Conversation hog not a good fit for long haul

Does Canada need an abortion-rights law?

OTTAWA - After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision Friday — the ruling that had, for decades, guaranteed a woman's right to get an abortion across the United States — Liberal politicians north of the border were were quick to suggest that Canadians shouldn't take their freedoms for granted.

"No country in the world, including Canada, is immune to what’s going on in the United States," said Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, as other ministers and MPs chimed in with similar warnings.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has repeated time and again that every woman has the right to an abortion in Canada, promising Friday to defend those rights.

But in a country that has no legal framework governing abortion, what does that actually mean — and why are abortion-rights advocates urging Trudeau to avoid enshrining that right into law, once and for all?

Licence reviews probe hard-hit care homes

The results of a provincial probe into one of Manitoba's deadliest personal-care home outbreaks remain unknown, even as the health department puts the private facility's licence under review.

Maples Personal Care Home in Winnipeg is one of three personal-care homes in Manitoba currently having its licence reviewed because it hasn't been able to keep up with provincial standards, a government spokesperson confirmed Monday. But the province has yet to disclose the findings of a review it commissioned last fall.

Lynn Stevenson, a former nurse and B.C. deputy health minister, was tasked with looking into the operations of the Revera Inc. personal care home after a "nightmare" situation unfolded at Maples in early November. An anonymous paramedic's social media post on Reddit described residents dying at the chronically understaffed facility, some being left hungry and dehydrated while others were "being literally left to rot." It prompted then-Health Minister Cameron Friesen to promise a review of the facility's operations.

More than a month after a preliminary report was completed following the review, the province says it will not be publicly released, but that changes have already been put in place for staffing, infection control and safe visits. The final report was expected this month.

Planting the seeds for a better growing season

After experiencing the worst drought in 70 years on the Prairies, the annual meeting of Keystone Agricultural Producers served both as a debrief on the rough experience many Manitoba producers faced last year and a chance to set the stage for the year ahead.

KAP’s annual meeting is typically the first major agricultural event of the year and Manitoba’s new agriculture minister, Derek Johnson, took the opportunity to speak (virtually) to KAP’s membership for the first time.

He was able to announce record levels of AgriInsurance coverage for 2022 which is expected to exceed $4.66 billion.

With the expectation that commodity prices will remain strong, average coverage is estimated at $463 per acre, compared to $321 per acre in 2021.

Stefanson shifts gears in effort to leave Pallister behind

One year after Brian Pallister suddenly resigned as Manitoba premier, his successor is striking a different tone ahead of an election the PCs could call sooner than its scheduled October 2023 date.

Damian Warner, the world’s greatest athlete with a pretty good back story, is the right choice to carry the Canadian flag at Tokyo’s closing ceremony

“It is the honour of a lifetime,” the decathlon champions says. “And I understand that this honour could have went to anybody on this team.”

Firefighter’s death fuels cancer fight

The United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg is mourning the loss of Winnipeg firefighter Darrel Maynard while continuing its work to raise awareness of occupational cancer and improve health protections for firefighters.

Maynard, a senior firefighter II and acting lieutenant with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, died Aug. 5 at age 41 after a three-year battle with occupational cancer.

He served Winnipeg for nearly two decades and leaves behind his wife Francine and sons Colin and Christian.

“Darrel was an incredible, incredible person, an incredible firefighter, and really, really special to all of us,” said Nick Kasper, president of UFFW.