Province pledges $100,000 to quake victims

In response to the tragic effects left by the earthquake in Haiti, the Province of Manitoba has announced money to help speed up the recovery of the suffering nation. Premier Greg Selinger has approved a pledge of $100,000 that will be given to the Manitoba Council for International Co-operation (MCIC), who will then distribute it to relief efforts in Haiti. “Nature has struck a cruel blow to a nation that already faced many challenges to provide for its citizens,” Selinger said in a release.  “It is important that Manitoba do its part to help the people of Haiti in their time of need.”

Parking authority joins Downtown BIZ

In an effort to secure the safety of those walking the streets of downtown Winnipeg, the Winnipeg Parking Authority recently announced a plan for some of their officers to act as eyes and ears for the Downtown Security Network (DSN). DSN is an initiative led by Downtown BIZ and supported by the Winnipeg Police Service. It currently has 150 members sharing safety information and combining resources. They will receive a boost of 20 parking officers in the near future, and Downtown BIZ hopes that this will ensure a safer future for the city core.

311 celebrates first anniversary with ServiceStat

The City of Winnipeg has heard the buzz around web-based service applications, and for the first anniversary of the 311 city service line, they have introduced the Internet map and report tool known as ServiceStat. ServiceStat allows anybody in Winnipeg to view recent service requests in both map and report format. While these requests can still only be made through the 311 hotline, the website hopes to inform people of both open and closed requests. Since its launch last year, the 311 hotline has handled almost two million calls and over 40,000 emails. With ServiceStat, the city hopes to speed up responses.

New Monopoly Canada spurs friendly competition

The worldwide phenomenon that is Monopoly has announced their new Canadian edition and they are allowing the public to choose which cities will appear on the high-rent spaces. All Manitobans now have their chance to vote for either Winnipeg or Brandon to be in the top 20 out of a list of 65. These 20 cities will be included on the game board, with the highest vote-getter taking the place traditionally called Boardwalk.

To vote, visit www.monopolyvote.ca before February 7.

The Beaver falls prey to euphemism

One of Canada’s oldest history magazines is changing its name in response to the many misinterpretations that surround the current title, The Beaver. According to CBC.ca, this 90-year-old, Winnipeg-based magazine will be changing its name to Canada’s History beginning in April. “Use of the word ‘beaver’ on the Internet has taken on an identity that nobody could have perceived in 1920,” said Deborah Morrison, president of Canada’s National History Society. Morrision said even interested Canadians were half as likely to subscribe simply because of the name.

Published in Volume 64, Number 16 of The Uniter (January 21, 2010)