Doctors Manitoba is warning that emergency rooms in rural and northern areas can expect reduced hours and periodic closures this summer due to physician and nursing shortages. The group advises to check your local ER
ahead of time. They say 20 should be open around the clock, 24 will likely operate with reduced hours or be closed periodically, and 28 will be fully closed. In Prairie Mountain Health, the ER’s that are expected to remain open 24/7 are in Brandon, Dauphin, Killarney, Neepawa, Russell, Swan River and Virden. This weekend, there will be no emergency room services in Boissevain, Carberry, Grandview, Hamiota or Treherne.
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The Manitoba government has lifted fire, backcountry travel and camping restrictions for most of the province. Recent rainfall has helped lower the wildfire risk. Some municipalities still have restrictions that apply to off-road vehicle use, open fires or fireworks. There are currently 18 fires still burning – six of which are out of control.
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There could soon be a new building filling a downtown Brandon property that’s been vacant for about 10 years. The Brandon Sun reports the city is finalizing a deal with a developer to build 80 housing units with 5,000 square feet of commercial space at the corner of 9th Street and Princess Avenue. Work is to begin this fall.
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Brandon police are looking for two male suspects in a shooting on Wednesday morning. A 33-year-old man was wounded in the hip. Police say the shooting happened in the Alaska Bay and 26th Street area. Police say one suspect was wearing a black jacket with a grey hood. He had a black hood over his head, a black backpack, black pants and black shoes. The second suspect was wearing a black jacket with a red hood, black pants and white shoes. Both were last seen westbound on Westaway Bay.
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Two hotel owners in the RM of Portage la Prairie have been charged in a labour trafficking investigation. RCMP arrested 62-year-old Jai Inder Sandhu and 48-year-old Satbir Sandhu on Thursday. The couple is accused of luring workers from India to the province with promises of legal work, good wages and affordable living only to force them to work long hours with minimal pay under threat of deportation and intimidation.
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Average wages for working Canadians outpaced inflation on a year-over-year basis in April. Wages were up 4% – while inflation rose just 1.7%. The best paying jobs were in the mining and oil and gas sectors, while those in food services and accommodation were at the bottom. By the way, Canadians earned just under $1,300 a week on average in April.
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The Liberal government’s controversial major projects bill became law Thursday. It gives Ottawa power to fast-track projects meant to boost the national economy by side-stepping environmental protections and other legislation. Indigenous leaders and others say the bill could lead to widespread protests and legal action.
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Nearly every Windows user has likely experienced the ‘Blue Screen of Death’, but now after 40 years an updated version of the error message will be displayed across a black background. Microsoft has been working to improve
its operating system. The new ‘screen of death’ will also have a shorter message – and no more frowny face.
