Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - February 19, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba “How is my energy billed?” To request accessible formats visit hydro.mb.ca/accessibility. Join our virtual public meeting, your opportunity to ask questions and learn how we provide Energy for Life. Tuesday, March 4 at 7:00 p.m. For more information, visit hydro.mb.ca/publicmeeting A4 ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM NEWS I TOP NEWS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2025 Promise of 700 child-care spaces for health workers Nearly half will go to St. Boniface Hospital, HSC and Brandon regional centre MALAK ABAS C HILD-CARE spaces for parents who work in health care are planned for three hospitals in Manitoba. The federal and provincial govern- ments announced Tuesday plans for 700 new child-care spaces for children up to age six, nearly half of which will be on-site at St. Boniface Hospital, Brandon Regional Health Centre and Riverview Health Centre. In total, 104 spaces have been ear- marked for St. Boniface Hospital, which is considering the construction of a day care in La Vérendrye Park, dir- ectly across from the hospital. “We’ve always had this vision of bringing a day care to our (hospital),” said president and CEO Nicole Aminot. “People are always so worried about where they’re going to bring their child when they go back to work, so this gives them a great option.” The hospital plans to issue two re- quests for proposals, for construction of the building and operation of the child-care centre. Aminot said they hope to have the site ready in two years. A memo sent to all St. B staff Tues- day said the site will be licensed for 24 infant spaces and 80 pre-school spots, and the “majority” would be reserved for hospital staff and physicians. The memo notes that the site will ideally be bilingual and have extended hours to accommodate shift work. No potential sign-up date was provided. “The enrolment and application pro- cess will be determined with the even- tual operator, once that operator is chosen,” the memo reads. “We will be sure to keep staff posted on important developments with respect to the day- care, and access to it.” Aminot hopes the site will help ef- forts to recruit and retain health-care staff, which she called “one of our greatest challenges.” “Our staff deserve this,” she said. “They will value it, they will make good use of it, and we couldn’t be proud- er to be able to offer this to the people who work so hard spending their days looking after their fellow citizens in their time of need here in our commun- ity.” Riverview Health Centre in Winni- peg has been allocated 80 spots, while 140 spots have been earmarked for Brandon Regional Health Centre. An action plan detailing how $20.9 million in federal funding will be used to create the 324 spaces over three years was signed by both governments this month. The money is part of the Early Learning and Child Care Infra- structure Fund. An additional 384 child-care spaces will be created in partnership with three public school divisions and two post-secondary institutions. From those, 256 new child-care spaces will open in six schools, and 128 spaces will be created at Red River College Polytechnic and the University College of the North campus in Thomp- son. Manitoba Child Care Association executive director Jodie Kehl said while she was happy to see both levels of government working together, more work must be done to improve wages and working conditions. “The system will not be high quality unless we have certified early child- hood educators who are compensated competitively and have supportive working conditions,” she said. “I do appreciate that this is a bal- anced approach … (but) we really have to start focusing on that quality piece.” Federal Families, Children and So- cial Development Minister Jenna Sudds was in Winnipeg for the funding an- nouncement. She decried Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who hasn’t said wheth- er he would keep the federal $10-a-day child-care plan in place should he be- come prime minister in this year’s election. “Pierre Poilievre believes that this program is a slush fund, and has said that he will fight it until his dying day,” she told attendees at Tuesday’s an- nouncement. malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Families, Children and Social Development Minister Jenna Sudds, flanked by MP Dan Vandal (left) and Minister of Sport Terry Duguid, was at St. Boniface Hospital to announce the new spaces. Parties gearing up for Transcona byelection March 18 A PROVINCIAL byelection for the Transcona constituency will be held March 18. The seat became vacant after the Jan. 14 death of NDP cabinet minister Nello Altomare. Premier and party leader Wab Kinew introduced the NDP candidate, Shan- non Corbett, at a hastily called news conference in the constituency Tues- day evening. The 53-year-old vice-prin- cipal of Transcona Collegiate won the nomination Monday and will be taking time off from her job to run, she said in an interview Tuesday. The Liberal party will field a can- didate, said leader Cindy Lamoureux. Two unnamed party members are con- sidering the nomination, Manitoba’s lone Liberal MLA said Tuesday. The Progressive Conservatives did not say whether they have a candidate lined up. Shawn Nason, the former Win- nipeg city councillor for Transcona, has said on social media that he will seek the PC nomination. It’s the fourth byelection called in Manitoba in the last three years. In 2022, in Fort Whyte, PC Obby Khan won the seat held by former PC premier Brian Pallister who had re- signed. In Thompson, NDP candidate Eric Redhead won the seat that was held by NDP member Danielle Adams, who was killed in a highway collision in December 2021. In 2024, in Tuxedo, the NDP’s Carla Compton won the seat vacated by former PC premier Heather Stefanson. There are currently 33 New Democrats, 21 Progressive Conserva- tives, one Liberal and one independent in the Manitoba Legislative Assembly. Corbett, who is single and has no children, said she was born, raised and lives in Transcona and it’s the first time she’s run for office. She’s no stranger to politics, though, having supported Altomare when he ran for office. “We shared common values, we shared common ideas about what Transcona deserves,” said Corbett. “I’m really grateful for my time with him. It’s meant the world to me and I do consider him a mentor,” said the school administrator who sees the benefit “every single day” of the school nutri- tion program that Altomare introduced as education minister. “For me, it’s just really exciting that I can give back to the community,” she said. Advance voting begins on Saturday, March 8, Elections Manitoba said in a news release Tuesday. Now that the byelection has been called, a government communications blackout is in place. The Election Financing Act imposes restrictions on government advertising and publication during an election or a byelection period. There are exceptions, including when the information relates to the usual operations of a government department and “is in continuation of earlier adver- tisements or publications concerning an ongoing or recurring program or activity.” carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca CAROL SANDERS Casting ballots TWO days of advance voting have been added to give Transcona residents more opportunity to vote. Eligible voters can cast their ballot at the Transcona local election office at 100 Paquin Rd. from Saturday, March 8, to Monday, March 17. They can also cast their ballot at All Saints Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 1500 Day St., from March 8 to Saturday, March 15. Eligible voters can vote at either advance poll or at any poll on election day including the local election office. Those eligible to vote must be residents of the Transcona electoral division who are Can- adian citizens, at least 18 years old on election day and have lived in Manitoba for at least six months immediately before election day. All registered voters in Transcona will receive a voter information card in the mail. It confirms that the voter is registered to vote and tells them when and where they vote on election day and during advance voting. All voters must show identification to register or vote, and there are many options. For a complete list of acceptable ID, visit wfp.to/Wu6. Eligible voters who do not receive a voter information card, or who receive a card with incorrect information, can visit wfp.to/Wuj to register or update their information by Thursday, Feb. 27. Eligible voters who have not registered can still vote if they show their ID and take an oath at the polling place, either during advance voting or on election day. SUPPLIED Shannon Corbett is the NDP candidate in the Transcona byelection set for next month. ;