View From the Legislature

Over the past 18 months there have been several traditions and events that have been missed as a result of the global pandemic. Yet over the past month, and in the weeks ahead, a number of things have either returned or are scheduled to return that provide both anticipation and hope for many people.

This past weekend, I enjoyed attending on behalf of the Government of Manitoba, the Icelandic Festival in Gimli. This festival has been held for more than 130 years in Manitoba, through previous pandemics and droughts. This year, the festival was significantly scaled down from the usual program because of health restrictions but there were several in-person events held and overwhelmingly, people were extremely excited to be able to gather again and participate in this long-time tradition.

Also, this week was an important one for Manitoba sports fans as two of their favorite teams returned to play in front of their fans for the first time in more than a year. On Tuesday, the Winnipeg Goldeyes were back at their home field, Shaw Park, after having played more than a year on the road in the United States due to the international border being closed and teams not being able to cross into Canada. And then on Thursday, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will take to the field at IG Stadium in front of thousands of football hungry fans.

This will be the first time the Bombers have played a game since winning the Grey Cup in Calgary in late 2019 and for so many Bomber fans, including myself, it will be a homecoming they have looked forward to with incredible anticipation.

As Manitoba continues to reach its vaccination targets, restrictions continue to be loosened. In fact on Tuesday, the single largest loosening of restrictions was announced by Manitoba Public Health officials as the rate for first dose vaccinations among eligible Manitobans climbed over 80%. That milestone means that Public Health is moving away from mandates and more towards recommendations. This includes continuing to strongly recommend indoor mask usage but not mandating it after August 7th. It includes removing all restrictions on indoor and outdoor gatherings at private residences as well as at gyms, fitness centres, libraries, hair and nail salons, day camps, retail businesses, markets, garden centres and malls.

In fact, these are likely as close to pre-pandemic times as we have seen since last spring. While this does not end the pandemic, it does reflect the incredible work that Manitobans have done in responding to the vaccine program and helping reduce COVID19 infections and the impact on the hospital system. It will be important that Manitobans continue to follow the advice of health officials as we know that there will continue to be challenges as is being seen in other places. But it is also a reality that there needs to continue to be efforts to move to a post-pandemic Manitoba that doesn’t rely upon restrictions and closures.

One where we can again return to the traditions and celebrations that we value today more than ever. And that we are beginning to enjoy again.