Pandemic recovery, Ukraine the focus of Day 1 at AMM convention

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This article was published 20/04/2022 (1325 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Association of Manitoba Municipalities’ annual convention officially kicked off in Brandon Wednesday morning, with hundreds of delegates gathering at the Keystone Centre.

Representatives from all three levels of government were present, speaking on themes of post-pandemic recovery and the power of municipal government.

Here’s a summary of what some of the speakers had to say at the opening ceremony.

• Federal Minister of Rural Economic Development Gudie Hutchings led off by recognizing the women representing their communities at the event and said more women must enter politics. She said municipalities are a key part of the federal green recovery plan put in place after COVID-19.

It was Hutchings’ second day in Brandon after making an appearance at Brandon University to highlight an element of this year’s federal budget that will forgive some student loans for graduating nurses and doctors.

After a Sun editorial in Wednesday’s paper said Hutchings’ announcement was “like trying to heal an ugly, gaping wound with a Band-Aid” in the context of repairing the damage done to health care by COVID-19, the minister retorted in her speech by saying the pandemic ripped off a lot of Band-Aids on a lot of wounds and her announcement was a step toward healing.

• Provincial Municipal Relations Minister Eileen Clarke was excited to be back at an AMM conference for the first time since she returned to the portfolio in the last cabinet shuffle.

Clarke expressed hope that municipalities will build back to a better state than they were in before the COVID-19 pandemic and stressed that strengthening relationships with Indigenous communities and advancing reconciliation will be pivotal moving forward.

• Brandon Mayor Rick Chrest thanked delegates for visiting the city and delivered a bit of a farewell as he prepares to depart politics later this year.

AMM executive director Denys Volkov said Chrest is always welcome to attend his organization’s events going forward.

• Manitoba Municipal Administrators’ Association president Nettie Neudorf said that despite the recent cold weather, this spring is a time for growth, renewal and hope.

She said this chance for municipal officials to once again meet in person would be a good setting for new ideas, policies and professional development.

• Support for Ukraine as it continues to defend itself from a Russian invasion was expressed multiple times by speakers at the opening ceremonies.

Hutchings said Feb. 24 — the date the invasion started — was a day the world changed and thanked Manitobans for their support for Ukraine.

At the end of his speech, Chrest finished off by declaring “Slava Ukraine,” which translates to “glory to Ukraine.”

The very last speaker at the opening ceremony was Volkov, who encouraged municipalities to donate what they can to relief efforts in Ukraine and help find those fleeing the violence a safe place to go in Canada.

He also called for those present to raise awareness of the kidnapping and torture of mayors and other municipal representatives by Russian forces.

» The Brandon Sun