Increased funding for public schools

Public school funding will see a 2.95 per cent increase for the 2010-2011 school year. Education minister Nancy Allan believes that the funding demonstrates Manitoba’s commitment to education, even in the face of economic complications, according to a news release.

The funding increase provides additional income for a number of programs. $600,000 will be invested in a program geared at helping schools in low-income communities and students at risk of leaving school. Another $1 million will be dedicated to improving English as an additional language (EAL) programs.

Other investments include $133,000 for youth detention centres and $25 fund increase for early childhood development programs. These increases will affect all public school divisions.

Olympic hockey teams to play in Winnipeg

The men’s Olympic hockey teams from Switzerland and Belarus play two games at the MTS Centre on Tuesday, Feb. 9 and Thursday, Feb. 11. The upper bowl area of the centre has been opened to accommodate the nearly sold-out game on Feb. 11.

On Feb. 5, Winnipeg’s own Balmoral Hall Blazers were given the opportunity to play against Switzerland’s national women’s team. The Balmoral Blazers are a junior women’s hockey team made up of players 15- to 17-years-old.

“Our team is very excited about it all,” Steven Macdonald, Balmoral Hall’s director of hockey operations, told the Winnipeg Free Press. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play against an Olympic-calibre team.”

Fort Whyte climate change conference

On Feb. 5, scientists from around the world gathered to release the most recent findings of the largest climate change survey ever conducted in Canada. Three hundred scientists attended the conference at FortWhyte Alive.

University of Manitoba professor David Barber was the lead investigator in the three-year-old Circumpolar Flaw Lead System study, according to the Winnipeg Free Press.

In other Forty Whyte news, the centre recently completed the construction of its $350,000 Climate Change Field Station. The field station will allow students the opportunity to study the worldwide impact of their own personal energy choices. Additionally, a number of informative climate change exhibits have been added to the centre.

Lighthouse Mission director lives 36 hours homeless

From Feb. 4 to 6, Sean Goulet, director of Lighthouse Mission, spent 36 hours living on the street. The goal of the challenge was to help bring awareness of the lives of Winnipeg’s homeless population.

“They’re not understood and not many people want to reach out to them,” Goulet told the Winnipeg Free Press.

He hoped the challenge would inspire people to donate to the mission.

Goulet spent his 36 hours trying to keep warm in bus shelters and stores. His food came from other missions and he slept in a tent on top of the Lighthouse Mission building for safety reasons.

Lighthouse Mission is located on Main Street and is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of Winnipeg’s less fortunate.

Published in Volume 64, Number 19 of The Uniter (February 11, 2010)