April 16, 2021

Brandon MLAs announce Year-Round Funding to Samaritan House’s Safe and Warm Shelter

MLAs (), Hon. () and Hon. (Spruce Woods) announced $172,000 in funding to support Samaritan House’s Safe and Warm Shelter to stay open year-round in order to support and protect vulnerable Manitobans in the Brandon area.

The shelter is a 13-bed emergency facility with a full staff providing support and resources for vulnerable community members. Part of Budget 2021, this investment will enable Samaritan House to operate the Safe and Warm Shelter between April 1 and October 30 every year, whereas formerly, it was open only from November to March.

Barbara McNish, Executive Director of Samaritan House said “We are so pleased the province has invested in us and provided funding to support year-round operations of the Safe and Warm Shelter. Our shelter offers a safe and warm place to gather that supports those at risk who are without safe and secure housing in our community.”

Len Isleifson, MLA for Brandon East, announced new funding to support Samaritan House’s Safe and Warm Shelter Province Investing $20 Million to Increase Supports for Manitobans with Disabilities

The province is supporting accessibility and greater protection for Manitobans living with disabilities through a new $20-million endowment fund that will provide grants to municipalities, businesses and organizations to help eliminate barriers to their services. This investment will enable organizations to make necessary changes to increase accessibility of goods and services they provide to all Manitobans.

The Foundation will manage the new Accessibility Fund, which will support projects such as developing training tools and awareness campaigns for the removal of barriers for those living with disabilities. Applications for Manitoba Accessibility Fund grants are expected to open in the spring of 2022. For more information on accessibility in Manitoba, visit www.accessibilitymb.ca.

The Winnipeg Foundation will manage a new $20-million endowment fund to help increase supports for Manitobans with disabilities

Manitoba Investing $1-million for Mental Health and Addictions Supports

The Manitoba government is providing $1.2 million for mental health and addictions initiatives to address the additional pressures created by the pandemic. This investment will support Manitobans by ensuring high-quality mental health and addictions services are available to those who need them.

The province is providing funding for a variety of organizations and initiatives including:

• $810,000 to Blue Thunderbird Family Care Inc. to extend the Granny’s House community respite pilot project for a second year and expand it to a second location; • $200,000 to the Manitoba Adolescent Treatment Centre for clinician assessment and referral services in Thompson; • $60,000 for Community Living disABILITY Services clients for Naloxone kits; • $123,000 to the Mount Carmel Clinic for its Super Dads Program and other services; • $35,000 to the Clan Mothers Healing Village for its public education campaign against sexual exploitation; • $30,000 to the Manitoba Association of Women’s Shelters for a virtual staff training curriculum; and • $21,000 to the Canadian Mental Health Association for Thrival Kits (virtual component).

The province has taken a whole of government approach to addressing mental health and addictions, and has invested $49.4 million in 29 initiatives for these issues across multiple departments since 2016. 300,000 Vaccine Doses Administered, Expanding Eligibility to Priority Communities and First Responders

Manitoba reached a significant COVID-19 pandemic, Manitoba milestone this week in the will expand vaccine eligibility vaccine rollout campaign. Over criteria to include all adults 300,000 doses of vaccine have in priority communities and now been administered across people with public-facing roles the province, providing the best in those communities such possible protection against as teachers, as well as first COVID-19. There are currently responders. This approach will five super sites in operation help ensure doses reach those (Winnipeg, Selkirk, Brandon, who need protection from the Morden and Thompson), with virus the most, including our first Steinbach and Winnipeg (Leila responders such as police and Over 300,000 doses of vaccine Soccer Complex) scheduled to firefighters and those who are have now been administered open in May. disproportionately impacted by across the province. COVID-19. Additionally, in response to the threat of a third wave of the

Province Expanding Transportation Options for Vaccine Appointments

The Manitoba government is time and location. The 211 launching a new partnership navigators will help them with United Way’s 211 Manitoba identify available options to help connect seniors and and connect them with the people with mobility issues to transportation provider they transportation services that can choose. get them to their COVID-19 This partnership will help vaccination appointments. make the vaccine appointment United Way’s 211 Manitoba process simpler and easier for United Way’s 211 Manitoba is a free service that provides seniors and those with mobility will help connect seniors information and referral to a issues, ensuring they can and people with full network of community- get their vaccine and protect mobility issues based social, health and themselves against COVID-19. to their vaccination appointments. government services. Once an eligible person has a confirmed COVID-19 appointment, they can call 211 with the date, Province Expands Consultation on ‘Better Education Starts Today’ Strategy

The province continues to consult and engage with Manitobans of the future of the public education system, including with the creation of a number of a task forces and advisory panels from across the province. The Parent Engagement Task Force will be made up of MLAs, parents, and school and community leaders to shape School Community Councils and explore ways to improve parent engagement. The task force will lead 15 regional town halls to hear from each region being about how to improve parental voice and engagement while respecting their time. This group will also host workshops with Parent Advisory Councils and school leaders to explore parental involvement. The province is also creating advisory groups that will provide a representative voice in helping advance priority actions. These groups and their status will be posted on www.bettereducationmb.ca so Manitobans can receive regular updates on their work. These groups include: • the Minister’s Advisory Council on Inclusive Education, • the Task Force on Poverty and Education, • the Provincial Curriculum Advisory Panel, • the Funding Review Team, and • the Student Advisory Council.

The consultation and engagement process will include school leaders, education stakeholders, parents, post-secondary institutions, members of Manitoba’s First Nations School System, other Indigenous organizations, Manitoba’s francophone community, community groups, municipalities and the business community. This engagement work will focus on hearing from Manitobans across the province while finding new ways to engage and support parents and caregivers that respects their time and commitments.

Manitoba Invests $2-million in Home Nutrition and Learning Program

The province announced a $2 million investment to extend the Home Nutrition and Learning Program until the end of August and provide participating children with nutritious breakfast packages. The Home Nutrition and Learning Program supports families with school-aged children who are experiencing food disruption as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic by providing them with weekly boxes containing nutritious breakfast foods and simple, child-friendly recipes and learning activities. The program is delivered by Andrews Street Family Centre Inc. and Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre Inc. in Winnipeg, Samaritan House in Brandon, Cross Lake Community Council in Cross Lake and Bayline Regional Round Table. This funding will ensure that thousands of children continue to receive nutritious breakfasts to start their days off right and to support their learning goals. This builds on the $5.1 million the province has already invested in the program, which launched in June of last year, providing participating families with packages of nutritious foods, recipes and learning activities. Column of the Week

Budgets are never just about $50 million will improve wait value of the Hudson’s Bay money, they’re always about times for surgeries, $23 million Building. people, and Manitoba’s 2021 will improve access to cancer Budget’s are never about budget charts the course to treatments and $9 million will money, they’re always about help all Manitobans by creating add 120 more personal care people. I’m honoured to serve jobs, lowering taxes and home beds. Diabetics under the people of strengthening core services. 25 will receive insulin pumps very day, and to be part of On April 7, Manitoba’s and Continuous Glucose a government committed government committed to Monitors. A new Department of to improving their lives and spend more per person on Mental Health, Wellness and strengthening our province. To health (up $156 million), Recovery ($342 million) will find out more, read the Budget education (up $91 million for engage the public to form a for yourself at https://www.gov. K-12) and social services (up Mental Health and Addictions mb.ca/budget2021/index.html $34 million) combined than Strategy and increase 24-7 any other province. housing supports for mental Budget 2021 committed a health. This year, $12.5 record $2.1 billion for strategic million more will be spent infrastructure, stimulating on Community Living and construction jobs and building disABILITY Services, and roads, schools, bridges and more than $2.5 million more other projects. The NDP’s is available for wraparound record years of infrastructure support for Manitobans spending hovered around experiencing homelessness. $100 million, the next 3 years Rent control guidelines will will see our government be frozen through 2023; and spending upwards of $500 $22 million more will help million annually. more low income Manitobans Ordinary Manitobans will pay their rent. There are benefit from tax breaks, numerous investments being changing the NDP’s record of made in education, childcare, making us one of Canada’s job creation, jobs for youth highest taxed provinces. programs, public safety Home owners will receive and climate change. Other education property tax rebates commitments include investing MLA for Rossmere as school funding comes in the North End Water off property tax bills. Retail Pollution Control Centre, new sales tax will be removed electric bus infrastructure in from personal services and Winnipeg and a $25 million vehicle registration fees will trust to protect the heritage drop by 10%. Small business payroll tax thresholds will also decrease. Social Media Corner

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