Doctors Manitoba prescribes education to combat medical misinformation
The organization representing the province's physicians said it's looking to combat the spread of false medical information online as part of this year's Getting Healthy campaign, which encourages Manitobans to focus on their well-being during the winter months by offering incentives for those who make a pledge to improve their health.
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Global News
a day ago
- Global News
Province to build cutting-edge facility for CancerCare Manitoba
Manitoba's premier and health minister say the province is taking its first step toward building a new, state-of-the-art headquarters for CancerCare Manitoba. Premier Wab Kinew said Monday that the proposed facility will be located on the Bannatyne health campus at Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre. Plans for a new headquarters for CancerCare were originally announced in 2015, before getting cancelled two years later by the then-Progressive Conservative provincial government. 'After years of broken promises, our government is moving forward to build CancerCare for the future with a world-class facility that gives patients the space and care they deserve, and provides the resources cancer researchers need to help more Manitobans become cancer-free. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'The new headquarters will deliver cutting-edge care, the best quality service, the newest techniques, all in a space with more room, more light, and more comfort for Manitobans living with cancer.' Story continues below advertisement Dr. Dhali Dhaliwal, a former CancerCare CEO, said Monday that a new facility has been needed, desperately, for decades. 'The current CancerCare building was full the day it opened in 2003,' Dhaliwal said. 'With all the dramatic advances in cancer treatments, Manitoba needs a facility that has the space and resources to deliver the most effective care to our cancer patients.'
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Volunteering in her blood
Canadian Red Cross staff and volunteers are ready to help when disaster strikes. Debbie Blair is one of those helpers. The 52-year-old volunteers with the personal disaster assistance team at the organization's Winnipeg office. Personal disasters typically affect one household; house fires are one of the most common examples. 'I'm not a wealthy person… but I can give my time and because of that, that's what I do,' Blair said. 'It makes me happy. I think time is the most valuable gift you can give to somebody.' The personal disaster assistance team provides services to people who have been displaced, including emergency lodging, food and clothing. Blair has multiple sclerosis and has been unable to work since 2015 as a result. She started volunteering with the Red Cross in 2021 after seeing an advertisement on social media. It was not the first time she contributed to the organization. When Blair was a teenager, the Red Cross operated a blood program. She worked at the Winnipeg office by calling previous donors and inviting them to return to make another donation. 'I've come full circle, right?' Blair said with a chuckle. 'Now that I'm no longer working, I'm volunteering with them again.' Over the last four years, she's become a trusted member of the Winnipeg office. In addition to her work with the personal disaster assistance team, Blair trains volunteers. In recent weeks, she's given her time supervising Red Cross volunteers who are registering and assisting Manitobans displaced by wildfires. The following is a list of volunteer opportunities for Winnipeg and surrounding areas. For more information about these listings, contact the organization directly. Volunteer Manitoba does not place volunteers with organizations but can help people find opportunities. To learn more about its programs and services, go to or call 204-477-5180. The following is a list of volunteer opportunities for Winnipeg and surrounding areas. For more information about these listings, contact the organization directly. Volunteer Manitoba does not place volunteers with organizations but can help people find opportunities. To learn more about its programs and services, go to or call 204-477-5180. Misericordia Health Centre needs gardener volunteers to help staff members maintain and beautify the Misericordia Place personal care home courtyard in the summer. The shifts are Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays, 9 a.m. to noon. Apply at 204-788-8134 or volunteer@ by June 16. Marlene Street Community Resource Centre needs help to set up its garden boxes. That involves transporting the boxes, filling them with dirt and planting seeds. Refreshments will be provided. Volunteers must be able to lift up to 50 pounds, able to move around for a few hours and have knowledge in gardening. They must be available from early morning to noon in mid-June. Email lcirujales@ by June 20. Initiatives for Just Communities needs a board treasurer. The organization supports people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities, and those who are or have been incarcerated. The treasurer will be part of the executive committee, overseeing finances, the annual budget and chairing the finance committee. A CPA with at least 12 years of experience is required. The three-year term involves bimonthly meetings alternating between Winnipeg and the Steinbach area, and an annual board retreat. Evening meetings and some travel are required, with mileage outside the city reimbursed. Email by June 30. Mennonite Central Committee's Kildonan Thrift Shop needs people with a skill set in assessing and repairing electronic devices. Volunteers are needed to sort, test, clean and price electronic items such as record players, amplifiers, radios and DVD players that have been donated for resale. The shop is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with shifts from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Apply at or 204-668-0967, ext. 5, by June 30. The Manitoba Indigenous Summer Games will host more than 2,000 athletes at Sagkeeng Anicinabe Nation. Volunteers are needed for roles such as registration, food services and cultural services. They will also help with security, medical aid and special events. Skills such as organization, communication and attention to detail are essential. Volunteers must be 13 or older. Flexible shifts are available from Aug. 17 to Aug. 23 at Brokenhead Ojibway Nation. Apply online at by Aug. 10. The Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada needs volunteers for its walk at the Teddy Bass Athletic Field in Kildonan Park on June 28. They will help with setup, registration and participant motivation. No experience is required. Apply at by June 16. Parkinson Canada is recruiting support group facilitators for Brandon. The facilitator plays a critical role in the delivery of support services at the community level. They create a confidential and welcoming space, where people living with Parkinson's or their care partners can share their experiences and develop supportive relationships in a group setting. The group meets from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month. Apply at or volunteer@ by June 30. Shelter Movers — a national charity providing free moving and storage services to people and families fleeing abuse — needs movers and drivers. Movers must be 18 or older, and drivers must be 21 or older. Email by June 30. Apathy is Boring needs people ages 18 to 30 for Winnipeg RISE. The program provides training, resources and funding to support youth in designing and leading a community project. No experience is required. Apply at by July 6. The St. Vital Agricultural Fair is seeking volunteers for its 114th annual Fair and Display on Aug. 8 and Aug. 9. Opportunities include serving as greeters, setting up and taking down tables and chairs, and serving meals in a cafeteria style. Volunteers are also needed at the children's craft table and in helping exhibitors place their entries, and to help with cleaning duties such as garbage removal. More information about the event is available at Apply at PjMcFarlane@ or to 204-487-4597, ext. 1, by July 29. The Leftovers Foundation, a food-rescue charity with a mission of reducing food waste and increasing access to food for people facing barriers, is gearing up for Home Harvest. The program facilitates the rescue of homegrown food. Community members can participate by signing up through the website or mobile app to become a donor (grower) or volunteer to complete routes. Growers with excess produce can submit a request any time, and volunteers can harvest and deliver the produce to local service agencies and keep a portion for themselves. Volunteers can sign up in groups or individually. Email alyssa@ or go to for more information. Apply by Aug. 2. Some days Blair's volunteer work is as simple as spending 10 minutes answering texts from volunteers who need assistance. Other days it means spending a couple of hours helping people who have just lost their homes. 'It's not always extremely time-consuming, but it's amazing work to be able to do when you're able to do it,' Blair said. On a Friday afternoon at the end of May, Blair spent a few hours driving to and from Portage la Prairie with her sons, Riley and Noah. They delivered a pre-paid card to an elderly couple who had recently escaped from a house fire. 'It was a pretty big fire so we put them up in a hotel and delivered further financial assistance,' Blair said. 'They were extremely nice people. A few tears were involved because they're overwhelmed, right? I explained further options and who they can call for assistance above and beyond what we can provide, because we always try to help people with that as well.' Blair also volunteers with Transplant Manitoba and the Kidney Foundation of Canada. Noah is a kidney transplant recipient, so the cause is close to her heart. 'I always encourage people to volunteer,' she said. 'Volunteering is amazing.' Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Blair is one of more than 14,000 active Red Cross volunteers across the country, said spokesperson Jason Small. 'Our volunteers are the heart of the organization and bring the mission of the Canadian Red Cross to life,' Small wrote in an email. 'We rely on volunteers from all walks of life who bring different skills and experience to the Canadian Red Cross.' The organization is constantly recruiting volunteers to support its responses across Canada, Small said. Visit the Canadian Red Cross website for details. If you know a special volunteer, email Aaron EppReporter Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Province urges evacuee parents to have babies vaccinated for measles as number of cases rises
Provincial health officials are encouraging parents who've evacuated due to wildfires to vaccinate their babies for measles, amid another uptick in the number of cases of the highly infectious disease in Manitoba. The number of confirmed measles cases in the province this year has jumped to 90. Provincial officials released the figures, which are accurate as of last Saturday, on Wednesday afternoon. That's up from 72 confirmed and four probable cases as of May 24. The Associated Press Files An electron microscope image of a measles virus particle. The Health Department has expanded measles vaccine eligibility to infants, aged six months to 12 months, who've been evacuated from their home communities. One dose of MMR vaccine can be provided to those eligible babies, on top of the routine schedule offered at 12 months of age and between four and six years old, the province said in a bulletin Wednesday. 'Manitobans who have been evacuated from their communities due to wildfire may be temporarily housed in facilities with many other evacuees,' a government spokesman said. 'Evacuees may be stationed in one location, and then move on to another, and these locations may be in regions where measles is circulating.' The spokesman said eligible evacuees can get immunizations at the local public health office in the area they've been evacuated to, or at medical clinics. Public health staff are at evacuation registration centres. Officials previously expanded vaccine eligibility to infants aged six to 12 months in the Southern Health-Santé Sud and Interlake Eastern health regions, where measles is circulating. Public health officials also said Wednesday anyone who visited the Boundary Trails Health Centre emergency room in Winkler on May 22 from 6 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. may have been exposed to measles. Anyone who was there at the time should monitor for symptoms until June 13, officials said. Measles infections are rising locally, nationally and internationally, largely in children who have not been vaccinated or who are under-vaccinated. Dr. Carol Kurbis, a medical officer of health with Manitoba Health's communicable disease control branch, said contracting the disease has potentially serious consequences and can require hospitalization. 'You really can't predict who is going to develop a complication or a severe case of measles,' she said. 'Even those who are healthy can potentially develop serious disease.' Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Severe complications can include pneumonia, brain swelling and death. Kurbis noted three measles deaths have been reported in the U.S. this year. 'We haven't had any reported to date in Canada, but given that we are now over 2,000 cases in Canada, it wouldn't be unexpected to see a death… it certainly is a concern,' she said. — With files from Malak Abas Erik PinderaReporter Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Erik. Every piece of reporting Erik produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
