The Gull Lake Tornado

Wednesday morning this week, I visited Gull Lake to talk with people there about the tornado and its aftermath. George Harbottle, the Reeve of the R.M. of Alexander, was very helpful in showing we the situation on the ground. The tornado ripped through the campground knocking down many trees and badly damaging or destroying many of the trailers in the area.

During my time with George Harbottle, the Reeve of the R.M. of Alexander, he reviewed the province's approach to support of muncipalities at times of a disaster. One of the concerns he raised was this. When a municipality uses its own people and equipment to respond to a disaster, they can recover 16% of the cost through the Disaster Financial Assistance Program (DFA). When a municipality contracts work out to an outside contractor, it can recover 100% of the cost of the work. In some cases, it may be precisely the same type of work.The reason for providing only a portion of the costs when municipalities use their own people and equipment is because some of the people may be working in any event, and the equipment may be being used on other projects if not on the emergency and so they represent "fixed" costs for municipalities. The province says it does not want to cover municipalities "fixed" costs. But 16% of municipal costs is low. There must be a better and fairer way to address this.

Individuals at Gull Lake who were affected by the Tornado were either living in home which was a permanent residence, or living in a summer home. In at least one case, the "summer home" meant that the couple was living there seven months of the year.At the present time, financial assistance under the provincial Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA) Program is not provided equitably to these two groups of people - so that one family may receive financial compensation for their loss, which another next door in a similar dwelling, will not. The family in a permanent residence receives compensation; the family living in their summer home does not. It should be noted that property taxes and school taxes are paid by both groups of people in proportion to the value of their property. This is in stark contrast to the DFA approach to compensation which provides compensation to some but not others.The DFA program was developed some time ago. It is now time to rethink the approach being taken and look at ways in which people can be treated equitably when they face a disaster like a tornado.

For more on the Gull Lake Tornado see:

http://www.manitobaliberals.ca/2006/08/architecture-design-and-gull-lake.html

http://www.manitobaliberals.ca/2006/08/gull-lake-lessons-about-emergency.html

The Metis People Pavilion

At the Metis People Pavilion, friendship and hospitality are tops. Led by Master of Ceremonies Yvonne Dumont, Pavilion Coordinator Kathy Frisk, and Ambassadors like Krista Rey, Justin Kuipers and Destiny McLeod, this pavilion presents examples of excellent fiddling, fast moving-tap dancing and Metis square dancing.

The photo shows Bonnie and Ambassador Krista Rey. Bonnie found everyone very helpful. Thank you to all the volunteers at the Metis Pavilion.

The Hungary-Pannonia Pavilion

At the Hungarian we were treated to a fine cultural display featuring the history, the geography and the regions of Hungary.

After sharing with us an elegant and boisterous display of dancing, several of us were invited up to try the bottle dancing. I could hardly move with the bottle on my head, for fear of it falling. It is amazing to watch the active dancing by the dynamic Hungarian dance group, all while having a bottle on their head.

The Spain Pavilion

Monday evening we were fortunate to visit the Spain Pavilion. Colourful exciting dancing and tasty food, including paella, are highlights of the Spanish Pavilion.

Helping the homeless - the Siloam Mission

On Monday this week, I visited the Siloam Mission to learn about their efforts to build a place of dignity for those in Winnipeg who are homeless, hungry and hurting.

As well as helping to sort potatoes and serve soup, I had a first hand look at the Siloam Mission facilty at 300 Princess Street. It is already serving to help many people each day with food and clothing and other supports. In sequence the Mission hopes to provide emergency shelter (Hannah's Place Emergency Shelter), a health care centre, women's transitional housing and an employment training centre.

There has been much confusion this week about whether federal funding for initiatives like this one is proceeding, or is not proceeding. What is clear, is that support for the homeless is badly needed to provide them support and dignity.

Thank you to Els Fenton, to John Mohan and to the many others at the Siloam Mission who helped me to better understand the efforts at the Siloam Mission and the needs of those who are homeless in Winnipeg.

To learn more about the Siloam Mission visit http://www.siloammission.com/

The Romanian Pavilion

John Racaru provided wonderful violin music while the Balada Romanian Dance Ensemble regaled us with their talents.

We thank pavilion coordinator Julian Glubega and Ambassadors Draogos Nina (to my left in the photo), Sabrina Iliant (far left), Bogdan Bezna and Alexandra Selby and the many other volunteers at the Romanian Pavilion for their hospitality.

The Nicaraguan Pavilion

This year's Nicaraguan dancers make the pavilion come alive with their colour and vivacity.

The Krakow-Poland Pavilion

This is the 100th year of the Polish Gymnastic Association "Sokol", the organization which puts on the Krakow-Poland Pavilion.

This year, on its hundredth anniversary, and led by capable Master of Ceremonies Ed Kolodziej and pavilion coordinator Pawel Pecold, the Krakow-Poland Pavilion provided a colourful and energetic array of dancing, and excellent food. There is also an impressive cultural display featuring the Krakow region of the early 1400s. In the photo, I am with Breanne Armstrong, Christine Tabbernor and Dorothy visiting the cultural display. Dorothy is in a period costume.

The Ukraine-Lviv Pavilion

Thank you to our hosts - Ambassadors Shelley Enns, Erica Klassen, Danny Barr and Shawna Boss (photo above), and to all the dancers and singers who made our visit to the Ukraine-Lviv Pavilion such a memorable event.

The Cuban Pavilion

The Cuban community in Manitoba is about 75 families. Fifty of these families got together to put on the dancing extravaganza at the Cuban Pavilion. The dancing is full of storytelling, and has benefitted from some excellent choreography.

The Chilean Pavilion

Visting the Chilean Pavilion on Saturday evening, we were swept up in the vivacious dancing. The high point was the wild and colourful devil dance.

The Indo-Tropical Paradise Pavilion

The Indo Tropical Paradise Pavilion is a pavilion full of energy and full of stories.

Fazil Bacchus (photo above) showed me the vase above covered with shells and told me the following story. In the region of South America between the mouth of the Orinoco and Amazon Rivers, the Leatherback Turtle was in danger of going extinct. People living in the area were encouraged and supported to find alternative economic options - and so was developed these beautiful shell covered pieces which are now marketed far and wide. At the same time, an effort was made to encourage the protection of the Leatherback Turtles, particularly when they are small. The result has been successful and the turtles are now making a comeback.

There was also much exciting dancing and good food and drink at the pavilion.

The Ireland Irish Pavilion

At the Harp and Shamrock Bar, the Irish songs and stories and dances provide wonderful entertainment. The wild Irish dancing, the beguiling voice singing Danny Boy, and the artful acting were all part of the show. Import World Champion Gary Collins and his sister Chloe moved so fast the dance floor was steaming by the time they finished.

Stabbing of Melissa Kuypers at the Forks shows need for government to take mental illness seriously

We are all horrified at the random stabbing of Melissa Kuypers on Sunday at the Forks Market. Our hopes and prayers go out to Melissa for a speedy recovery from the attack.

Today we have learned that the man accused of the stabbing is "a schizophrenic who has been failed by the health-care system" (Winnipeg Free Press). The evidence presented so far suggests that the violent attack on Melissa Kuypers might have originated with a serious medical error made in the mental health treatment of Chris Ratneiya, the man accused of the stabbing. If so, the violent attack on Melissa Kuypers was potentially preventable and Melissa and her family deserve to have answers as to how this could happen.

A number of questions need to be asked here, particularly around the procedures for sharing information between jurisdictions - in this case between Manitoba and Ontario. Was Manitoba informed of Mr. Rateniya's condition? If so, what did it do with the information? Does the Province of Manitoba have standards for the treatment of schizophrenia? If so, what are they?

There needs to be a proper investigation into the medical care given to Mr. Ratneiya to determine whether it failed him, and what can be done to prevent such failures in the future.

Yet in Manitoba, we will probably not get the investigation of health care that is needed. In spite of passing Bill 17 more than 14 months ago, we still do not have a formal province-wide system for investigating medical errors. The reason? Because Gary Doer's NDP keep stalling on implementing Bill17. You see, even though the Legislature might pass a bill into law, there are many bills (like Bill 17) that do not come into force until they are "proclaimed" by the government. Usually, this happens within three to four months. With Bill 17, we're at 14 months and counting with no real explanation given for the delay in implementation. This is simply unacceptable.

Ben Loewen 1923-2006

Ben Loewen, grandfather to Craig Loewen who works in my office, died suddenly on August 8 . I was in Morden Saturday afternoon to attend the memorial service.

A farmer for many years in the Mather-Cartwright area of southern Manitoba, Ben Loewen believed strongly in the importance of family.

At the service, Craig spoke fondly of a recent fishing trip with his grandfather. He encouraged others to be sure to spend time with their grandparents. Such time is precious.

Winkler's one hundred years - congratulations to mayor Neil Schmidt and his council.

Neil Schmidt has been Mayor of Winkler for the past eight years and he has presided over many changes and improvements in the City during this period, including this year's centennial celebrations.

Major developments include the P.W. Enns Centennial Concert Hall, the Winkler Centennial Library, the new Boundary Trails Health Centre, the redevelopment of Main Street and the Crocus Village and Cedar Estates projects. There have also been many new commercial developments during this period as Winkler has grown rapidly.

I have had the opportuntity to meet with Neil Schmidt on numerous occasions. He has been a strong promoter of Winkler. Neil will be retiring as Mayor this fall. Well done Neil during your eight years as Mayor and seven previous years on council.

The Centennial for Winkler - a tribute to Valentine Winkler

The City of Winkler was named after Valentine Winkler. Valentine Winkler was born in Ontario and moved to Manitoba in 1879. He established his own grain and lumber business in Morden in 1883, and subsequently set up a grain elevator and lumber business at the site where Winkler is located today.

Valentine Winkler was elected the MLA for the area in 1892. A Liberal, he served in the government of Premier Thomas Greenway.

Valentine Winkler continued as the MLA after the defeat of Thomas Greenway's government in 1900. He served in oppostion and worked closely with Tobias Norris to return the Liberals to power in 1915. From 1915 until 1920 Valentine Winkler served as the Minister of Agriculture and Immigration in Norris's government. During this period he introduced many initiatives to help farmers.

The City of Winkler - Centennial Year Harvest Festival

This year the City of Winkler is celebrating its 100th year. I was there on Saturday for the Winkler Harvest Festival.

The feature of Saturday morning was a parade with a very large number of entries. Fortunately the rain stayed away during the parade (though it rained immediately before and right afterwards).

Thank you to Jason Peters and his family for driving me in the parade. Thank you to Courtesy Motor Sales of Winkler for providing the vehicle.

The Warsaw-Poland Pavilion

This year the vigorous and enthusiastic dancing, the colourful costumes, and the warm hospitality were highlights of the Warsaw-Poland Pavilion.

Thank you to Ambasadors Greg and Renata Romaniuk, Dorota Jaworski, and Matthew Neufeld, to Master of Ceremonies Chris Lorenc and to the many others who made this pavilion such a success.

Folklorama 2006 - a tribute to the wide array of cultural foods.

Attending Folklorama 2006 is to sample a wonderful array of foods from different cultures. The photo shows a sample plate of sushi and other foods from the Japanese Pavilion.

The Japanese Pavilion - the music and dance

This year's Japanese Pavilion featured high quality singing and dancing.

The Japanese Pavilion - the drums and the fighting

The Japanese Pavilion is well known for the world-famous Hinode-Taiko drum group. This year, there were also martial arts demonstrations.

Folklorama 2006 - a tribute to the volunteers

Volunteers are the people who make Folklorama such a success. Thank you to all the volunteers.

At the Philippine Pavilion, wheelchair access turned out to be a little more difficult for Bonnie than at some other pavilions. But it was achieved thanks to volunteer Jing Aspirin (top photo).

To my surprise, one of the volunteers at the Philippine Pavilion was my colleague Kevin Lamoureux (shown with Bonnie in the bottom photo).

The Philippine Pavilion

The Philippine pavilion is always an exciting one to visit. The hospitality provided by the Ambassadors and the many volunteers was excellent. The dancing by the members of the Kayumanggi Philippine Performing Arts group was outstanding.

In the top photo are Ambassadors Mike Pagtakhan, Maureen Criz, Adriel Agpalza and Mechelle Calayag

Manitoba's NDP asleep at the switch when it comes to implementing patient safety legislation

On Friday this week, we held a press conference in front of Concordia Hospital to bring attention to the NDP's delay in proclaiming (bringing into effect) Bill 17 which was passed with all party support 14 months ago.

There is no possible excuse for the NDP's delay in acting to implement this legislation which provides for a province-wide system for reporting and investigating medical errors in Manitoba.

Central to improvements in airline safety have been the reporting and investigation of accidents. But when it comes to health care, we know there are too many medical errors or accidents. Yet because we don't have a formal province-wide system for reporting and investigating such medical errors, we are not learning quickly just what went wrong and preventing similar problems in the future.

With me at the press conference was Tracy Weber (top photo) whose mother almost died as a result of what appears to be medical error(s). Also present was Leslie Worthington (bottom photo) whose father, John Klassen, did die, and the evidence collected to date supports this being due to a medical error or errors.

This press conference was part of our ongoing battle with the NDP to get better accountability in health care in Manitoba.

The Russian Pavilion at Winnipeg's, Folklorama

The Russian pavilion has a delightful array of dancing.

Folkorama - Winnipeg, Manitoba - a tribute to the Pavilion Coordinators

The photo above shows Bonnie and me with the Paraguay Pavilion Coordinator Nena Ortega and Ambassador Juan Aveiro. Nena did an incredible job this year in bringing many volunteeers together to put on the Paraguay Pavilion. I want to say a public thank you to Nena and to all the other pavilion coordinators. You have all done an extraordinary job.

Here is a list of the pavilion coordinators for the first week of Folklorama:
Africa/Caribbean Pavilion - Emaline Jackson
Alpine Pavilion - Fred Oberbuchner
Casa do Minho Portuguese Pavilion - Christina Neves
Chilean Pavilion - Jose Astorga
Chinese Pavilion - Philip Chang
Cuban Pavilion - Ramon Rancana
El Salvador Pavilion - Kattia Melgar
First Nations Pavilion - Greg McIvor
Greek Islands Pavilion - George Sotiriadis
Indo-Tropical Paradise Pavilion - Ganesh Kenneth
Ireland Irish Pavilion - Dale Laird
Italian Pavilion - Tony Chiarelli
Japanese Pavilion - David Murata
Paraguay: "The Heart of South America" Pavilion - Nena Ortega
Philippine Pavilion Nayong Pilipino - Lito Tarac
Russian Pavilion - Sofia Barklon
Serbian Pavilion "Beograd" - George Dragojevic
Slovenija Pavilion - Stan Majowski
Tamil Pavilion - Mohamen Ismath
Ukraine-Kyiv Pavilion - Marusla Lubay
Warsaw-Poland Pavilion - Donata Praski

Paraguay - beauty and bottle dancing

The Paraguay Pavilion at Manitoba's Folklorama shows what the community who have come to Winnipeg from Paraguay can do.

The dance costumes are outstanding (top photo). A huge woven table cloth in the cultural display is awesome (second photo). The dancing begins with a storyline of the railway running through Paraguay about 150 years ago (third photo)

The show includes fine examples of bottle dancing (fourth photo) including a dancer who danced with a remarkable 12 bottles on her head (bottom two photos).

Ukraine

Visiting the Ukranian pavilion at Manitoba's Folklorama, is a striking testament to the hertiage of Ukranians who came to Manitoba. There is a colourful historical cultural display (top photo), a huge number of Ukranian eggs (second photo), and a full history of Ukranian dance in Manitoba (bottom photo).

The dancing at the Ukranian pavilion was wonderful - a vigorous pageant displaying the fine talents of Ukranian dance groups in Manitoba.

The Tamil Pavilion

At the Tamil Pavilion, we received a warm welcome from Ambassadors Kevin Mathurainayagam, Chitra Semthinathan, Ayungaran Jeyaratnam and Dilaxshy Sivagurunathan (top photo).

As part of the cultural display, this year, there is a large wall devoted to photos taken of the tsunami which hit Sri Lanka and its aftermath. On this wall, there is mention of the local effort of the Tamil Cultural Association of Sri Lanka to raise funds for the Winnipeg Clinic established in eastern Sri Lanka to help tsunami victims in that area (second photo).

There was fine Tamil singing and elegant dancing as part of the show at the Tamil Pavilion (third to fifth photos).

The First Nations Pavilion

Colourful pow-wow dancing and singing are highlights at the First Nations Pavilion.

Ambassador Kara McIvor (top photo) was very helpful when we arrived at the pavilion. At the end of the show, she even had me up joining in the dancing (bottom photo).