Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 8, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba PRODUCED BY JAN. 10-12 RBC Convention Centre WINNIPEGRENOVATIONSHOW.COM SCAN QR CODE & BUY TICKETS ONLINE Promo Code: FREEPRESS 2-FOR-1 *On Regular Adult Admission Only COURTESY OF: COURTESY OF: SERVING MANITOBA SINCE 1872. FOREVER WITH YOUR SUPPORT. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2025 WEATHER CLOUDY. HIGH -9 — LOW -10 ARTS HOMEMADE SERIES A FEAST FOR LOCAL COOKS / C1 Man dies in HSC ER waiting room eight hours after arriving CHRIS KITCHING WINNIPEG’S Health Sciences Centre has launched an investigation into the Tuesday-morning death of a mid- dle-aged man who spent eight hours in the emergency department waiting room after arriving by ambulance. The man’s death immediately raised comparisons to the tragic end of double-amputee Brian Sinclair’s life in 2008 following more than 30 hours in the same waiting room. The ER was well over capacity and staff were dealing with several high acuity — seriously unwell — patients and an internal bottleneck in moving them when they noticed the man’s condition had significantly worsened in the waiting room, Dr. Shawn Young, chief operating officer of the central Winnipeg hospital, told reporters at a Tuesday-afternoon news conference. “We had a number of admitted pa- tients in the (ER), and we were unable to get them into beds and into the facility because patients within HSC that we need to get out, we’ve not been able to successfully get them back out to their communities or their residence in a timely manner,” he said. “The whole health system was backed up that way.” Young said a detailed and thorough investigation of the man’s death and all potentially contributing factors is underway to determine if it will be deemed a critical incident. Young said the man, who arrived by ambulance shortly after midnight, was assessed, triaged and directed to the waiting room with instructions to let staff know if his condition changed or worsened. Officials did not say why he was taken to the ER. He was classified as a low-acuity pa- tient, Young said, noting people in that category can face waits of 10 hours or more, while high-acuity patients are seen first. As many as 100 patients were in the ER (in the waiting area or undergoing treatment) at times in the 24 hours up to Tuesday afternoon. Of that number, about 50 were in the waiting room when the man was there, and all six resuscitation beds were full. While the ER was over capacity, the situation was “not completely abnor- mal” because the department typically has more than 70 or 80 patients, some- times up to 100, Young said. “When we see cold weather like this, we do have a number of patients that come in seeking shelter and safety as well, and that was a factor in the wait- ing room,” he said. Young said he did not yet know how many times the man was reassessed by staff after being triaged, but low-acuity patients are typically reas- sessed every couple of hours, he said, noting the frequency of reassessments is affected when the ER has a high number of patients. Staff noticed the man’s condition had deteriorated shortly before 8 a.m. It ap- peared he had vital signs when he was moved to a resuscitation room, where a pulse could no longer be detected and he was pronounced dead, Young said. Auto insurance rates going up by 5.7% T HE Public Utilities Board has or- dered a 5.7 per cent rate increase for vehicle insurance — nearly double the rate sought by Manitoba Public Insurance — blaming the Crown corporation for digging itself into a deep financial hole. Beginning April 1, rates will increase $50.84 per year ($4.24 per month) for the average passenger ve- hicle. Exact increases will vary from driver to driver depending on factors including driving record, claims histo- ry and place of residence. In the order, dated Tuesday, the PUB took MPI to task for its failure to consult actuary forecasting in its application. MPI requested a three per cent increase to driver insurance in its 2025 rate application — well below its actu- ary’s recommendation that exceeded six per cent. The PUB found no evidence the three per cent increase would help MPI dig itself out of the $130-million hole it posted in the 2023-24 fiscal year. “While MPI put forward the pro- posal that it could return to financial stability within five years, the board is not confident of that based on the evidence adduced at this hearing,” the PUB board wrote in its decision. During the three-week public hear- ing in October and November 2024, MPI president and chief executive officer Satvir Jatana said the Crown corporation settled on a three per cent ask based on various circumstanc- es, including maintaining ratepayer affordability. In its annual report, MPI said its massive deficit was due to a historic hailstorm and 10-week strike in 2023, along with major cost overruns on its IT overhaul, Project Nova. Katrine Dilay, a lawyer for the Pub- lic Interest Law Centre who represent- ed the Manitoba branch of the Consum- ers’ Association of Canada during the hearings, said the request was made based on a feeling, not rooted in fact. NICOLE BUFFIE Canadian leaders slam Trump’s 51st state claims WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau clapped back Tuesday at Donald Trump’s escalating claims that Canada would be better off if it became the 51st state, and has called for an in-person meeting with pre- miers in Ottawa next week to address this country’s relationship with the United States. Trudeau and the premiers have met virtually twice since November to negotiate a response to Trump’s threat to slap Canada and Mexico with 25 per cent import tariffs the day he takes of- fice. That threat is now imminent, with inauguration day less than two weeks away and Trump insisting Tuesday in a news conference that he will follow through with the tariffs. The Prime Minister’s Office said late Tuesday Trudeau and premiers will meet in person today in Ottawa, days before that would happen. Trump on Tuesday also repeated his insistence that Canada should join the U.S. While he suggested he would not rule out the use of military force to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, saying they were vital to American security, he did not go that far with Canada. Instead he said he would rely on “economic force” to merge the two countries. “You get rid of that artificially drawn line and you take a look at what that looks like, and it would also be much better for national security,” Trump said, referring to the border between Canada and the U.S. “And don’t forget, we basically pro- tect Canada.” Trudeau, who has until now not directly commented on Trump’s re- peated and escalating comments about annexing Canada, appeared to have had enough. “There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States,” Trudeau said in a statement posted to social media. “Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other’s biggest trading and security partners.” Trump first quipped about Canada becoming the 51st state in November, when the prime minister and Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc dined with the president-elect at Mar-a-Lago in Florida to discuss his tariff threats. LeBlanc has repeatedly dismissed the idea as “a joke” but the government is not laughing now. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly posted on X that his comments “show a complete lack of understand- ing of what makes Canada a strong country.” The Liberal party posted a map of North America on X labelling the United States and Canada as “Not the United States,” with the caption: “For anyone who may be confused.” In an apparent response, Trump posted two maps on Truth Social: one labelling both countries together as “United States,” and the other with the two countries covered in stars and stripes. KELLY GERALDINE MALONE MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS BURNING CRISIS A person walks by the charred remains of the vacant Holy Ascension Greek Orthodox Church in Point Douglas Tuesday, which was destroyed by fire Monday night. The crisis of repeated fires in vacant properties reached record levels last year and shows no signs of slowing / B1 ● STATE, CONTINUED ON A3 ● HSC, CONTINUED ON A2 ● RATES, CONTINUED ON A2 PUB rejects MPI’s 3% hike request, ‘not confident’ amount would be enough ;