Local Roundup — July 9, 2022

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/07/2022 (1327 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Upcoming COVID-19 vaccine clinics

Prairie Mountain Health is hosting COVID-19 clinics next week for ages five years and up for first, second, third and fourth doses if eligible.

All clinics will have walk-in and booked appointments, or walk-in as indicated.

 

• Brandon — Shoppers Mall near Smitty’s (1570 18th St.): July 14 from noon to 5 p.m.
• Dauphin — Dauphin Active Living Centre (55 First St. SE): June 13 from 2 to 6 p.m.
• Killarney – Killarney Food Bank (715 Mountain Ave., walk-in only): July 14 from 5 to 6 p.m.
• Ninette – Farmers Market fairgrounds (walk-in only): July 15 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Ste. Rose – Public Health Office (603 First Ave.): July 12 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Virden – Public Health Office (480 King St.): July 13 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

 

Book by phone: Daily between 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.: 1-844-626-8222

Book online at: https://patient.petal-health.com/login?groupId=6032

Tenders sought for hospital’s parking lot

The expansion of Brandon Regional Health Centre has begun with a call for tenders for the south parking lot.

A call for tenders was issued last month for expansion of the lot, which a spokesperson for Shared Health stated in an email is the first phase of the $70-million expansion plan announced last summer by the provincial government.

This work is a critical first step in the plans, the spokesperson said, as future phases will see expansion of the health centre into what the north parking lot is now.

Request for tenders will close later this month, they said, but didn’t give a specific date or time. This expansion is part of $812 million in budget spending in health-care infrastructure announced last summer. The investment is aimed at expanding and building new facilities in 38 locations across the province.

The intent for Brandon’s health centre is to make it a central hub for health care in western Manitoba. The expansion and renovation will see approximately 30 new medicine beds, a new intensive care unit and an expansion to the existing neonatal intensive care unit.

The adjacent Western Manitoba Cancer Centre will also get a 650-square-metre expansion and a new medical linear accelerator for external beam radiation treatments.

This will allow people to get cancer treatments and medical care closer to home.

Construction is scheduled to conclude in 2025.

Minimum wage rising for some construction jobs

The provincial government is getting ready to increase the minimum wage for construction workers, Labour Minister and Brandon East MLA Reg Helwer announced in a media release Friday.

The changes will not only adjust the minimum wage schedule for various positions, but also add new qualificiations for Class A and B gas fitters after gas fitter training was decoupled from the steamfitter—pipefitter, plumbing and refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic trades.

Additionally, the trainee/skilled-tradesperson ratio is being increased from one-to-one to two-on-one, to match a recent change in the apprentice/journeyperson ratio.

According to the media release, minimum wages for these sectors haven’t been updated since 2017. Friday’s announcement will mean a 14 per cent increase over the next three years, with Phase 1 kicking in on Sept. 1, Phase 2 on April 1, 2023, and Phase 3 on April 1, 2024.

» The Brandon Sun