The COVID-19 pandemic ultimately tested Guevarra’s work that he did two decades earlier. By this time, Guevarra had dedicated ten years of his time and skills with the Special Behaviour Unit Program in one of the long-term care facilities in Winnipeg. His experience of the pandemic was not what he had envisioned when he developed the Emergency Preparedness Plan two decades earlier. He found that, the existing “bureaucracy” was the major driver for decision-making on how to handle the pandemic in terms of the logistics. In other words, it was “chaotic” within the health system. It took quite awhile before the “necessary hands-on” and practical “must-do” at the “point of entry” for any existing structure/building where health services are provided, to activate the “action plan.” By then, the situation was getting out of hand as most, healthcare workers are either in isolation, or fatigue and burn-out and generally, the whole healthcare system was in a lot of “stress.”

The good news, Guevarra’s previous organization, greatly benefited from the EPP, as it provided them with guidance on how to deal with the “pandemic.” The former Executive Director of L’Arche Winnipeg, Jim Lapp, put it this way, “we used the EPP and made some modifications and it did really helped us.” Guevarra said, “that was the feather on my cap.” That made his conviction to continue to raise awareness and set goals to mitigate the risk of “global weirding.” And work collaboratively with all partners at all levels in finding innovative solutions to mitigate the real threat of climate change.

Guevarra has no doubt in his mind that the recent announcement from the Province of Manitoba about the collective effort between the Federal, Provincial and Territorial governments in addressing Emergency Management within the context of a pan-Canadian approach, will dramatically mitigate the risk and will condition the general public about the “readiness and preparedness” once these disruptions occur.

Read here about the Pan-Canadian Emergency Plan: https://t.ly/i7KvC

Read the History of the Emergency Preparedness Plan and the creation of the Morning Breeze Endowment Fund as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic:

To donate to the Morning Breeze Endowment Fund, click here:

Donation Form

Legal Expense Assistance Plan (LEAP) from the Manitoba Nurses Union, is this worth the cost for Manitoba Nurses?

Shortly after the COVID-19 hysteria started to subside around the summer of 2021,  a group of former nurses who left the nursing profession and those who prematurely retired due to the “exhaustion, burn-out and the impossible working condition,” somehow connected with each other on social media network  and through the close-knit community.

It became apparent, as what nurses do best, is to “assess, figure it out, what went through during the pandemic” and how many of them somehow got connected and shared a common experience  of the demands of delivering the health services and the demands of the complex health needs of the public.

Some realized after retiring prematurely or who left in a haste found themselves needing some support post-retirement, for wellness support, others needing financial assistance due to their unique circumstance, as well, a really troubling one, particularly accessing legal representation.

And because of these shared experiences, it begun to unravel some of the flaws of the Manitoba healthcare system particularly how the dynamics between the healthcare employers, i.e., five Regional Health Authorities (“RHA”s)  under the purview of the Manitoba provincial government), nurses, Manitoba Nurses Union (“MNU”), Association of Regulated Nurses of Manitoba (“ARNM”), College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba (“CRNM”) regulatory body, some law firms in Manitoba who  represent most of these entities health employers/regulators who at the same time represent nurses for legal defense (perceived conflict-of-interest), Canadian Nurses Protective Society (CNPS) for liability insurance for nurses while on active duty is enshrined within the Regulated Health Professions Act.

Another particular situation of significance is around the nurses’ experience around the structure of local Union Representative for each employer who they represent for their colleague’s best interests but somehow has its own limitation. This is where Union reps have to “tread lightly” as they can’t push the envelope further because they share the same employer for the colleague that they are advocating for. Of course, you do not want to rock the boat, if you are a union rep. There are some subtleties about preferential advocacy for the Union rep based on the racial origin, although this is just an anecdotal account (but shared within the group) but no further exploration done on this subject. But always at the back of the minds of these health workers from the visible-minority- that’s that for now!

Another experience shared is how these entities, i.e., Health regulators/health and Safety Department and compensation claims, makes the determination about decisions for reports of health and safety issues by the low-hanging fruit civil servant(s) without any healthcare background making healthcare decisions for claims. Or policy-analysts providing healthcareThis might be vague for many, but the idea is about the subjectivity and their expert knowledge on subjects, on mental health, PTSD, anxiety and depression and many other claims that are not visible to the eye.

Further, another deeply troubling experience shared is around the legal representation for nurses, post-retirement that their cases dragged on after they prematurely retired due to “legal wranglings” while on active practice.

The Manitoba Nurses Union have this “Legal Expense Assistance Plan or LEAP”  That offers legal representation at an astonishing miniscule amount. But no legal defense fund that nurses can tap into when the case goes for litigation, etc. The nurses are literally left for “dead” once they stop paying their union dues and/or their License Fees to CRNM & membership fee to ARNM, plus the CNPS liability insurance only covers while nurses are on active duty with specific coverage/clauses.

This brings to light the recent article by the Winnipeg Free Press, “Medical Legal coverage raises flags: Tax-payer supported organization that protects physicians comes under scrutiny in wake of sex assault trial.”

— February 10, 2024.

See article here or access via Free Press Online Access.

The article highlights the parallels between legal defense for doctors that is tax-payer funded versus non-existing legal defense fund for nurses post-retirement. As of this writing, most of the nurses in the group are unaware of any existing legal defense fund for retired nurses in Manitoba– none to our knowledge!

These are some of the experiences that nurses are coming into the realization of what is happening within the Manitoba healthcare system. Or nurses’ encounter of these  situations and  are beginning to realized, as one nurse puts it, “how rotten-to-the-core” or how “fucked up” the healthcare system in Manitoba.

So in the fall of 2023, the “Institute for Healthcare Integrity of Canada”– a not-for-profit organization that is incorporated in Winnipeg, was  established by these former and retired Manitoba nurses.

With the idealistic goal of being an “advocate, oversight and providing long-term support.,i.e., financial and Wellness for fellow nurses.” As we are just at the very early stages of our existence, expect that Manitoba will be the place to look up to for years to come.

The article of Kathrina Clarke, “Medical Legal Coverage Raises Flags,” dated February 10, 2024,  from the Free Press is found below.

— Genaro Guevarra

Millions of Manitoba taxpayer dollars subsizide doctor’s membersip in an organization that covers their legal costs – mainly for lawsuits, hospital complaints and Professional discipline – but also for certain criminal matters.

KATRINA CLARKE
The Winnipeg Free Press

However, the organization is refusing to say if it is paying for the legal defence of a former Manitoba physician recently convicted of sexual assault.

The Canadian Medical Protective Association describes itself as a “mutual medical defence organization” for Canadian doctors that protects their “professional integrity” and “advances patient safety and compensates patients harmed by negligent care.

” It has assets valued at $5.4 billion, according to the CMPA’s 2022 annual report. The organization makes clear it is not an insurance company – it does not require doctors to pay deductibles and premiums don’t go up.

In Manitoba, doctors pay thousands of dollars in dues annually to the CMPA. and are then partially reim-bursed by the province through a re- bate program. In turn, they get access to legal help and advice- including in cases involving a lawsuit, or threat of a lawsuit, a regulatory body complaint or criminal matter stemming from their work-plus information on im- proving patient safety and a range of other services.

A total of $108.5 million from tax- payers went to doctors via Manitoba’s CMPA. rebate program in the last 10 years, including $12 million in 2022-23, according to the province.

When it comes to funding criminal cases, the CMPA’s policy is that it will “generally exercise its discretion to assist” by paying for a member’s legal defence in cases where the criminal charge arose from the doctor’s medical work The CMPA. will not say if it paid the legal costs associated with the defence of Arcel Bissonnette, a former Ste. Anne family doctor convicted of sexual assault.

A spokesperson said the organization is “unable to comment on individual members or on matters before the court.” His lawyer, Martin Minuk, said the same.

Bissonnette was convicted last fall of sexually assaulting five patients. Earlier this month, he pleaded guilty to two more sex crimes, avoiding what would have been his third trial. He remains out on bail, with sentencing submissions to be heard in June. He also faces a civil suit from five women whose charges were stayed in the first trial.

His medical licence was revoked following his conviction. Arthur Schafer, an ethics expert, called the CMPA’s refusal to say if it is funding Bissonnette’s legal defence “shabby ethics.”

“The public is entitled to know,” said Schafer, the founding director of the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics at the University of Manitoba. The CMPA. receives “substantial public dollars” and it has “a moral obli- gation” to be transparent, he said. Two of the alleged victims in the Bissonnette case were shocked to learn taxpayer dollars could have supported his legal defence. “I understand that doctors have in- surance for malpractice, which makes sense because accidents happen, but not in criminal cases where sexual assault has occurred because that’s not an accident,” said one alleged victim who cannot be named. Her charges were among those stayed. Another woman whose charges were also stayed said she was “disgusted” to learn the CMPA. covers legal fees in similar cases.

“It’s just hard to deal with,” she said. “That’s really gross.” The Canadian Taxpayers Federation also takes issue with the use of public funds in criminal cases. “It’s definitely outrageous,” said Gage Haubrich, the organization’s prairie director. Physicians who have been convicted of criminal offences should be required to pay back the cost of their legal fees, Haubrich said. The CMPA. declined to provide a February 10, 2024 3:27 pm (GMT-6:00)

representative for an interview. In a statement, CMPA. CEO Dr. Lisa Calder said the association works with doctors to prevent harm and improve patient safety and that it does not toler- ate sexual abuse. “We understand that sexual impro- priety allegations can be devastating to all involved; but like all Canadians, doctors should be considered innocent until proven guilty,” she said. “As such, where the CMPA. provides assistance, it does so based on the presumption of innocence; and we remain committed to providing doctors with a fair and ethical defence.”

The CMPA. “does not provide further assistance once there has been a crimi- nal finding of guilt in relation to sexual abuse,” Calder said. It also does not pay settlements or awards of costs in cases where there is an allegation or finding that the mem- ber engaged in sexual abuse. Paul Harte, a medical malpractice lawyer based in Toronto, takes issue with CMPA’s position.

“You will note that they are prepared to fund a legal defence to doctors who are alleged to have sexually abused patients, but they do not use their discretion to pay compensation to these victims. As a publicly funded organization, they have their priorities reversed,” he said.

It remains unknown how many crim- inal matters the CMPA. has assisted with in Manitoba. Statistics from its annual report show there were 18 medical-legal cases in 2022 classified as “other,” a category that includes criminal cases but also human-rights complaints, inquests and privacy investigations in the “SMAT” region -Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Atlantic provinces and the Territories. In her statement, Calder stressed the CMPA. is not a taxpayer-funded orga- nization. “Membership fees are paid entirely by members,” she said. That characterization is discounted by critics.

“The notion that this is not public money is simply not correct. In the same way that funding for hospitals and doctors is public, the reimburse- ment program is funded entirely by taxpayer dollars,” Harte said. The CMPA’s key interest is in pro- tecting doctors’ reputations, something it goes to great lengths to accomplish, he said.

Its deep pockets allow it to take a “scorched earth” approach to litiga- tion, dragging out cases and racking up fees, he said. “It doesn’t accord with the public interest. I just don’t understand why physicians are afforded this protection when other professions aren’t,” Harte said. It can be difficult for patients who have suffered harm to even find a lawyer willing to take on their case, he said. Going up against CMPA-funded law yers means costs will be high, he said, adding unless the injury is catastroph- ic, it might not make financial sense to sue.

In response, Calder said the CMPA. assesses each case and seeks settle- ment “when appropriate, as quickly as possible.” Chris Wullum, a Winnipeg medical malpractice lawyer, is less critical of the CMPA’s practices. “(The CMPA.) will put a claimant to task to prove their claim regardless of whether it involves a minor injury or catastrophic one. I don’t fault the CMPA. for playing within those rules and defending the reputation of doc tors,” Wullum said, noting the exist ing legal system presents a potential Winnipeg Free Press “access to justice” issue.

“The issue with the system is the inequity of the cost to litigate versus the amount of compensation that can be recovered where negligent mistakes were still made but the injuries that resulted were more minor,” he said. “In those cases, lawsuits usually don’t get pursued even though negligence may still have occurred.”

Doctors Manitoba, which facili- tates the rebate program on behalf of Manitoba Health, said physicians are “disgusted and horrified” by the Bissonnette case. As for the rebate, spokesperson Keir Johnson said it “covers a portion of the annual liability coverage fees that all doctors must have to practise medicine.” “Our rebate never covers any direct expenses a physician faces in a criminal trial,” Johnson said, adding the rebate helps Manitoba remain competitive in recruiting and retaining much-needed doctors.

Liability insurance rates can reach into the tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the specialty, he said. The funding model is similar in other provinces and is not unique to Manitoba. “The need for doctors to practise in Manitoba with reasonable protections must be balanced against the needs of patients to be safe and to seek justice when they have been wronged,” Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said in a statement in response to a question about the CMPA.

-with files from Dean Pritchard katrina.clarke@freepress.mb.ca

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The recent newsletter  from L’Arche Canada brings nostalgia of how I made a life for myself here in Winnipeg.

For over two decades of living in Winnipeg, much has transpired- from becoming an Assistant in various L’Arche homes, to becoming the Healthcare Coordinator and finally was able to get my accreditation to get my Registered Nurse license to practice nursing gave me so much joy, challenges and contentment.

And in return, the creation of Morning Breeze Endowment Fund established through The Winnipeg Foundation is my way of “Pay it Forward” drumbeat to herald the future generation of “agents of change” to look after what we all sacrificed and accomplished for this great City of Winnipeg.

What is more important is the interplay between the stakeholders in the community, as we bring forward the message of the L’Arche community, particularly the people with developmental disabilities. It  calls for celebration about the gifts, message of hope, tenderness and compassion these people with intellectual disabilities bring through the L’Arche communities across Canada and around the world.

What makes the progress within the disability community more compelling  is the passing into law Bill C-22, in June of 2023, Canada Disability Benefit Act, under the leadership of former Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, The Honourable, Minister Carla Qualtrough. Who is now the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity. Bill C-22 will enhance the rights of people with disabilities and uplift twenty percent (20%) of the population living with developmental disabilities out of poverty.

What makes the movement of the disability community more memorable, especially for the L’Arche Saint John in New Brunswick is the recent visit of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. A leader that shows compassion to every Canadian, regardless of abilities, status, talents and gifts. Thank you for the visit!

The message and excerpts of the newsletter from, Louis Pilotte, L’Arche Canada’s National Leader and Executive Director in it’s true L’Arche form and fashion is below:

“L’Arche Saint John was happy to welcome Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Mayor Donna Reardon (far left) and MP Wayne Long for a visit with April Urquhart (second from the left) who gave them a tour of her new apartment at L’Arche Connects Saint John.”

One thing to know about Lisa Wilianto is that she loves adventure, especially if it involves travel. Over a decade ago, she left her homeland of Indonesia to pursue a Master’s degree in Rural Systems Management in Australia. After graduation, she took on a role in L’Arche Liverpool’s Ark workshop in the U.K., crafting greeting cards, candles, and woven accessories, among other products.

“I’d never worked with people with intellectual disabilities, but I like just to go with the flow. It was a challenging but rewarding experience,” Lisa says. “I loved it!”

And L’Arche Liverpool loved her. They celebrated their 35th anniversary with an awards ceremony during a Christmas dinner. Lisa received the Pleasantry Award, an Oscar-like statue. “I was amazed to get an award just for being myself,” she says.

While in Liverpool, Lisa met her future husband, Andry, a fellow Indonesian volunteering in the UK to aid refugees and fight poverty. Even amid young love, the bonds she forged at L’Arche Liverpool stayed with her when she returned to Indonesia. There she pursued a long-term career at the British Council and her husband grew a business distributing a bountiful resource from their homeland — seaweed. Together they had two children.

In the fall of 2021, Lisa was itching for a new adventure and feeling that she’d like to try living in Canada.  She noted a posting for an assistant’s position in Sudbury.  Lisa felt a pull, but signing up for this job did not come without sacrifice for Lisa. She had to leave her husband and her children, who were still in school, and to make the long journey alone.

She landed in Northern Ontario just in time for her first real experience of winter. “I was excited about it,” she says. “When I lived in L’Arche Liverpool, it snowed only once and the snow melted that same day.” An Ontarian might say, “Be careful what you wish for!” but she’s loved her winters in Sudbury, especially the winter walks and hockey games. She’s learned that “there’s no bad weather, only bad clothing, and the best way to embrace winter is through sports.”

Early on, she went with assistants and core members to a Sudbury Wolves game. Seeing a hockey game in person for the first time, she fell in love with the sport. “The adrenaline is great,” she says. “I have to admit I like the fighting too.” She also likes watching figure skating, where her favourite star is Elvis Stojko.

However, another, much more profound experience than a Canadian winter awaited Lisa in the coming months in L’Arche Sudbury.

Our Voices

Tiana Kirkegaard, from L’Arche Greater Vancouver and a member of the Youth Leaders in L’Arche Canada’s Leading Change initiative will emcee the third annual online Canadian Health and Wellbeing in Developmental Disabilities Conference. Lori Vaanholt, L’Arche Canada’s Vice-Executive Director, is on the steering committee helping to plan the event.

For more information about this conference being held February 7-9 and hosted by the University of Toronto, visit
https://www.healthandwellbeingindd.ca/speakers-2024

An article on the front page of La Presse newspaper sheds light on the uncertain future of homes for people with intellectual disabilities across Quebec. Read the full article here (in French only).  

Community Notes

20 Years for Jonathan at L’Arche Cape Breton!

This month Jonathan MacEachern celebrated 20 years at L’Arche Cape Breton. He even baked and decorated his own anniversary cake for the community’s Friday Coffee Time!

L’Arche Edmonton Kicks Off 2024 with New Wheels!

L’Arche Edmonton just purchased a van for one of their five homes in Edmonton and Sherwood Park with financial support from The Stollery Charitable Foundation.

On the occasion of celebrating, 150 years of Winnipeg as a city with the theme, “Winnipeg 150, Our Shared Stories. Our Shared Future,” for this year 2024, we would like to express our sincerest appreciation and gratitude for the opportunities afforded to us and made it possible for our accomplishments.

True to its theme of “Our Shared Stories and Shared Future”—I would like to briefly share my story and how my family had flourished and set our roots in the city. For over two decades of living in Winnipeg, our life was full of handwork, joys of celebration about the festivities in the city, perseverance and the contentment shared with the “Winnipeggers” who became our friends and made us feel like part of a big family.

No wonder, Winnipeg atracts a vast majority of people from around the world, particularly Filipino families immigrating to the city. One can truly say that Winnipeg is the heart of multiculturalism in Canada due to its high number of immigrants setling into the city.

Winnipeg is where we established, Morning Breeze HealthCare and Morning Breeze Endowment Fund, our philanthropy arm established through The Winnipeg Foundation. It is our way of giving back to the community through our Endowment Fund. This will ensure that the future generation “agents of change” are empowered to continue to make Winnipeg a vibrant city to call home for generations to come.

Discover and learn more about the rich history of Winnipeg: https://winnipeginfocus.winnipeg.ca/winnipeg150

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Community Social Engagement

How We Started

Morning Breeze HealthCare, Inc. and Morning Breeze Endowment Fund are committed to reducing our environmental and carbon footprint and taking the lead as a health service entity to address the issues of global weirding. A healthy environment reflects the health of the community. The impact of global weirding is at the forefront for majority of climate-conscious establishments, governments, and global citizens.

In 2022, we established the Morning Breeze Endowment Fund through The Winnipeg Foundation. The centre of our goal is to “invest back into the community.” The over-arching theme is to invest in individuals, young students and community leaders who can become “agents of change” and that can make a difference in our community and environment.

As a health service organization, our efforts are primarily focused on community health, climate, and global health education. We work tirelessly with our community partner(s) for our products, i.e., personal protective equipment that are ethically-sourced and manufactured by local businesses.We used recycled paper for our administrative and daily operational use. We use a paperless system for our payroll. We teamed-up with Recycle Everywhere, a Winnipeg-based recycling program that gives free recycling bins to businesses and households. We make every effort to utilize and purchase the most sustainable and environmentally-friendly products. Our mantra, ‘Reduce, Reuse & Recycle.”

More Information here, https://t.ly/xFjHr

“A clean environment is a healthy community. A healthy community is a promising future, for all.” Genaro Guevarra