Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - March 15, 2022, Winnipeg, Manitoba ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COMA4 C M Y K PAGE A4 NEWS I MANITOBA TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2022 MANITOBANS will soon be dialing a new three-digit area code, after a feder- al review found the province is running out of unassigned phone numbers. The third code — 584 — is being ac- tivated Oct. 29, to provide relief to 204 and 431, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission decided. Telecom providers can begin handing out numbers starting with 584 that day. A third code is needed because an ex- plosion of cellphones and devices which use SIM cards has been “eating up phone numbers” in Manitoba, said To- ronto-area telecommunications expert Edward Antecol. The CRTC approved 584 in a decision dated Feb. 24, after the Canadian Num- bering Administrator predicted Mani- toba will “exhaust” its existing supply of phone numbers by December 2023. Since that decision, the date has been moved to November 2023. The CNA, which gives blocks of 10,000 numbers to carriers on behalf of the CRTC, predicts future demand by annually surveying the telecom compa- nies which also fund the corporation. When the CRTC reserved 584 for Manitoba in February 2017, a commit- tee predicted it wouldn’t be needed un- til 2027. However, the 431 code is “filling up,” said CNA program manager Kelly Walsh. Last year, Manitoba was briefly placed into a “jeopardy condition,” where the pool of unassigned blocks is predicted to run out before a new area code is brought in. The condition was lifted when an exhaust date of October 2023 was revised to December 2023. The 431 code went into service in November 2012, bringing in the era of mandatory 10-digit dialing for local calls. It gave relief to the province’s orig- inal 204 code, which has been around since 1947 and is maxed out. Existing numbers are reused when customers cancel a landline or cellphone, but all blocks have been assigned. “As those blocks run out, we have to create a new area code,” said Antecol, a former CNA manager. “If we see it’s go- ing to exhaust within five or six years, we begin watching really closely.” The CRTC’s approval of 584 came about a year after a committee began planning for a new relief area code due to the dwindling supply of numbers starting with 431. Walsh and Antecol said consumer demand and new phone companies are two of the main factors. In some households, every member has at least one phone. When a new provider starts up, it is given blocks of numbers. “The fact there are so many mobile devices leads to exhaustion faster,” said Walsh. Another influence is the “internet of things,” or IoT, which refers to all de- vices with online connectivity. Anything that uses a SIM card — from tablets and fax machines to mod- ern parking meters and traffic lights — has a unique phone number, said Walsh. Even vehicles equipped with SIM cards have their own phone numbers, said Antecol, vice-president of profes- sional services and legal counsel for COMSolve, a Toronto-area company contracted to run the Ottawa-based CNA. Based on the CNA’s latest prediction, Manitoba will need a fourth area code in 2034, he said, although it could be years sooner should demand continue to rise. All local calls in Manitoba were made using seven digits before the province began using a second area code almost a decade ago. Manitoba needed more time to pre- pare for 431 because it introduced 10-digit dialing. Telecom equipment and all kinds of systems, including home security alarms and autodialing, had to be up- graded or reprogrammed to accom- modate the change. Plus, an awareness campaign was launched to prepare Manitobans for the switch to 10-digit dialing. None of that will be necessary when 584 is introduced. Carriers will test the new area code before it goes into service. They can re- quest blocks of numbers starting with 584 about two months before Oct. 29, said Walsh. Canada takes its new area codes from a pool held by the North Ameri- can Numbering Plan Administrator. As those codes run out, the CNA asks for more, said Antecol. The NANP is on pace to run out of area codes in 2056. “By then, we should have moved on in technology to something different,” said Walsh. chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @chriskitching Calling 584: Manitoba’s new area code live in October CHRIS KITCHING WEED killers and pesticides prohibited for use on lawns across Manitoba could be back on the market, under legislation proposed by the Progressive Conserva- tive government. On Monday, Environment, Climate and Parks Minister Jeff Wharton intro- duced Bill 22 to amend the Environment Act and repeal legislation that restrict- ed the use and sale of certain pesticides for cosmetic purposes. “The proposed legislation changes would enable individuals and compa- nies to apply federally approved prod- ucts in low-risk areas,” Wharton said. “This would improve the flexibility and accessibility for households and com- munities, and allow for increased us- able green spaces.” Legislation prohibiting a number pesticides and herbicides was came into force in 2014, to reduce the pub- lic’s exposure to synthetic chemicals. Exceptions in the legislation continued to allow the use of pesticides for agri- cultural purposes, forestry and for the maintenance of golf courses. Wharton said the legislative changes would permit the use of Health Canada approved pesticides across most set- tings in Manitoba. Public engagement conducted by the province showed more than 60 per cent of survey respondents said restrictions on pesticides for cosmetic use were too strict, he added. However, Bill 22 will expand the list of places where synthetic pesticides would be prohibited, Wharton noted. In addition to the exterior proper- ty of schools, hospitals and child care centres, the use of prescribed cosmetic pesticides would also be restricted on municipal playgrounds, picnic areas, dog parks and in provincial parks. “We believe that these amendments would allow for flexibility, for the op- tions of cosmetic pesticide applications on lawns, while also balancing the pro- tection of sensitive areas in our commu- nities,” Wharton said. Association of Manitoba Municipal- ities president Kam Blight said gov- ernment restrictions on pesticides in- creased municipal maintenance costs for greenspaces by 10 times, compared to previous weed control practices. “We’re out there applying with more expensive chemicals and doing repeti- tious applications that are not becom- ing effective,” said Blight, reeve for the Rural Municipality of Portage la Prai- rie. “And it costs money to apply these chemicals, not just the chemical itself, but it’s the man-power as well as the usage of equipment and the burning of gas. “It was a redundant effort.” Manitoba Nursery Landscape Asso- ciation government relations chairman David Hinton described current legis- lation as arbitrary and said compliance with rules has be “very low.” Homeowners had continued to ap- ply products contrary to the law while rule-abiding lawn care companies were at a disadvantage as enforce- ment of current legislation is wanting, he said. “The current legislation is being en- forced by the part-time student at the big-box store,” said Hinton, who owns Weed Man, a local lawn maintenance company. “It’s just very poor legislation and this is going to straighten all of that out. We should have always been look- ing at Health Canada for these rules.” NDP environment critic Lisa Naylor called the proposed legislation a disap- pointment and a step back for climate change. “Many Manitobans have long-advo- cated for fewer chemicals in our water and on our land and in our air,” Nay- lor said Monday. “And so taking a step back, rolling that back, it’s not helpful.” danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca Bill seeks to alter pesticide use landscape DANIELLE DA SILVA SPEAKER Myrna Driedger has dis- missed an allegation Health Minister Audrey Gordon deliberately misled the Manitoba legislative assembly on an un- fulfilled promise to provide an update on the surgical and diagnostic task force. In her ruling Monday, Driedger said NDP health critic Uzoma Asagwara would have to prove the minister delib- erately misled the house and show there was a clear intent to purposely do so by knowingly making statements that would mislead. On March 3, Gordon told the legisla- ture the task force would be providing an update the following day. On March 4, there was no update pro- vided by government officials. Instead, a summary of the task force’s progress since its last update Jan. 19 was posted on a provincial government website. No new initiatives were announced. Gordon said she was advised by gov- ernment unveiling a detailed task force update would be in violation of the Elec- tion Financing Act rules limiting gov- ernment communication during a bye- lection period. The health minister said she wouldn’t be able to provide further information until after the March 22 byelection in Fort Whyte. On March 7, Asagwara rose in the house to allege Gordon violated the rules and misled members. The NDP MLA asked the health minister to apolo- gize to the house, and the “failure of the government to set a deadline to clear the backlog be moved to a committee for im- mediate consideration.” The Speaker dismissed the matter Monday, citing previous rulings. “A burden of proof exists that goes beyond speculation or conjecture but involves providing absolute proof… Including a statement of intent by the member involved that the stated goal is to intentionally mislead the house by knowingly putting incorrect informa- tion in the record,” Driedger said. “Providing information showing that some facts are at variance is not the same as providing proof of intent to mis- lead.” carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca Speaker clears health minister on task force report allegation CAROL SANDERS THE province has paid out more than $5.9 million in COVID-19 sick leave claims to employers for 21,306 employees, Manitoba’s labour minis- ter said Monday. Reg Helwer said in the legislature the Manitoba Pandemic Paid Sick Leave Program, established to help cover the costs of employee sick leave related to COVID-19, expires at the end of the month. Announced in May, the voluntary program provides eligible employers with up to $600 per employee for a maximum of five full days (40 hours) of COVID-19 related sick leave for workers who do not currently have paid sick days through their employ- er. Helwer was responding Monday to questions from NDP health crit- ic Uzoma Asagwara, who asked the Progressive Conservative govern- ment to implement a permanent paid sick leave program. “Currently, we are consistent with most other provinces, and we’re pay- ing close attention to what other ju- risdictions are doing,” Helwer said. Manitoba pays $5.9M in sick leave MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Health Minister Audrey Gordon: further task force information won’t come till after March 22. T HE Progressive Conservative government has been accused of “picking and choosing” which byelection communication blackout rules to follow. On Monday, the premier’s office invited media to an event she attend- ed. Meanwhile, the health minister refused to discuss plans to address Manitoba’s surgical backlog, saying it would amount to a breach. Eight days before the March 22 byelection in Fort Whyte, Premier Heather Stefanson’s press secretary notified the media the premier would be attending a news conference, ti- tled: “WestJet to announce summer schedule and Manitoba investments in recovery.” According to the provincial docu- ment, “Guidelines on Communications During an Election,” Manitoba “minis- ters cannot use government resources (financial, staff or otherwise) to initi- ate contact with the media, including interviews and news releases.” The 10-page government document explains the section of the Election Financing Act that restricts govern- ment advertising to ensure govern- ment resources are not used to sup- port an election campaign. “When ministers attend meetings or events, government resources should not be used to advertise or publish the minister’s speaking event, to invite peo- ple to that event or to publish the con- tents of their speech after it is made.” When asked about it Monday, in a scrum with reporters at Winnipeg Richardson International Airport, the premier said she was not in breach of the byelection blackout. “This does not violate any elections laws,” said Stefanson, whose speech touched on WestJet being a critical partner to Manitoba’s economy and that air connectivity is key to its long-term recovery. She said the Tory government is committed to working with its economic development part- ners and the business community. While advertising the premier’s at- tendance at the good-news event was not considered a breach of the bye- lection blackout rules by the PC gov- ernment, talking about the progress made by the surgical and diagnostic task force to address an estimated backlog of 161,000 surgeries and pro- cedures is considered a no-no. Health Minister Audrey Gordon has said a detailed update on the progress of the task force expected March 4 won’t be available until after the March 22 byelection. “They’re just picking and choosing how to follow the (Election Financ- ing) Act and that’s not right,” said NDP legislative and public affairs critic Malaya Marcelino. “Because it’s a good-news story for the government, it’s good to go?” said the Notre Dame MLA. “Well, it’s not.” Marcelino said Monday she will be seeking Manitoba’s elections com- missioner’s opinion on the matter. Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont, too, said the premier should not have been at the WestJet news conference. “The PCs are using government funds and staff to promote the pre- mier in the middle of a campaign. That’s not allowed. Even for the pre- mier’s press secretary to send out an email to media promoting her in- volvement ignores the blackout,” said the member for St. Boniface. “The voters of Fort Whyte deserve a free and fair byelection, and it is tru- ly unfortunate that the Stefanson PCs think the rules don’t apply to them.” University of Manitoba political studies professor emeritus Paul Thomas said the use of political and communications staff to promote Monday’s event is “on balance, prob- lematic.” It could be argued it was simply to alert the media to the availability of the premier after she’d been accused of not making herself available to questions, said Thomas. “The more likely explanation is that the WestJet event is an opportunity for favourable publicity in terms of renewed economic activity, which has been her central message.” carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca Premier says announcement not breach of election blackout rules CAROL SANDERS ● WESTJET FLIES HIGH AGAIN / B4 RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Premier Heather Stefanson spoke at an announcement for WestJet Monday. She maintains her appearance is in line with election law. A_04_Mar-15-22_FP_01.indd 4 2022-03-14 10:19 PM ;