Conservative MLA for Midland Lauren Stone spent an hour last Tuesday morning with local constituents in Morris.
“This is a chance to hear concerns from regional businesses and get to know you,” she said to those gathered over coffee.
Morris Chamber of Commerce president Cheryl Demarcke voiced the town’s uniqueness as a transport corridor and the effect this has on government representation from the region. Adequate and timely highway maintenance was brought up several times.
Several organizations expressed concerns over lack of mental health resources or any sort of social services for young families and seniors in the community, some of whom lack adequate access to modes of transportation.
“The Red River Valley Parent Child Centre often has to refer families out of our community to Winkler or Boundary Trails for adequate care,” shared Cheryl Crick, director at the centre. “There are no social services in this community because the health districts have consolidated.”
A representative for newcomers in the community also stressed the lack of service access.
“It is hard to make Morris a home,” they noted. “There is little affordable housing and many newcomers do not have a vehicle, so they move to Winnipeg.”
Despite having a 100-space daycare open last year, the Morris Early Learning Centre struggles to find and train the staff necessary to support the spaces. Executive Director Kayleigh Schwark expressed frustration of the ECE2 program recently not provided to Morris.
“We cannot get trained staff and are stuck in limbo. We have a waitlist of 114 children, only three rooms of eight are currently open, and 40 daycare spaces are inaccessible.”
Stone assured a solid strategy was ongoing in government to bring people into communities—to tell the story of what does exist, despite the lack of rural structure seen right now.
“We want women in the workforce,” she said. “We need space, people, and to understand the cost of educating [any type of new] staff, including ECEs, health care aides and RNs.”
Stone also commented on the recent election of Obby Khan as the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba’s new leader.
“We are excited to build up our party again, to keep pressure on the NDP, and draw attention to gaps existing in the system,” she said. “We need our party to come together. I’m upset and disappointed about the [federal] election. With a Liberal minority we could see another election soon.”
Stone encouraged gatherers to bring forward specific cases from the community to her attention.
“The minister isn’t going to know everything that is happening across the province, and I can draw attention to unique cases.”
