he Manitoba government is committing up to $1.9 million to support and protect families and early learning and child-care (ELCC) facilities affected by the new move to remote learning in Winnipeg and Brandon as part of the province’s public health measures, Families Minister Rochelle Squires announced today. “Our government is taking strong action to protect Manitobans from the spread of COVID-19 and we recognize the significant impacts of these measures,” said Squires. “This new support will help ensure parents do not pay for child-care spaces they cannot use and will protect facilities from financial hardship while they cannot accept school-aged children during this period of remote learning.” The minister noted early learning and child-care facilities that provide school-aged care in Winnipeg and Brandon will experience reduced attendance as schools move today to remote learning, which could affect more than 10,000 school-aged spaces. Parents of children in these spaces will not be expected to pay child-care fees during this time, while the province provides this funding to these ELCC facilities to offset their losses of revenue. Families will also retain their child-care spaces during this period. The new funding will be provided to the affected facilities in addition to their continued operating grants, the minister said. “As a critical service that relies on parent fees in order to operate, this investment will enable our centres to remain open to support additional critical workers during this period of remote learning,” said Bonnie Ash, executive director, Morrow Early Learning and Child Development, Programs for Families. “This announcement will be welcomed by the early learning and child-care sector, as well as our families.” The minister recognized the ongoing commitment of the child-care sector to quality care, while also ensuring precautions are taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19. She noted the province is further supporting early learning and child care by increasing its monthly investment in personal protective equipment for the sector by an additional $415,000 per month, to increase its monthly allocation of protective masks to 1.1 million from 100,000 and to raise the daily provision of masks for each ELCC worker to four from one. In addition, the quality of the masks is improving to the Level 3 medical grade to enhance protection for workers, children and their families. Details on access to the new funding will be shared with facilities soon. (Province of MB News Release)

Alysa Ferguson of Thompson is the winner of this year's Sunrise Credit Union Our Manitoba Photo Contest. Alysa’s photo ‘Minosiw’ (below) emerged as the winner from over 400 entries for this year's contest. A shortlist of 30 images was put through one-week public voting last month through the ourmanitoba.org website. The week-long voting period saw close to 9,300 votes cast, with the 12 finalists and the grand prize winner receiving the most votes. Ferguson, who is originally from Minnedosa, took the winning photo at Fish Lake, Manitoba, on September 25, 2020. The name ‘Minosiw’ (pronounced min-NOOSE-sue) is Cree for ‘Beauty.’ “That picture, we were out moose-hunting, so we were out sleeping on an island, and the lights were out all around us.” said Ferguson, “They’re usually out when we go out moose-hunting, so I knew they (the Northern Lights) would be out. But the clouds had just cleared off, and they came dancing.” A self-taught photographer, Ferguson moved to Thompson in 2007 but still maintains her account at the Minnedosa branch and vacations frequently with her family at their cottage at Minnedosa Lake. “Just the last few years, I got into it when the kids were young because I needed a hobby.” Said Ferguson, “It seemed the only time I had to myself was nighttime. Some friends took me out to do aurora shooting, and I just fell in love with it.” All 13 finalists will also receive a canvas print of the winning photograph, be featured in the 2022 Sunrise Credit Union calendar, and appear on Sunrise Credit Union's branch TVs and social media channels. In addition, Alysa Ferguson earned the Grant Prize of a $500 One-Year Term Deposit from Sunrise Credit Union. 2021 marked the ninth edition of the Our Manitoba Photo Contest, and the unveiling of the grand prize winner on Wednesday (May 12) coincided with Manitoba Day.(submitted)

Source: Brandon Police Servive Media Release On May 10, 2021 shortly after 6:00 pm, police responded to a report of two individuals believed to be carrying knives in the 100 block of McTavish Ave.  The 52-year-old male was found in possession of a machete and a pocketknife.  He was also to abide by conditions not to be in the company of the second individual.  He was arrested and lodged at Brandon Police Service.  He will appear in court today on charges of Carry a Concealed Weapon and Fail to Comply with Undertaking. The 29-year-old female, kept trying to step in front of the police cruiser as police were attempting to leave with the male.  She too was arrested due to her intoxication level and lodged for Breach of Peace at Brandon Police Service until sober.

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release On May 10, 2021, police responded to several reports of a dispute between family members at a residence after midnight. The 16-year-old son who was causing the disturbance was given an opportunity to remain at home; however, after several hours, his behavior escalated and he proceeded to spray another family member with bear mace. Police returned and arrested the youth. He was lodged and will be released to appear in court on June 8, 2021 on charges of Assault with a Weapon, Possession of a Prohibited Weapon, And Administer Noxious Thing with Intent.

As a proactive measure and to mitigate increasing transmission of COVID-19, all kindergarten to Grade 12 schools in the City of Winnipeg and the City of Brandon will move to remote learning effective Wednesday, May 12 until May 30, Education Minister Cliff Cullen announced today.“Keeping schools open and safe for students, staff and families has been at the forefront of our COVID-19 response planning, and our priority has been to have students in classrooms with face-to-face instruction to the greatest extent possible,” said Cullen. “However, increased transmission of the variants of concern, increased case numbers in larger centres and rising numbers of cases in younger people means we are moving to remote learning in Winnipeg and Brandon to better protect students, families, teachers and staff.”For schools remaining open in other parts of Manitoba, the following additional measures will be implemented during this period:•    schools with multiple cases (outside of same household cases) will be moved proactively to remote learning as per existing guidance;•    school officials can require students and/or staff who are showing symptoms to stay home for 10 days and encourage them to seek testing. Household members without symptoms should also self-isolate (quarantine) until the sick individual’s test result is received;•    all extra-curricular activities, organized sports and off-site activities are suspended, except for physically-distanced walks/runs in the local community;•    no indoor singing and no indoor use of wind instruments will be allowed; and•    all other public health measures will remain in effect.“While some of these people may not have caught the virus in school or spread it to others in schools because they were self-isolating at home, the rising case numbers mean we need to take steps now to break the cycle of transmission and reduce case counts,” said Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer. “Public health officials will continue to work with school leadership to actively monitor the situation, and move additional schools outside Winnipeg and Brandon to remote learning if and when the data indicates it is needed.”The minister noted schools in full remote learning will be able to accommodate kindergarten to Grade 6 children of critical services workers who cannot make alternative care arrangements if they are not required to self-isolate. In addition, schools will also be able to accommodate kindergarten to Grade 12 high-risk students and those with special needs.“While schools have done an excellent job protecting staff and students throughout the pandemic, there is a great deal of community transmission at this time, which is impacting our schools. This approach is needed to address community transmission and will support Manitoba’s efforts in moving through and out of the third wave,” said Roussin. “Between the significant restrictions that came into effect today and this proactive move to protect school communities, we believe we can bend the curve, reduce COVID-19 cases in Manitoba to ease the strain on our health system and reduce the risk of people getting sick, while we provide more vaccinations to people across the province.” At this time, child care facilities will remain open, including sites in Winnipeg and Brandon. However, children who are on remote learning at school should not attend child care facilities before or after school hours. All child care facilities will also follow the additional guidance for schools that remain open in communities outside Winnipeg and Brandon. Effective this week, shipments of personal protective equipment (PPE) to the child care sector will increase from 100,000 units per month to 1.1 million units per month to meet increased mask use requirements. Currently, public health officials are not recommending changes to cohort sizes, as there is less evidence of transmission in younger age groups. Public health officials will continue to review data and other measures to determine if changes are needed.For more information on the current public health orders and COVID-19 in Manitoba, visit: manitoba.ca/covid19. (Province of MB News Release)