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City briefs
Vegan market returns/ Floodcast/ Alternative grade applications/ UWinnipeg Ukraine solidarity/ UWSA election limbo/ Police policy updates
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Local performers raise funds for Ukraine
Russia’s brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has left some Winnipeg residents scared, horrified and searching for answers about whether or not their family members and friends are safe.
Many businesses and organizations have raised funds or collected items to send over to Ukraine, and some have more directly joined the fight.
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Overreaching and undermining
Last year, student and faculty unions joined forces to fight against the Manitoba government’s overreach on post-secondary institutions through Bill 33.
Now, it seems the provincial government is attempting to undermine the independence of post-secondary education again.
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Pinoys on Parliament
Organizers of Pinoys on Parliament, a national youth-led leadership conference by and for Filipino-Canadians, are busy preparing for this year’s event, which will take place at the end of May. This annual conference features workshops, panel discussions, talks and other events covering a wide range of topics.
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Crisis in Ukraine
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which started on Feb. 24, has sparked international condemnation as people around the world witness the atrocities being committed. This invasion is particularly jarring for Manitobans, given the province’s strong ties to Ukraine.
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City briefs
Rally For a Better Manitoba// Survivors legacy conference// The high cost of cutting healthcare// New resource for Indigenous students// Understanding performance-based funding// All health orders lifted
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Venues adapt to relaxed restrictions
When the Manitoba government announced that COVID-19 restrictions would be slowly lifted, it gave entertainment venues a lot to consider.
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Sheegl’s shame
This week, news broke about one of the biggest political scandals in Winnipeg’s history. A judge ruled that Phil Sheegl, Winnipeg’s former chief administrative officer, accepted a $327,000 bribe from Armik Babakhanians in order to award Babakhanians’ company, Caspian Construction, the contract to build the new Winnipeg Police Service headquarters.
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Neverending waitlist
This February marks one year of waiting for a surgery I was told I would receive in three months. I am not alone in this. The organization Doctors Manitoba currently estimates there are 161,585 Manitobans waiting for surgeries or other diagnostic procedures, such as MRIs and endoscopies.
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Donation processing
On Feb. 14, hackers accessed and released the personal information of those who donated to the so-called Freedom Convoy through GiveSendGo, a Christian crowdfunding site that facilitates public donations.
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Representation matters
2022 is a municipal election year for Winnipeg. In just over seven months, voters will head to the polls to elect a new mayor and city council.
Mayor Brian Bowman, who has been in office since 2014, is not running for a third term, leaving the top job wide open.
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‘Just doing something shameful’
Amid the flags, signs and trailers that greeted me when I stepped outside my front door last month, one cluster of people caught my attention. It was the morning of Feb. 4, and a journalist stood at the crosswalk connecting Broadway and Memorial, interviewing unmasked protestors.
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Slow to act?
After more than three weeks in downtown Ottawa, the so-called Freedom Convoy protest has ended. Police forces from across the country were instrumental in removing the occupiers, but questions remain about why it took so long.