Convoy-inspired protests reach Winnipeg
Ottawa declared a state of emergency Feb. 6 in response to the convoy of truckers with white supremacist ties currently occupying the city in protest of COVID-19-related restrictions and vaccine mandates.
Colton McKillop
UMSU passes motion reducing voting board seats
UMSU’s board of directors passed a motion at its Jan. 20 meeting reducing the number of voting members on the board from over 50 down to 28.
Tina Chen appointed first executive lead of EDI
University of Manitoba history professor Tina Chen has been appointed to the newly established position of executive lead of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).
Omicron proof vaccine patents must be waived
In a rare piece of good COVID-19 news, researchers in Texas are developing a COVID-19 vaccine called Corbevax that developers say will be based on conventional vaccine technology, will be cheaper to produce and less complicated to store. Crucially, they do not intend to patent the vaccine, hoping this will make it more accessible in low-income countries.
High schoolers walk out to protest lax COVID policies
High school students across Manitoba walked out of class last Monday to demand improved COVID-19 safety measures as in-person learning resumes.
Shelters struggling to retain staff, volunteers
The ongoing surge of Omicron cases has some Winnipeg homeless shelters struggling to retain staff and recruit volunteers to operate their services.
Niki Ashton echoes First Nations’ calls for military aid
Niki Ashton, NDP MP for Churchill-Keewatinook Aski, echoed some Manitoba First Nations’ calls for military support on reserves overwhelmed by rising COVID-19 cases.
Ottawa distributing 140 million rapid tests across Canada
Ottawa will be sending 140 million rapid tests to provincial and territorial governments to assist with overwhelmed PCR testing capacities nationwide.
Ottawa, First Nations draft $40B child welfare agreement
The federal government revealed details last week of two agreements-in-principle, worth $40 billion, negotiated with Indigenous organizations and class-action lawyers to compensate those affected by the underfunding of child welfare on reserves and in the Yukon.
U of M returning to in-person classes in January
After almost two years of mostly remote learning, U of M students will be returning to in-person classes for the winter semester.