Tag: Manitoba

After the federal government legislated the use of the Emergencies Act — legislation that allows the government to have significant temporary powers to freeze the bank accounts and credit cards of protesters or arrest them — on Feb. 14, the protests were on track to end. Despite Conservative pushback on Parliament Hill, “freedom” protests in Ottawa were rapidly cleared and the use of such temporary powers came to an end on Feb. 23. But Winnipeg protesters were one of the exceptions. After receiving a lenient police deadline to end their occupation across the street of the Manitoba Legislative Building, protesters moved to a nearby location in Memorial Park. This lack of dedicated action from the police department suggests the “freedom convoy” extends beyond unvaccinated individuals and appeals to public servants like Winnipeg’s police force.

The board will be aimed at “fostering strong economic growth, attracting investment, promoting trade and creating high-quality jobs for Manitobans.”

Though the mission and vision of Bell Let’s Talk certainly materialize positive dialogue about mental illness, the Canadian public must also be aware of the the deep systemic issues the organization fails to tackle. Despite raising over $8 million in donations for this year’s fundraiser, the campaign itself fails to provide further education on mental illness and naively relies on a social media campaign that occurs once a year and then fades from the public eye until the next fundraiser. This creates an image of philanthropic charity that Bell maintains in order to reap tax cuts laid out by the Canadian government for corporations that contribute to social causes.

These deaths were far from the family’s choice. Economic instability or political persecution in home countries, mixed with the U.S. and Canada’s unsupportive and often oppressive immigration systems, force the hands of migrants seeking asylum. When people are refused entry or refused humane conditions upon entry, gambling on death becomes a risk that migrants are willing to take.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every aspect of social interaction and has been especially hard for older adults. Organizations catering to older adults have had to meet the challenge.