WINNIPEG — Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) is adding capacity to its midwifery program with the arrival of two newly trained midwives, a welcome boost in a province where expectant parents often face long waits, or no access at all, to midwifery care.

Brandon’s Karisa Minary and Dauphin’s Sophie Delaurier have joined the PMH team, bringing the region’s midwife staffing up to five. According to a recent release, both say they chose the profession for its hands-on, relationship-based approach to maternal care and because they wanted to support families close to home.

For Minary, becoming a midwife started with science, but became something deeper.

“A family member’s experience with a midwife introduced me to the profession and its unique blend of clinical skill, advocacy, and relationship-based care,” she said. “I knew the program aligned perfectly with my hopes for a meaningful, hands-on health-care career supporting families through such an important life transition.”

WINNIPEG — A legal fight over Springfield’s attempt to stop residents from recording public council meetings appears to have stalled, as the municipality still has not filed a response in the Court of King’s Bench case that ignited a wider debate about transparency and accountability.

The case stems from a Feb. 4 council meeting where a resident attempted to record proceedings on their phone. According to the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), Mayor Patrick Therrien ordered the recording to stop, saying a bylaw prohibited it, and the CAO told the resident only media could record with 48-hours’ notice. The JCCF says no such bylaw existed and argues that preventing residents from recording public meetings violates the Charter’s free expression protections.

Four Springfield residents, represented by JCCF lawyers, filed an application on June 25 asking the court to declare the ban unlawful and unconstitutional. The case, Page et al. v. Rural Municipality of Springfield (CI 25-01-5238), has since become a flashpoint in a broader public conversation about transparency and trust in the RM.

But the newest docket entry shows the RM still has not filed a response, and the next hearing isn’t scheduled until April 30, 2026, potentially leaving the matter inactive for nearly a year.

Manitoba Public Insurance is urging drivers to use caution over the next several weeks as wildlife activity surges and collision numbers climb across the province.

October and November are historically the highest-risk months for wildlife-vehicle crashes, a trend linked to seasonal animal movement and shorter daylight hours. MPI says the danger is already evident on Manitoba roads this year.

In 2024, motorists reported 17,195 wildlife collisions to MPI, with November alone accounting for 2,019, the highest monthly total of the year. Twenty-two per cent of all wildlife collisions in 2024 occurred in October and November. This year has already seen 9,419 wildlife-related crashes, and the busiest stretch is still ahead.

“When we talk about wildlife collisions, this is not just about damage to a vehicle, lives are involved,” said Maria Campos, vice-president and chief customer and product officer for MPI in a release. “There have been 613 people injured in wildlife collisions in 2024 and 2025, with one young person tragically losing their life. Please remember that wild animals can appear anywhere, even in cities, and we all need to have heightened awareness, especially during the fall months.”