This past month has officially marked the halfway point of our mandate - and I could not be happier with what we've achieved together, here in burrows! And not just in our community of Burrows! These accomplishments would not have been possible without the team around me (staff and volunteers).
I am particularly proud of and thankful for this grassroots approach to politics that has led me to be able to connect with those who matter most - the people of our great community.
Being able to personally listen and connect with many of you is what I value most about what I do; what we can do to make our community better together is a truly rewarding experience. I encourage you to come down to McDonalds on McPhillips and Inkster. I am there every Monday from 6-8PM to hear from you about your ideas or concerns about our province!
Some of the accomplishments that I am proud to report at this midway point are things that I believe reinforce the already strong sense of community in our neighbourhood. This includes fighting for issues like the housing situation at Gilbert Park. We fought hard to advocate for seniors in working with the Minister of Housing that resulted in the citizens of the Gilbert Park Housing Complex to continue living there. I am glad that our work has prevented dozens of senior citizens from being forced out of the places they called their home. Making smart decisions with regard to housing, senior's health, and personal care homes are issues that I am very passionate about!
I am proud to have fought for new Manitobans in our provincial immigration program (the MPNP), by identifying the issues hampering MPNP causing the application backlog and indefinite assessment time. We then committed the Minister of Education and Training to clear that existing backlog and reduce the assessment to six months. We've also established a communication line with the Program to receive status updates on files for applicants. I believe that diversity is our strength, and that new immigrants contribute positively to our economy and reunited families build our communities stronger!
I am currently fighting to have more community centre space available and for better utilization of our existing centres for families. I believe that strong communities mean healthy families, and one approach is to have programs made available to citizens. If we can be more efficient with the use of our community centres, we can capitalize on the free space through proper management and program availability.
You may have also heard of my Pharmacare petition that I have been promoting. My vision is to have a comprehensive, equitable healthcare system that looks out for ALL Manitobans. That includes prescription drug coverage, which will help low income families afford the prescriptions that they need! Healthcare is so important in our province, and I commit to fighting for issues like this, and many others in the legislature.
In closing, I would like to thank you for all your support over the last two years. People like you give me the platform to voice the issues that matter the most to our community. We have a great community in the Burrows neighbourhood, and what makes it even better are individuals making a difference in their own way.
Once again, please don't hesitate to reach out! I'd love to keep you updated with my monthly newsletter. Please send your email address to cindy.lamoureux@leg.gov.mb.ca
Your friend,
Cindy Lamoureux, MLA for Burrows