Manitoba Minute: Speed Limits, Firefighter Training, and the School Food Program

Manitoba Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Manitoba politics.

This Week In Manitoba:

• Manitoba is expanding its ankle bracelet monitoring program to help survivors of intimate partner violence, and offering new resources through the Empower app. The app alerts survivors when an offender breaches bail conditions and provides access to emergency help, including a panic button. The program will also extend beyond Winnipeg to rural areas, including Steinbach, Selkirk, and Portage la Prairie. While the program initially launched in August with 100 devices, only 31 are currently in use, but this number is expected to rise with the expansion.
  
  
• Manitoba municipalities are pushing for the authority to set speed limits on provincial roads running through their communities, rather than waiting for the provincial government to make changes. A resolution supporting this request was passed at the Association of Manitoba Municipalities convention, prompting the group to lobby the provincial government. Currently, municipalities can adjust speed limits on local roads but must request changes for provincial roads, often experiencing long delays. Transportation Minister Lisa Naylor acknowledged these delays, attributing them to staffing issues following the previous government's dissolution of the Highway Traffic Board. Despite this, Naylor emphasized that the provincial government retains final control over speed limits for safety reasons.
  
  
• The Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF) is set to become the first Metis group to sign a modern treaty with the federal government, marking a significant milestone in their 150-year fight for recognition. The treaty will officially recognize the MMF as the government of the Red River Metis. The treaty follows a 2021 agreement acknowledging MMF’s self-government.

Last Week In Manitoba:

• Premier Wab Kinew announced plans to introduce legislation to permanently establish the province's universal school food program, which will be named "Nello's Law" in honor of Education Minister Nello Altomare. Altomare, who has been on medical leave since October, was instrumental in creating the program, which provides $30 million annually for school meal programs across the province. The program aims to ensure every public school offers a nutrition program, with funds for kitchen renovations and additional staff. Kinew expressed his support for Altomare, acknowledging his lasting impact on education and nutrition for Manitoba students.
  
  
• Manitoba has launched a new snowplow tracking app called Track My Plow to help drivers plan safer winter routes. The app provides real-time updates on snowplow locations and areas that have been cleared within the past two hours. Accessible on smartphones or the Manitoba 511 website, it also offers information on road conditions and closures. This initiative aims to help drivers make informed decisions, reduce the risk of being stranded, and improve safety during winter travel.
  
  
• The Province announced a new investment to improve firefighter training. A training trailer will be introduced, allowing firefighters to access year-round, hands-on training closer to home. The trailer will enable various emergency exercises, such as disentanglement and upper-floor rescues, and includes a Fire Ground Survival program for scenarios like becoming trapped or injured. Currently, Manitoba has to borrow a training trailer from Ontario, but this new infrastructure will provide essential resources to local firefighters.