Carbon Pricing and Climate Mitigation Backgrounder Part I

By James Magnus-Johnston The federal government has stated that if provinces don’t impose a price on carbon, it will impose its own price by 2018.  Trudeau has stated that “if neither price nor cap and trade is in …

Pulling back the curtain on University budget reports

By Cameron and Janet Morrill The need to “tighten our belts” is heard so often in the public sector, it is pretty much accepted without question. This is certainly the case for Canadian universities: actions such as raising …

How to really help Manitoban families: Build a universal childcare system

By Susan Prentice Manitoba’s childcare system is staggering to meet the needs of parents and children, and recent signs give little confidence the new provincial government will respond effectively. Over a dozen community groups who are ready to …

Portage la Prairie P3 decision fails the public interest test

By Paul Moist Pursuant to new provincial and federal effluent guidelines, the City of Portage la Prairie is required to upgrade its wastewater facilities, known as the Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF). The new Public-Private Partnership (P3) project …

Responding to the Fentanyl crisis: Constructing better drug policy in Manitoba

First published on CBC online edition Dec 3, 2016 By Ellen Smirl Increasing tragic deaths from Fentanyl are raising calls to deal with this crisis. Evidence shows that controlling supply and criminalizing drug users does not address the …

62 Recommendations and the Legacy of Phoenix Sinclair

By Shauna MacKinnon “ the social and economic conditions that render children vulnerable to abuse and neglect are well beyond the scope of the child welfare system” (Hon. Ted Hughes, Commissioner, The Legacy of Phoenix Sinclair: Achieving the …

Aboriginal Homelessness in Flin Flon Manitoba

Report by Evelyn Peters and Shelly Craig While it is widely recognized that Aboriginal people are over-represented in the urban homeless population, most research has focused on Aboriginal homelessness in metropolitan areas. Very little attention has been paid …

Newcomer families: The role of housing and wrap around supports in Winnipeg

IRCOM staff and participants. By Jill Bucklaschuk As housing advocates across the country recognize National Housing Day on November 22nd, we must continue to acknowledge the central role of housing in building inclusive communities and seek ways to …

Community looking for action plan from Province on poverty

By Josh Brandon When Lieutenant Governor Janice Filmon delivers the throne speech November 21, a plan for poverty reduction should top the government’s priority list. The Province has promised a plan by next year’s budget and Manitobans are …

U of M Labour Showdown: A New Sheriff in Town

by Lynne Fernandez On October 28th, an unusual joint statement was released by the University of Manitoba (U of M) administration and the union representing faculty, the University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA). Unusual because these two entities …