When it comes to the threat of tariffs, Canada is pushing back against the U.S. and not letting our country be pushed around. Minister Terry Duguid, former Minister of Prairies Economic Development spoke with the Opasquia Times about how the federal government is supporting Manitobans and Canadians through this economic turbulence.
“The best thing we can do is remove tariffs,” said Minister Duguid. “Tariffs are not good for Canadians or Americans. They increase prices and cause an uncertain business environment, so we’re working very hard on removing those tariffs through the diplomatic efforts of our Prime Min

The Pas and Area Animal Shelter (TPAAS) is still operating on an intake freeze, due to reaching maximum capacity at the shelter and through the fosters available. All of these animals are looking to be adopted into their forever home or even fostered until a home becomes available for them.
“The shelter usually has a cap of 30 cats, but we currently have 38,” said TPAAS Shelter Manager Tina Donaldson.

The closure of The Pas Association for Human Development (TPAHD) has been a tough one for not only the tri-community but the board, staff and clients who were directly involved with the organization. What many may not realize is that program funding for people with disabilities hasn’t been increased in a very long time.
It wasn’t that long ago that wages for support workers and staff that worked with people with disabilities were amongst the lowest paid jobs in Manitoba, yet held some of the highest responsibilities. This was a challenge that TPAHD faced.
“We’ve been looking for an increase in funding for at least 15 years,” said former TPAHD Board Member Darryl Shotton.

Many who have spent time growing up in the tri-community area and then moved on, got their initial start in life through some of the things the area had to offer. For former resident, D’Arcy Lussier, this was no different. His family was well-known in the area for their roles in education, and it was no surprise that Lussier, himself, would become passionate about knowledge, but on a different level.
“My parents met in The Pas when they both taught at MBCI in the early 1970s,” said Lussier. “We moved back in 1985, when my Dad took a position as a Dean of Keewatin Community College, now known as UCN. In 1987, he became the president of the college for four years and then was a vice principal at Joe A. Ross school from 1991 to 1993. In the summer of 1993, we moved to Winnipeg.”
Lussier’s interest in technology started at an early age when his family was living in The Pas. Over the years, that grew into a need to learn more at a post-secondary level.
“I didn't think of a career in IT until I started looking into career choices a few years after being done with high school,” said Lussier.

Spring is underway and many are eager to get out and about after what has felt like a long, cold winter. The Opasquia Trails has been undergoing some maintenance and upgrade work to accommodate more trail users and become an accessible trail for all people to use. The work started this winter and is continuing, with quite a fair bit accomplished so far.
“A winter ice road needed to be constructed to haul gravel to the wooded trail area,” said Opasquia Trails Board Member Marilyn Meyer. “The earlier mild winter temperatures and heavy snowfall did not allow the ice to naturally thicken enough to support heavy gravel loads to be safely hauled across the ice. Snow needed to be cleared from the lake surface and through a continual cycle of pumping water and allowing it to freeze, the desired ice thickness was created.

An event that aims to bring people together is coming to the tri-community. Beatrice Wilson Health is hosting a 2-Spirit Gala next week as a way to create a safe and more inclusive community.
“This came about from some harm reduction funding and there have been a multitude of things that Beatrice Wilson Health has been doing to work on harm reduction,” said Opaskwayak Health Authority Healthcare Consultant Derrick Sanderson. “This is just one of many things. Because we know that the 2SLGBTQIA+ group is a marginalized area, we took a positive spin on this and made it a gala.

Manitoba’s Progressive Conservative Party is getting ready to elect a new leader for the party. PC leadership candidate Obby Khan has been getting out to rural communities with plans to come to northern Manitoba to engage with PC party members and Manitobans alike.
“Travelling all over Manitoba, grassroots party and new members are talking about bringing the party together and having a strong positive voice going forward, that representing strong conservative values, while representing all of Manitoba,” said PC MLA and Leadership Candidate Obby Khan. “Across the board, people are excited for what I’m doing with my big tent party, staying positive, working with everyone, and that is the only way we will win back government and people understand that. It’s been going very well and positive.”

The Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals (MAHCP) issued a strike deadline for 7,000 allied healthcare professionals, which would impact services such as non-emergency surgical procedures, lab and diagnostic tests, including MRI, CT, ultrasounds, PET, ECHO and EEG. It would also impact radiation treatments at CancerCare, therapeutic and rehabilitation treatments such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology. It stems further to impact patient discharge from emergency departments and medical units, home care services, non-emergent patient transports, mid-wifery appointments, with expectations of late-term or immediate post-natal, assessment and treatment for children with disabilities and non-crisis mental health and addictions services.