Just weeks before the start of another school year, educational administrators across Manitoba have received a new directive from the province: student cellphone use is to be banned in classrooms.

The turbulent and controversial rollout of the Winnipeg Metro Region’s (WMR) Plan20-50 continued apace on Tuesday, August 20, with several key story developments.

Lieutenant-Colonel Nathan J. Willis, an American military officer who lives in Ste. Agathe, was recently awarded special recognition for his work in the area of adapting operations for the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) to function during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In troubling times, it does the heart good to focus on the positive. With our lives upended by the COVID-19 pandemic and the daily news constantly inundated with political instability south of the border—and yes, some north of it, too—it’s easy to understand why everyone has decided that 2020 was the year from hell. The social media memes reminding us of this fact will live on in infamy.

The current public health orders in Manitoba, which have been in force since November of last year, have been extended for two additional weeks. They will remain in effect at least until January 22.

With our lives upended by the COVID-19 pandemic and the daily news constantly inundated with political instability south of the border—and yes, some north of it, too—it’s easy to understand why everyone has decided that 2020 was the year from hell. The social media memes reminding us of this fact will live on in infamy.

With our lives upended by the COVID-19 pandemic and the daily news constantly inundated with political instability south of the border—and yes, some north of it, too—it’s easy to understand why everyone has decided that 2020 was the year from hell. The social media memes reminding us of this fact will live on in infamy.

A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at the Heritage Life Personal Care Home in Niverville, although there has been only one positive test so far. The news broke as part of the province’s daily press briefing on Monday, January 4.

The RM of Ritchot begins their new four-year garbage and recycling contract with GFL Environmental on January 4, 2021. The urban areas of St. Adolphe, Ste. Agathe, Île-des-Chênes, and Grande Pointe are transitioning away from manual pickup and moving to automated pickup, which requires the use of approved garbage and recycling carts as provided by GFL. For those who live in rural areas, there will be no change.

“We’re all in this together.” I can’t remember how many times I heard that slogan in 2020. It was one of the first messages of hope to ring out during the early months after the insidious virus perforated our borders.