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Premier Brian Pallister announced that the Manitoba government is introducing additional temporary orders to extend deadlines, social service, and child-care provisions, and reduce municipal government regulatory burdens to help address the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Due to the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are instituting new emergency orders to allow for greater flexibility during this time and give Manitobans the time they need to work around the interruptions this pandemic has caused,” said Pallister.
A state of emergency has been declared by the powers set out in Section 10(1) and 10(2) of The Emergency Measures Act.
The additional orders will ensure continued access to services for Manitobans during the state of emergency in Manitoba due to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as
- Extending deadlines to apply for the 2019 farmland school tax rebate and to appeal tax assessments to the earlier of Sept. 21, 2020, or the end of the state of emergency associated with COVID-19.
- Providing exemptions to current license requirements for child care so that early childhood educators can offer child care in their homes and in the community for families who need it during the current state of emergency.
- Suspending municipal by-elections during the current state of emergency, as well as reducing municipal council meeting quorum requirements to provide greater flexibility for local governments.
- Temporarily suspending meeting provisions for condominium corporations, co-operatives, corporations, and credit unions and introducing measures to allow electronic attendance, delivery of notices, and voting by other means.
- Introducing temporary suspensions for in-person commissioning and witnessing provisions related to oaths, affirmation, statutory declarations, health-care directives, powers of attorney, land titles documents, and wills.
- Temporarily suspending feeds for marriage fees, licences and marriage commissioners if the person has an expired licence issued after Dec. 19, 2019.
- The province has the ability to revoke any of the above orders sooner than stated if it deems necessary.
You can read more into the orders at COVID-19 orders.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister believes the province needs additional support to enforce COVID-19 measures.
That’s why he’s announced today the province will be designating additional government officials to enforce emergency public health orders, in order to ensure we “have the capacity for enforcement — if necessary — to help keep Manitobans healthy and safe and keep our COVID curve flat.”
The Additional Enforcement Personnel Regulation — enacted under The Public Heath Act — will give the following government officials power to enforce public health emergency orders:
• safety and health officers under The Workplace Safety and Health Act;
• inspectors under The Liquor Gaming and Cannabis Control Act;
• public health officers appointed under The Public Health Act;
• park patrol officers under The Provincial Parks Act; and
• public health officers within Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development including food safety inspectors, animal health inspectors and animal protection officers.
Provincial park patrol officers will now also be able to enforce public health emergency orders, alongside Manitoba Conservation officers.
The province says education and warnings will be the main priority, and issuing tickets is being considered a last resort.
To report non-compliance of public health orders, you can call the Manitoba Government Inquiry line at 204-945-3744, (toll-free) at 1-866-626-4862 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
For the 2nd straight day, public health officials announced there were no new cases of COVID-19 identified in Manitoba.
One case previously considered probable has now been ruled out, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases down to 289.
The case that’s been ruled out was associated with the cluster at a trucking company in Brandon. With that case now ruled out, the number of cases associated with that cluster is down to 10.
There are currently 30 active cases in Manitoba; four people are in hospital and one person is in intensive care.
There have been 7 deaths attributed to the virus in Manitoba.
Beginning today, Manitobans experiencing flu or cold-like symptoms no longer require a referral from Health Links — or their family physician — before heading to a community site for COVID-19 testing.
Anyone with symptoms is encouraged to use the online screening tool to determine whether they meet the necessary criteria to be tested.
For more information and to access the online screening tool for COVID-19, click here.
For up-to-date information on testing criteria and community screening sites, visit here.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
Officials with the federal government say they’re ready to gradually re-open national parks.
The sites have been closed since mid-March to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
Canada’s Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says our national parks will soon be restarting some operations.
Beginning June 1st, some trails, day use areas, green spaces and recreational boating will be available at national parks, historic sites and waterways, and national marine conservation areas.
For an update on camping resuming in our national parks — you’ll have to wait until at least June 21 — when the government says they will reassess whether to move forward with reopening campsites.
What does this mean for Riding Mountain National Park? Park officials will be sharing more information about resumption plans next week.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
Celebrating National Nursing Week has looked much different this year.
Manitoba Nurses’ Union (MNU) President Darlene Jackson says employers, unions, and the general public have had to get creative to show their appreciation given the circumstances.
She says there have been some issues with food donations, because most of it can’t come into the building without being wiped — but there have been plenty of kind gestures from people showing their appreciation.
“We actually had a lady who makes and decorates cookies donate them to nurses and St. Boniface. She’s now on a project baking cookies for other healthcare facilities in Winnipeg.”
The MNU president has seen lots of pictures in windows, notes in windows; thanking nurses as front line providers.
“It’s all over Facebook, people chiming in saying thank you. I think it’s especially poignant right now.”
Jackson thinks this week should also be an opportunity to call attention to the challenges facing Manitoba nurses. “We are in a nursing shortage," she said, adding "the College of Registered Nurses just released their registration numbers from this year. Registration has dropped off again like it did last year.”
The MNU president says it’s difficult to recruit nurses, but in her own experience, it’s been one of the most rewarding decisions she’s ever made.
“It’s an amazing profession. It’s something I chose to do, and I honestly have to say it’s probably the best decision I’ve made in my entire life to go into nursing. It’s been so rewarding.”
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
Manitoba Hydro reported a power outage on Wednesday afternoon in Grandview.
Manitoba Hydro says the outage was a result of a pole top fire that started at about 5:15 p.m.
Upwards of 380 customers were without power. Power was restored around 7 p.m.
Crews remained on the scene to repair the damage to the burnt pole.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
Chris Carefoot is retiring from RE/MAX Parkland Realty after 25 years of service.
Collette Carefoot, the owner of RE/MAX Parkland Realty, believes part of Chris’ legacy will be how connected she was to the community.
“She worked very hard, was very passionate about real estate and all the people that she worked with. She became a broker as well during that time and loved it. It was just kind of part of who she was.”
RE/MAX Canada typically has an annual broker's gathering where people who are retiring attend and receive recognition in person.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
Beginning Thursday, COVID-19 testing sites in Manitoba will start accepting self-referrals.
That means Manitobans will no longer need a referral from Health Links — or their health-care provider — in order to get tested.
Chief nursing officer for Shared Health Lanette Siragusa says the idea is to make it easier for people with even mild symptoms to get tested.
People with symptoms like fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, fatigue, headaches, nausea or loss of appetite are asked to use the online screening tool.
If you meet the criteria in the online screening tool, you can proceed directly to a testing site.
In the Prairie Mountain Health region there at testing sites in Dauphin, Brandon, and Swan River.
For more information on testing locations and hours of operation, click here.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
Some researchers at Brandon University are gearing up to take a closer look at rural mental health during the COVID situation.
The research team is looking for older adults — aged 65 or older who live in rural communities — to participate in a one-hour telephone interview conducted by Dr. Rachel Herron from the University.
Dr. Herron says the research also aims to better understand the mental health of frontline healthcare workers in rural communities.
“We’re looking forward to recruiting older adults living in rural communities to participate in a telephone interview. We have also developed a separate survey for frontline healthcare workers who are currently working in rural communities.”
Dr. Herron says the COVID situation presents new challenges to mental health care in rural communities.
“Now in the context of COVID-19, there may be particular stressors in relation to mental health for everyone; but certainly for rural communities who generally have access to fewer mental health services.”
The research aims to examine issues here in Manitoba, and search for solutions in supporting good mental health during this time.
Anyone interested in participating can find more information on the Centre for Rural Mental Health website, by phone 431-301-3032, or email Dr. Rachel Herron This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
Manitoba is still working out the details of the wage top up for the province’s front-line workers.
Premier Brian Pallister says there's more planning needed to figure out how much workers will receive, and exactly who will qualify.
Pallister says workers may be getting a one-time payment of about $1,000 through an online application.
The wage top up is a federal cost-share program announced last week, meant for low-wage workers who’ve continued to work throughout the COVID-19 situation.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
Continuing with a trend of low case numbers in Manitoba, there were no new cases identified by public health officials today.
The province remains at 290 total confirmed and probable cases, with 7 deaths reported.
There are 32 active cases; four people in hospital because of the virus, and one person is in intensive care.
There were 527 laboratory tests conducted yesterday throughout the province.
For more information, visit the Manitoba government's official COVID-19 website.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
