Lunch-hour lust becoming a workplace worry

WRHA directs three care homes to accommodate surge of hospital patients

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority has directed three long-term care centres to make space for hospital patients, citing “exceptionally high demand for care across the health-care system.”

“Riverview Health Centre, Deer Lodge Centre and Misericordia Health Centre have been asked to identify additional temporary capacity for patients who no longer require an acute-care hospital bed but continue to need an appropriate level of care before they can transition to their next care setting,” a WRHA spokesperson told the Free Press Thursday.

“This whole-of-system response will help create additional capacity in acute-care hospitals, supporting patient flow and timely access to emergency departments and other hospital services.”

The spokesperson described the measures as part of “standard surge protocol,” atypical and temporary, but did not provide a timeline of how long patients would be staying at the health-care centres.

Meet the new boss, not at all the same as the old boss

Manitoba, meet Premier Kelvin Goertzen, the reluctant premier.

The veteran MLA from Steinbach was sworn in Wednesday as the province's 23rd premier. It was an ironic moment for a whole variety of reasons, not least of which is the fact he never once showed any interest in taking over the top job.

Goertzen is undoubtedly one of the smartest and most articulate ministers in former premier Brian Pallister's government. He is a master of legislative rules and procedures. A relentless partisan who can trade verbal haymakers with any opposition MLA. And since 2016, a capable cabinet minister who has taken on some of the most challenging portfolios.

He is also defined by a rather unusual characteristic: in a world that is permeated by unbridled ambition, Goertzen does not seek greater power or self-aggrandizement.

Restrictions to be further eased Friday

Beginning Friday, Manitobans can once again dine in a restaurant, work out in a gym, get their nails done, worship together or play hockey outdoors — as long as pandemic protocols are followed.

The provincial government’s “cautious” easing of restrictions follows weeks of lower COVID-19 case counts and a steady drop in the number of coronavirus patients in hospitals and intensive-care units.

In announcing the changes Tuesday, along with chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin, Premier Brian Pallister called it “a good day for Manitobans.”

The new provincewide public-health order, set to take effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday, is virtually identical to a proposal floated by the Progressive Conservative government last week. It is scheduled to be in place for three weeks.

Liberal-NDP dental plan would benefit millions of Canadians

The program was the centrepiece of an agreement announced Tuesday by the Liberals and NDP, that will see the former stay in power as a minority government until 2025 with support from the latter.

Must-see Folk Fest workshops

Workshops have always been an integral part of the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

They are magic-moment makers; a curated group of musicians — sometimes friends, sometimes strangers — on one stage playing together, supporting each other, creating something that will only exist for an hour or two. No one knows what will come out of the collaboration, but usually it’s something special.

When the Free Press spoke to Winnipeg Folk Festival artistic director Chris Frayer ahead of the lineup release in early March, he noted he would be paying some extra attention to workshops this year, as some of the special projects occurring during the past couple of festivals had pulled some of his attention away.

And with 37 workshops on the books, it would seem he followed through on his promise.

‘You vote with your bike’: cyclists celebrate freedoms, call for increased safety

Patty Wiens got dressed up in her sparkly, hot pink cowboy boots to pedal and talk politics with more than 100 other people on Sunday.

The founder of Winnipeg’s Fancy Women Bike Ride called on attendees of the 2026 event to ask candidates in the upcoming civic election — a half-dozen of whom were in attendance — about their active transportation platforms.

“We’re here today, in an election year, to remind you that you vote with your bike,” Wiens told a crowd of nearly 120 cyclists gathered on the legislature grounds for the group ride.

“When (city council) candidates come to your door and ask what’s important to you, you’re going to say, ‘I want to ride my bike safely in the city. What are you going to do about it?’”