View From the Legislature

Last week was National Trucking Week, an annual time when various provincial trucking associations honour the job that our professional drivers do ensuring that the shelves of our stores remain stocked for customers and that online packages get delivered.

While summer is not officially over, it is hard not to notice that there has been a change in the air with the beginning of September.

It is hard not to be overwhelmed by the news these days and the almost singular focus it has on the COVID-19 pandemic.

Traditionally at this time of the year there is a great deal of excitement in the homes of school aged children as the return to school nears. Of course, this year is different in many ways and the return to school is different as well.

Over the last few months one of the things that most of us have discovered is that there can be a danger of getting too much information.

The recent increase in COVID-19 numbers in our province has caused greater concern regarding the coronavirus among Manitobans than likely existed during the days when few if any cases were being reported.

While there is much of summer left, it is the traditional time when some thought would turn to the upcoming school year for those that have school aged children at home.

There was a mid 1980’s song whose chorus screamed out “I need a hero!” Today, as much as ever, that would seem true.

It is sometimes said that professional sports are a metaphor for life. In many ways during the pandemic, it has been as much a mirror as a metaphor.

Despite the many challenges that are happening in the world these days there was optimistic economic news in Manitoba this past week as Statistics Canada data showed that our province had one of the strongest employment recoveries in the country during the month of June.