- \n \n \n Facebook\n \n \n<\/a><\/li>
- \n \n \n Twitter\n \n \n<\/a><\/li>
- \n \n \n Email\n \n \n<\/a><\/li>
- \n \n \n Reddit\n \n \n<\/a><\/li>
- \n \n \n LinkedIn\n \n \n<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Province also filing charges against Steinbach protesters, Manitoba premier says<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sarah Petz<\/a> \u00b7 CBC News \u00b7 Posted: Nov 17, 2020 9:20 AM CT | Last Updated: November 17<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/i.cbc.ca\/1.5703679.1598630728!\/cumulusImage\/httpImage\/image.jpg_gen\/derivatives\/16x9_780\/pallister-presser.jpg\")
Premier Brian Pallister says a private security firm will enforce Manitoba’s public health orders starting this weekend. (Gary Solilak\/CBC)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Private\n security officers will crack down on rule breakers after shoppers \ncrowded into big-box stores, where many bought non-essential goods \nduring the first weekend of the province’s latest lockdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The \nprovince has hired security firm G4S Canada to boost its enforcement of \nCOVID-19 regulations, and their personnel should be handing out tickets \nby this weekend, Premier Brian Pallister said Tuesday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The province is also filing charges in addition to levying fines against those who took part in a rally in Steinbach this past weekend<\/a> where protesters flouted COVID-19 regulations, Pallister said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I\n believe Manitobans want to see deterrents to the kind of behaviour they\n saw on the weekend, and we’re going to make sure those deterrents \nexist,” he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Manitoba may limit what big-box stores can sell in partial lockdown, Pallister says<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Manitoba’s justice minister calls actions of protesters in Steinbach unacceptable<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Pallister said he respects people’s right to peaceful protest, but those who took part in that protest put people in danger. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“You don’t have to believe in COVID, COVID already believes in you,” he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Personnel from G4S Canada are in orientation right now and will be working this weekend, Pallister said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\n staff at the security company are skilled at dealing with \nconfrontation, which is part of the reason they were hired, Pallister \nsaid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It’s a company that has people who are used to dealing \nwith situations where, let’s just say, it’s not always pleasant \u2026 as \nopposed to a lot of our government employees that don’t have that \nexperience personally,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
WATCH | Premier Brian Pallister explains why G4S was hired: <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/thumbnails.cbc.ca\/maven_legacy\/thumbnails\/836\/707\/gS4.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nPrivate security company to support COVID-19 rule enforcement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
20 hours agoVideo1:01Premier\n Brian Pallister says a private security firm will enforce Manitoba’s \npublic health orders starting this weekend after protest drew more than \n100 to Steinbach. 1:01 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Band-Aid solution: MGEU<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
All of Manitoba was put into code red restrictions last Thursday<\/a>, forcing most non-essential businesses and services to close, as the province’s caseload continues to soar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Essential products include groceries, personal hygiene items, hardware and household appliances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A\n total of 32 tickets were issued for various offences over the last \nweek, including for large gathering sizes, failure to quarantine and a \nnorthern travel violation, says a news release from the province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Michelle\n Gawronsky, president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ \nUnion, called the hiring of G4S a Band-Aid solution, and said the \nprovince should have done more to invest in its own workforce. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Though\n civil servants are more than willing to do their part in the fight \nagainst COVID-19 and will continue to do so, simply adding unfamiliar \npandemic enforcement duties to existing staff workloads is not a \nsustainable solution,” she said in an email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Having stripped \nthe civil service to the bone and having failed to prepare for the \nsecond wave [of COVID-19], this government is scrambling to bring in \ntemporary support for enforcement on an urgent basis.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Manitoba \nNDP Leader Wab Kinew said that he thinks more enforcement is needed, but\n that it should have been prioritized months ago, when the province \nfirst started seeing signs of increased community spread. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While\n the rally in Steinbach on the weekend was upsetting to a lot of people,\n what is more upsetting is what’s happening in Manitoba’s hospitals, the\n Opposition leader said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“What really upsets us even more than \nthat is a potential crisis unfolding in our hospitals and in our \npersonal care homes,” he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Restrictions for big box stores being looked at<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A new\n daily record was set on Sunday, when 494 more COVID-19 cases were \nannounced. Another 392 cases were announced on Monday, and 270 more on Tuesday<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\n total number of deaths in the province due to the pandemic is now 179. \nOf those, 110 deaths have come since the start of November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Woman in her 30s becomes youngest Manitoban to die of COVID-19 as province announces 270 cases<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- The latest on COVID-19 outbreaks in Manitoba schools, care homes, jails and more<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
On\n Monday, Pallister said the government was considering imposing tighter \nrestrictions on big-box stores, suggesting they are flouting the spirit \nof the lockdown orders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Places like Walmart, Costco and \nSuperstore have been allowed to remain open because they are deemed \nessential retailers, providing groceries and pharmacies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Long \nlines of customers have been seen waiting to get inside those stores, \nwhere they are able to purchase non-essential goods like toys, books and\n furniture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some people have also complained that stores like Ikea and Best Buy have also remained open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Smaller independent businesses that don’t carry a wide range of products have been forced to shutter during the lockdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Preventing big-box\n stores from selling products not considered essential is clearly “one \nelement that has to be looked at,” Pallister said on Monday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Manitoba’s “Conservative” Gov’t Hires Private Security Firm G4S to Fine Citizens & Harass Freedom Fighters: The STASI Comes to Manitoba Manitoba hires private security firm to crack down on COVID-19 rule breakers starting this weekend Social Sharing Facebook Twitter Email … Continue reading
- The latest on COVID-19 outbreaks in Manitoba schools, care homes, jails and more<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Woman in her 30s becomes youngest Manitoban to die of COVID-19 as province announces 270 cases<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Manitoba’s justice minister calls actions of protesters in Steinbach unacceptable<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- \n \n \n Twitter\n \n \n<\/a><\/li>