By Fadi Ennab
The involvement of refugee parents in their children’s education is crucial for academic success and community development. Yet schools often struggle in promoting the involvement of newcomer parents, especially in contexts where there are language, cultural and socioeconomic challenges separating the school system and its staff from the communities and families they serve. While refugee parents are not a homogenous group, they face unique, multiple, and intersecting challenges that can negatively impact their involvement in their children’s education to the point of potentially being uninvolved.
By Lisa Forbes, Molly McCracken and Ellen Smirl
First published in the Winnipeg Free Press March 28, 2017
On March 20th Minister of Justice Heather Stefanson introduced an amendment to the Elections Act that would establish a permanent voter registry for future provincial elections, changes to individual contributions and spending for third-party communications. The amendment allows for the requirement of a voters list based on the 2016 election. The provincial government chose also to amend eligible voter identification (ID) that would require citizens to present a type of ID that is not easily accessible for some Manitobans and potentially skew the slate of candidates to favour those who can inject the most money into their campaign.
Dear supporting organizations for Make Poverty History Manitoba,
We are holding consultations for developing a City of Winnipeg Poverty Reduction Plan, with consultations starting today at the Millennium Library at 6 pm. Other dates are March 23, April 4 and April 6. Further details below.
No one level of government can solve poverty on its own, so we need the City of Winnipeg to make poverty reduction a priority in the areas it has under its jurisdiction.
If you can spread the word to your contacts and invite your members to attend, that would help us mobilize the support we need to make poverty reduction a priority at the City of Winnipeg. If you are unable to attend, I have attached have a quick survey you can fill out to add your voice.
Josh Brandon, Chair, Make Poverty History Manitoba
By Lynne Fernandez
On March 6, 2017, the Winnipeg Free Press reported that the Manitoba government was examining Saskatchewan’s experience with using Public Private Partnerships (P3s) to build new public schools. The Saskatchewan government claims that it will save $100m dollars by using P3s, although it was not explained how it arrived at that conclusion.
By Lynne Fernandez
In Aiming for ‘average’ could help Manitoba, Peter Holle resorts to sleight of hand to convince us that Manitoba’s public sector is responsible for the province’s budgetary shortfalls. He states that the size of province’s public sector, including municipal employees, went up 2,500 over the last two years and 15,000 over the last 5 years. He then follows these assertions with a discussion of Manitoba’s budgetary challenges, even though the province is not responsible for municipal employees.
If we are to have an honest conversation about the provincial budget and provincial workers, we need to consider two groups of workers: Manitoba civil servants and the other public sector workers whose employers are funded by the province (teachers, professors, healthcare workers, etc.). Manitoba civil servants work directly for the province. According to the Manitoba Bureau of Statistics, in 2015 the civil service numbered 14,687 and made up 2.3% of the total Manitoba workforce. The Bureau also reports that the Manitoba Civil Service is 1.4% smaller than it was 6 years ago and 4% smaller than this time in 2012.
[This article was first published in the Winnipeg Free Press, March 8, 2017]
By John Hutton
Manitoba has a higher proportion of adults in custody than any other province.
We lock up people more frequently than Saskatchewan by 17 per cent and three-and-a-half times more frequently than B.C., according to a Statistics Canada report from last week.
Artwork by Jackie TraverseBy Jenna Drabble
This winter, a 53 year-old woman died overnight in minus 32-degree temperatures, frozen to death on the streets of downtown Winnipeg. This tragic and preventable loss serves as a reminder of how Winnipeg is failing to support people who need it the most and that the homelessness crisis affects women. A new study released today renews calls to action to deal with this tremendously unjust situation.
In 2016, community-based organizations asked the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Manitoba office to coordinate a study on women’s experiences of homelessness. It was noted that the province was celebrating 100 years since some women had received the right to vote; however, many women continue to experience marginalization, particularly when it comes to housing and homelessness. The results of this study, Finding Her Home, renew the call for more public investment and coordination across government and community to end homelessness.
By Pete Hudson
In January, the government released the Toews report The Future of Home Care Services in Manitoba. The report was commissioned by the NDP government in 2015 as a follow up to an earlier report on Home Care (HC) from the province’s Auditor General. The two most compelling challenges identified in both reports are an anticipated rise in costs resulting mainly from an ageing population, and difficulty in recruiting and retaining staff. However, neither report paints a picture of crisis.
By Ellen Smirl
On the Main Street in Morden Manitoba there are two gas stations: an Esso and a Co-op. During the busiest times of the week-after a hockey game, or on Sunday when the area’s many churches let out-you will see cars waiting in line at the Co-op while the Esso remains virtually empty. Research shows that there are more co-ops and credit unions in rural communities compared to urban areas. These areas are also more likely to vote conservative. In the last provincial election, with the exception of three northern ridings, rural communities solidly elected blue candidates.
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