View From the Legislature

The peaceful transition of power. It is something that those of us who live in western democracies have largely taken for granted. We perform our civic duty of voting on election day and then, almost automatically, the winning party assumes power.

On Monday morning at Oakview Place Long Term Care Residence in Winnipeg, 94-year-old Margaret Watson sat down in front of a camera and a select few medical onlookers and became the first person in Manitoba, who is not a healthcare worker, to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

On Tuesday, Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister changed his provincial Cabinet. This was the first major change to Cabinet roles in about two and a half years and several key positions were reassigned.

The end of a year and the beginning of a new one is the traditional time that we both look back at the year that was and look forward to the one that is to come. This is usually marked by looking at the good that has happened in the year ending and the hopes for the new year.

There has been a lot of talk about Christmas being cancelled this year. Of course, that is not possible. Christmas is a gift that cannot be taken away. But for those of us who have grown up with the traditions of Christmas in our Canadian culture, it is going to feel like a very different Christmas.

On Tuesday morning a cargo plane arrived at the Richardson International Airport in Winnipeg. That in and of itself is not unusual as Winnipeg is a major transportation hub. But its cargo was must unusual.

It is hard sometimes in the middle of a storm to see the other side. And as COVID-19 cases are rising in most places in the world and many families are dealing with the loss of a loved one, this feels like a particularly difficult time.

In this most unusual of years, there is at least one unusual happening that should be welcomed by most Manitobans. Rebate cheques from Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) have happened occasionally in years past.

Last week Friday, Manitoba Public Health made the decision to move schools in the Hanover School Division to critical on the Pandemic Response System. This meant that, generally, students would move to at home learning.

It can be difficult to judge the heart of a community just by driving through. But, if you are around for a while, you can quickly get a sense.