HIV/AIDS - and International AIDS Day

The walk began at the Nine Circles Centre on Broadway and Maryland and went to the legislature. There we gathered to focus attention on International AIDS Day, and the need for more attention to HIV/AIDS in Mantioba. During the last five years the incidence of AIDS in Manitoba has increased by more than 50%. Clearly we are not doing enough to prevent AIDS in Manitoba. The result is tragic. Already this year, there have been more than 100 Manitobans newly diagnosed with AIDS. It is past time to focus more efforts on awareness and prevention in those areas which can make a difference.

A Tribute to Raymond McFeetors

Last night at the B'nai Brith Dinner at the Fairmont, Raymond McFeetors was presented with the organization's 2005 Award of Merit. A small town boy from Newdale, Manitoba, Ray's story is one of great accomplishments. During Ray's tenure as CEO of Great West Life for the last 13 years, the company (following acquisitions of London Life and Canada Life), has become one of Canada's leading financial institutions.

I first got to know Ray, when he served on the Board of the Children's Hospital Foundation. Ray was the investment advisor. I was the Vice-President Medical. With Ray's help the endowment fund grew steadily and major dollars were provided each year for research to improve the health of children in Manitoba. Ray was a wonderful help then, and he has grown considerably in stature since. The Award was well deserved. Congratulations Ray.

Manitoba Cattle Producers

This week the Manitoba Cattle Producers came to the legislature in force. After the last two years of dealing with the BSE issue, at least the border is now open (though not yet for animals 30 months and older). The mood was much better than it has been. As legislators we were treated to an excellent beef lunch and to a good discussion of the current situation in the beef industry.

The photo shows a painting in my office - painted by Chris Larsen, from near Graysville. Titled Blood on the Land, it was done shortly after the BSE crisis hit in 2003. The red around the cattle highlights the desparate situation at the time.

FASD - and labelling of alcoholic beverages

Kevin Lamoureux and I introduced Bill 206 last week. It provides for the labelling of alcoholic beverages with warning labels to indicate that consumption of alcohol during pregnancy can lead to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. The bill also provides that notices with this information must also be placed in locations where liquor is sold.

Given the devastating lifelong consequences of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, this bill will provide a step in improving awareness and prevention.

Jean Paterson and Bob Shiu - a great team

Jean and Bob have been married 24 years. They are both scientists and they have worked together to advance knowledge. They are both teachers and they care about young people - and ensuring young people have an opportunity for a strong future. They are both involved with dogs - and in training and showing dogs. They both care about their community and want to ensure good roads and schools as well as good parks and green spaces. They are a team - a great team - who work well together.

In previous posts, I have talked quite a bit about Jean. Here I will provide more information about Bob.

Bob Shiu was born in Hong Kong and came to Montreal to do undergraduate and graduate work. He understands the needs of immigrants because he is one. Both Bob and Jean know that immigrants to Canada have been very important to building our country, and they believe it is important to continue to help and encourage immigrants.

In Montreal, Bob worked with Dr. Henry Friesen, a well known Canadian scientist who discovered the pituitary hormone prolactin, and then went on to become President of the Medical Research Council in the 1990s. Working with Dr. Friesen, Bob Shiu discovered and isolated the prolactin receptor. The scientific paper which described the isolation of the prolactin receptor has been very highly cited in the years since because it paved the way for isolating other receptors. Bob is a very well respected and well known scientist in his field.

Jean and Bob have lived for many years in their present home in Waverley West in the Fort Whyte constituency. The photos show Jean and Bob at home. In the bottom photo, you can see their dogs Myc (by Jean), and Alice (by Bob). Alice is a former Canadian Obedience Trial Champion.

Why rapid transit is important in Fort Whyte constituency

The map above shows the impact of a rapid transit system for Winnipeg.

Thirty-five minutes is used as the critical time point at which people are much more likely to use transit. The map shows the situation without and with rapid transit.

As you can see (orange line) without rapid transit, almost no-one in Fort Whyte constituency can reliably reach downtown by transit in 35 minutes. With rapid transit (red line) almost everyone in Fort Whyte constituency could reach downtown reliably in 35 minutes by transit. The difference is dramatic and this is why rapid transit is so important to people in Fort Whyte constituency. In our door-to-door efforts this seems more apparent to those in the eastern half of the constituency, but it will also significantly affect those in the western half of the constituency.

Some people I have talked with have emphasized the need to improve the present bus system in Fort Whyte constituency first. The problem is that unless there is rapid transit, the ridership in Fort Whyte is unlikely to increase enough to make adding extra buses and extra routes worthwhile. There is a critical need to have rapid transit because it will increase the ridership and this will increase the demand for more buses and bus routes in Fort Whyte constituency so that people will be served better.

Even those who drive a car and will not use rapid transit, will benefit from rapid transit. The benefit comes because the more people who ride transit, the fewer cars there will be on the road, and the less traffic congestion there will be. Fixing traffic congestion in Fort Whyte needs better road and highway design. It also needs rapid transit.

When it comes to Rapid Transit, Jean Paterson is a strong supporter. She is a strong advocate for Rapid Transit coupled with innovative park-and-ride solutions to help people in Fort Whyte constituency.

In contrast to the efforts of Jean Paterson, the Conservative candidate, Hugh McFadyen, worked together with Sam Katz at the time the decision was made to postpone the development of rapid transit. I have talked with individuals who know, and they say that if the decision had not been made to postpone rapid transit in 2004, then the rapid transit between downtown to the University would be well on its way to being built.

Fort Whyte voters have a choice in the by-election on December 13. They can vote for someone who is a strong supporter of rapid transit - and a strong supporter of efforts to reduce traffic congestion - Jean Paterson, or they can vote for someone who was part of the team which delayed the development of rapid transit in Winnipeg.

Democracy and Human Rights in Ethiopia

Taye Zegeye, one of the community leaders present at the Community Leadership Summit, is working to improve the situation in his home country, Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian community had a march and a rally at the Legislature yesterday afternoon to bring attention to the situation in Ethiopia.

The situation in Ethiopia has parallels to the situation in the Ukraine. Many Canadians with a Ukranian background have worked hard to bring better conditions at home. They worked particularly hard at the time of the Orange revolution to bring about change.

The situation in Ethiopia has not received the attention it needs. Those who have come to Canada from Ethiopia are trying to give it the attention it deserves. They are also looking for help from Canadians in their efforts.

I spoke at the rally to provide support to the efforts of those who have come to Manitoba from Ethiopia. My brother Chris, now with the World Bank, worked for two years in Ethiopia in the 1970s, and I learned a lot about Ethiopia from him. I am concerned about what is now happening in Ethiopia. We need to do what we can to promote democracy and human rights in Ethiopia.

The top photo shows the rally at the legislature. The bottom photo shows me with Taye Zegeye as we stand together outside the legislature at the rally.

The Community Leadership Summit

From ten in the morning till two in the afternoon, Magnus Eliason Recreation Centre was abuzz with ideas to improve things when it comes to support for parents and children in order to prevent youth from becoming involved with crime and gangs.

Under the leadership of the Black History Month Committee and its President, Cde. Wade Kojo Williams, this summit was organized to provide input to community leaders. The goal was to have ideas and recommendations for improving the situation in Winnipeg.

In four hours we heard a lot including:

1) Many of the new immigrants who come to Manitoba as refugees from their own country have a large debt when they arrive in Canada. This debt puts extraordinary pressure on them. We heard tales of single mothers having to work two or three jobs in order to live and to pay off these debts. The problem is that the children in such homes often do not receive enough supervision because the mother is being forced to work such long hours. The situation clearly needs attention.

2) "Every single person would like to see a light at the end of the tunnel". This comment was made to further emphasize the need for support for new immigrants to help them adapt to life in Canada. It has been said that "It takes a village to raise a child." In like fashion, it takes a whole community to support an immigrant. Altona is showing how this can be done. In fact, in Winnipeg, there are already a considerable number of support networks for immigrants, but unfortunately, too many of our new immigrants (refugees in particular) are not getting as much support as they need. One of the major supports for new immigrants comes from their community of people who have come from their own country. For example, earlier immigrants from Sierra Leone play an important part in helping new arrivals - but there is little support to members of the community to help them do this.

3) We heard of one awful situation. Some time ago a seventeen year old daughter of one of the highly respected leaders in the black community was assaulted by a male student in her school. The student was convicted and spent three months in jail. When the student was released, he returned to the school and continued to be such a problem for this 17 year old girl that she had to quit the school. It is shameful, when a young person receives such poor support from the school, the school board and the community that this sort of thing happens. It is very sad when the victim suffers in a way that is worse than the suffering of the offender.

3) More activities and supports are needed for youth after school.

4) Community leaders and immigrants need to have up to date information about gangs in order to decrease the likelihood of young people becoming involved with gangs.

5) The Social Assistance system in Manitoba as operated by the NDP pushes people to work when they should be completing their education.

6) Nardia Leslie who has been in Canada for 17 years commented "I found teachers did not expect much from me because I came from a third world country." In fact, she found her education in her own country was as good as that in Canada. She went on to suggest that we should look at having school uniforms - so that young people will compete with their brains and their athletic capabilities instead of trying to compete with their clothes. For poor children, it is often difficult to compete on the basis of clothes.

7) "We came to Canada to build one global community." Immigrants who spoke did so with pride. They also spoke strongly of their desire to have opportunities. "Racism is a disease," said one, and "discrimination is a disease". We need to bring an end to these diseases.

Much of what Canada is today is the result of the efforts of immigrants. Much of what Canada will be in the future will be the result of the efforts of immigrants. Helping new immigrants to adapt and live in Canada is important. We need to do this better.

The Clayton H. Ridell Faculty of the Environment, Earth and Resources

Friday afternoon saw the Grand Space Opening and Career Fair for the Faculty at the Wallace building at the University of Manitoba.

The Faculty has an important place in Manitoba. Resources, management of the earth and water in our province, and handling of environmental issues are all critical to our future.

The Faculty has a Co-operative Education option which allows students to get work experience as part of their program. This option is also important to provide closer links to the needs of Manitoba employers and the learning of students in the program. I know this is an important option because my daughter Pauline took environmental science at the University of Manitoba and participated in the co-operative education program. Her hands on experience working in the field contributed to her growth as a steward of the environment.

Pauline and her husband, Roger, are now in South-east Asia. They are working with the World Wildlife Fund and they are working with people in Laos who live along the Mekong River and its tributaries. They are trying to help people in the communities along the Mekong and its tributaries achieve good stewardship of the fisheries in these rivers. The
Mekong is one of the major tropical rivers of the world, with an incredible number of different fish species including a River Dolphin. Pauline has also done some important work on the wetlands along the Mekong and their economic impact. We are proud of Pauline and Roger and their work, though we often wish they were a little closer to home.

Twenty-five years - The Women's Advisory Council

Friday, noon, at the legislature, was a celebration of twenty-five years of the Women's Advisory Council. There has been a lot of progress over the last 25 years. But, there is still a way to go. For example, in the Manitoba Legislature, there should be proportionally more women!

The history of the council was reviewed - and previous annual reports were on display (see photos showing showing pages from the first annual report with a list of the first council members from 1980).

Congratulations to those who have worked with and for the Advisory Council of Women in Manitoba.

Local Investment Toward Employment (LITE) and the CBC

Friday morning this week, LITE held their annual fundraiser - a Wild Blueberry Pancake Breakfast. Terry McLeod and CBC's Morning Show were there to highlight the event.

It was an opportunity for good food, good company and an opportunity to purchase a wide variety of products produced by those in Winnipeg's inner city area.

Artist Cody Starr (photo with his painting), from Winnipeg's Graffiti Art Gallery program was there along with the Gallery's executive director Steve Wilson. Mary Lou Bourgeois, Liberal candidate in Point Douglas, was also there.


Along with other items, I purchased some candles produced to support the work of Marymound (second photo), and a bag made by Nikki Owen, a talented youth with lots of future potential (third photo).

For those who are interested in more information about the Graffiti Art Gallery, please visit
their web site at http://www.graffitigallery.ca For those who want more information on Marymound, please visit http://www.marymound.com.

Frank Baldwin - Greenwing Conservation Award winner

Congratulations to Frank Baldwin - the recipient of the Lieutenant-Governor’s Greenwing Conservation Award.

Thursday evening, the award was presented by Lieutenant Governor John Harvard to Frank Baldwin for his efforts to promote the development and understanding of wetlands. Frank has, for many years, been involved with Ducks Unlimited programs. In particular, he has been very successful in getting many young people interested in wetlands and in the birds and other wildlife present in Manitoba's marshes. Frank lives near Oak Hammock marsh, and he has been a consistent and strong promoter of the marsh and its role.

The Greenwing Conservation Award will be given annually to recognize those who have taken leadership roles in promoting public awareness of conserving wetlands and associated habitats in Manitoba for the benefit of waterfowl, wildlife and people.

I first got to know Frank Baldwin at the University of Manitoba Faculty of Medicine. He was then very interested in helping to develop the careers of young people. He still is, though much more of his activities in recent years have been devoted to helping young people learn about conservation and about wetlands. Well done Frank. You have made a big difference to a lot of young people.

Teen Touch and Take a Bite out of Bullying

Thursday noon, at the Convention Centre, was the second annual fundraising luncheon for Teen Touch. Titled "Take a Bite out of Bullying". This luncheon, with Master of Ceremonies Jon Ljungberg, featured the release of information from a survey on bullying, and a speech by University of Manitoba researcher Alicia Ordonez.
Full details of the survey are available at the teen touch web site - http://www.teentouch.org

Congratulations to Gordon Alvare and all those who work or volunteer at Teen Touch. It is an organization that reaches out to young people and provides help to young people. Teen Touch has a help line - 783-1116 in Winnipeg and 1-800-563-8336 in the rest of the province for young people who want to talk, or who are looking for help to sort things out and to find their own answers to the things that bug them. The help line is manned 24 hours a day by volunteers who care about our youth. Thank you to all the volunteers.

If you want to email to Teen Touch, send you email to teentouch@mts.net

The Association of Manitoba Municipalities

Each year the Association of Manitoba Municipalities holds their annual meeting in late November. It is an important meeting with elected muncipal representatives from all over the province gathered together to discuss the state of the province and to make recommendations for improvements.

On Wednesday morning, I spoke to the assembled delegates about three current issues.
1) This year was a very difficult year for many farmers because of the wet weather. About a quarter of the farmland in Manitoba was either not able to be seeded or was seeded and then saw the crop drowned out. In my speech, I pointed out that, following years of neglect, Manitoba presently has a $1 billion deficit in drainage and water management infrastructure. Sadly, for many years, whether under the Tories or the NDP there has not been a plan to deal with this situation. I pointed out that if there had been proper attention to this drainage and water management infratructure it would have made a considerable difference to many farmers this year. In essence, because too little attention has been paid to this deficit, many farmers suffered, and governments have had to pay out large sums to cover the unseeded and drowned-out acres. It is not good enough. Much more attention should have been paid to drainage and water management infrastructure. Under a Liberal government this is one area we would address in a major way. It is far better for the province to spend dollars to prevent (or lessen the extent) of a disaster like we had this year, than to have to spend a fortune after the fact. Famers are much happier when they can produce a crop.

2) I talked about the Liberal approach to the use of property tax to fund education ( see my blog for November 7). Under the NDP, property taxes are used far too much to fund education. We need to decrease this.

3) I talked about the Liberal view of the way the NDP are managing Manitoba Hydro (see note on my blog November 26). The Gary Doer NDP approach to managing Manitoba Hydro has become retrograde and perverse as even Ed Schreyer has said.

At the evening dinner, I was fortunate enough to join several members of the Council of the R.M. of Morris. In the photo, Councillor Ralph Groening is carving, and serving the food while Councillor Denis Robert looks on.