July 5, 2012

FIRST GENERATOR ONLINE AT WUSKWATIM GENERATING STATION

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Premier Selinger Announces 'First Power' from Newest Hydro Dam

THOMPSON — A ceremony was held earlier today to announce the first of three generators going into operation at the 200-megawatt Wuskwatim Generating Station, marking the start of power production at Manitoba’s newest hydroelectric facility.  Located on the Burntwood River in northern Manitoba, Wuskwatim is being developed by the Wuskwatim Power Ltd. Partnership (WPLP), a venture between the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation (NCN) and Manitoba Hydro.  Manitoba Hydro will operate the project on behalf of WPLP.
Premier Greg Selinger, NCN Chief Jerry Primrose and Bill Fraser, Chairman of the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board, were on hand at Wuskwatim to announce this important milestone.  Dave Chomiak, minister responsible for Manitoba Hydro; NCN members and Hydro officials were also in attendance.
“Wuskwatim marks a new chapter in northern hydroelectric development for Manitoba,” said Selinger.  “For the first time, Manitoba Hydro has fully partnered with a local First Nation impacted by hydro development, ensuring that community members had a say in the planning, design and construction of this facility.  Wuskwatim has provided - and will continue to provide -years of income for the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, through training, employment and other economic development activities.”
“This is an exciting time for our community,” added Primrose.  “For the first time, our people will benefit in a more meaningful way from hydro development, rather than just through compensation after the fact. We have been active in this project from the beginning, and to see it come to fruition is extremely rewarding.”
Wuskwatim’s final two generators are expected to go into service later in 2012, marking the completion of the station.  Development of the $1.37 billion project began in August 2006 with the signing of the Wuskwatim Project Development Agreement (PDA) between Manitoba Hydro and NCN.  The agreement provided the option for NCN to own up to one-third of the Wuskwatim Generating Station through its wholly owned corporation, Taskinigahp Power Corporation.

While NCN has already confirmed that it will take a significant ownership position in the Wuskwatim project, the community has until July 2013 to decide whether it will exercise its option of acquiring the full 33 per cent permitted under the PDA.
Electricity from Wuskwatim will be fed into Manitoba Hydro’s provincial power grid and used to meet the domestic needs of the province.
Additional information on the Wuskwatim Project, can be found on WPLP’s website at http://www.wuskwatim.ca/ or Manitoba Hydro’s website at http://www.hydro.mb.ca/

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The Province of Manitoba is distributing this release on behalf of the Government of Manitoba, Manitoba Hydro and Nisichawayasihk First Nation.

Doctors warming up to country life

March 9, 2012

RECORD NUMBER OF FUTURE DOCTORS ATTRACTED TO RURAL, NORTHERN COMMUNITIES UNDER EXPANDED RECRUITMENT GRANT PROGRAM: OSWALD

A record number of medical students has signed up to serve in rural and northern communities that need them the most in exchange for free medical school thanks to a recently expanded doctor-recruitment initiative, Health Minister Theresa Oswald announced today.  The free medical school initiative supports the province’s commitment to ensure every Manitoban has access to a family doctor by 2015, the minister said.
“We’re committed to finding new ways to connect Manitobans with a doctor in their community,” said Oswald.  “The incredible success we’ve seen in the first year of the free medical school program shows us we’re on the right track to recruiting more doctors to the rural and northern communities where they’re needed most.”
This year, over 251 undergraduate medical students and residents signed up for grants through the revamped Medical Student/Resident Financial Assistance Program in exchange for providing medical services after graduation, in under-served rural and northern communities.  In total, this will result in nearly 250 years of medical services returned to Manitoba communities, Oswald said.
Under the expanded program, grants range from $12,000 to $25,000 per year, based on the year of study, the student’s specialty and where they choose to work after graduation.  Students can apply for grants in each year of medical school and canaccess a maximum of $61,000 over four years, which covers tuition and other costs associated with studying medicine in exchange for a commitment to work for up to two and half years in communities identified as most in need of additional physicians.
“Our goal is to keep the majority of our graduating physicians here to serve the health-care needs of Manitobans across the province,” said Dr. Brian Postl, dean, faculty of medicine, University of Manitoba.  “Thanks to this expanded and innovative program, more students are choosing to stay here, take advantage of the tuition-reimbursement incentives offered by the province and practise in under-served communities after graduation.  It’s clearly a win-win.”
Since the program was established in 2001, over $35 million has been provided to approximately 1,300 students.  Since 1999, rural and northern Manitoba has seen a net increase of 116 doctors.
The minister said Manitoba continues to make many important investments in physician training, recruitment and retention including:

• expanding the Medical Student/Resident Financial Assistance Program to cover the entire cost of a student’s four years of medical school, in exchange for a return-of-service agreement in communities chosen by the province;
• introducing a 60 per cent tuition rebate worth up to $25,000 for graduates who choose to live and work in Manitoba;
• introducing a unique northern/remote residency program to help attract more doctors to northern Manitoba;
• providing grants of $50,000 in return for service for family doctors to return to school to undertake a third year in an advanced-skill area such as emergency medicine or anesthesiology;
• expanding medical school spaces to 110 from 70, creating the largest medical school class on record; and
• introducing the Medical Licensure Program for International Medical Graduates in 2001 to assist foreign doctors in receiving conditional registration.  

For more information about the programs, visit www.manitoba.ca/health/msrfap/index.html.

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