The topic of Northern Manitoba highways and the adequacy of snow-clearing on them was brought up in the legislature by Flin Flon MLA Tom Lindsey during oral questions March 2.
Lindsey asked Transportation Minister Doyle Piwniuk if he had a plan to address safety concerns about Highway 6 and other northern highways and to fill vacant highway maintenance positions.
“Will you commit to properly funding, properly hiring enough workers to properly maintain those roads in Northern Manitoba so they’re safe to travel on?” Lindsey asked Piwniuk, who had earlier pointed out that this winter was Manitoba’s third-snowiest, after 1923 and 1952 and commended staff for working hard around the clock as soon as it is safe to go out and plow.
“That’s misinformation that the member from Flin Flon is sharing,” said Piwniuk, apparently taking umbrage at Lindsey’s suggestion that highways weren’t being cleared properly due to a lack of staff, though the Flin Flon MLA had commended the “few workers that are left to maintain these highways.”
“Our staff have been working hard around the clock to make sure that our highways are safe for drivers in Manitoba,” said the transportation minister. “That’s a disgrace that the member … talks about our staff like that. They’ve been working really hard this winter. Shame on you.”
