Latest news with #RMofAlexander
CBC
7 days ago
- CBC
Manitoba rural municipality calls out 'slanderous and defamatory' online comments
A rural Manitoba community is pushing back against what its mayor says have become increasingly ugly and abusive comments being posted on the municipality's Facebook page. Issues with toxic online comments are becoming a growing problem in communities provincewide, says Jack Brisco, mayor of the rural municipality of Alexander. "It has got to the point where employees and even volunteers are saying, 'I don't want to be here, I don't want to take this kind of abuse,'" said Brisco. "And a lot of volunteers were saying, 'I'm going to quit. I can't take it anymore.'" Late last month, officials in Alexander, a municipality in Manitoba's Eastman region that's home to more than 3,800 residents, put out a notice warning they will no longer tolerate "inappropriate behaviour" on the municipality's Facebook page. The notice says the RM has been dealing with bullying and personal attacks, swearing and abusive language, and even harassment and threats toward staff. The RM's social media feeds are also becoming increasingly filled with what it says are "slanderous and defamatory comments," and the spreading of "misinformation and unfounded accusations." Brisco says a wildfire that began burning near the Bird River area of Alexander last month has emotions running high in the area. That's ignited a noticeable increase in negative Facebook comments toward members of council, staff, residents and even first responders who have been working to put out fires. "I even heard a person that was a fire chief say, 'I can't take it anymore. I can't take the negativity.'" Brisco said often, the most inappropriate and argumentative comments are coming from the same few people, who he believes are using the municipality's page just to provoke and agitate. One person in particular "made many, many entries on Facebook" that were particularly negative, he said. "They were just becoming argumentative and harassing people that were trying to ask very valid questions." The mayor said there are concerns some of the commenters may not even live in the RM, as it's been unable to match the name of at least one of the commenters to any properties in Alexander. "We are sure that this person is just out there to argue with people, to fight with people, because they think that's what a good time is," said Brisco. He's hoping more can be done to combat toxic Facebook comments, and to identify those who are consistently posting them. "We need to hunt those kinds of people down and do something, because they are not helping society," he said. "They're a hindrance." 'It will have an effect on democracy': AMM Association of Manitoba Municipalities executive director Denys Volkov says issues with inappropriate online comments are growing across the province and have, in some cases, become so abusive that some officials don't even feel safe in their own homes. "It's extremely disturbing to see, but unfortunately we've been seeing an escalation of this type of behaviour towards elected officials over a number of years," Volkov said. "We've heard stories that in some smaller communities, people know where they live, so there are concerns regarding threats and people attacking them." There's now a "vicious cycle" online, Volkov said, as some spread what he called "fake news and inaccurate information" that leads to more anger and mistrust of government. "People not using accurate information are getting agitated, and then they are ready to go after municipal officials," he said. Several politicians have told him the abuse has gotten so bad that it might push some to not run again in Manitoba's next municipal elections, set for 2026, said Volkov. "It will have an effect on democracy at the grassroots level, because many don't want to see these attacks towards them, towards their families, and if it's on social media, it's very hard to do anything with these types of attacks." Volkov says his association is now working to help its members deal with issues that arise online, including an initiative to create a "toolkit" that it hopes to release before the next election. "Unfortunately right now, there are not many tools in the toolbox for municipal councils to deal with these type of personal attacks," he said. "We're looking at examples from across Canada, across the world, because I would say it's … really a global phenomenon, and we're looking for best practices and how to combat this." If more work is not done to combat online harassment, Volkov says he and others fear how bad it might get.
CBC
17-05-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Manitoba wildfire evacuees returning home thankful for rain
Social Sharing Some residents of the rural municipality of Lac du Bonnet who have been able to return home are thankful they're getting some rain, even as officials warn they'll need more than that for wildfire conditions in the province to really improve. The evacuation order for permanent residents living in an area south of Wendigo Road in the eastern Manitoba municipality was lifted Wednesday evening, according to the RM of Lac du Bonnet website. Re-entry was authorized for the Wendigo Road subdivisions and residences from Provincial Road 313 to Newcombe Road at 8 p.m. that night. The rural municipality said as many as 50 families could now be able to come back home. Cathie Austen was staying at a friend's cottage when she heard residents in the area would be allowed back in. By 8 p.m., she was already lined up and ready to return home. "We were like, 'Yay!'" she said. "[Doing] the old happy dance." Environment Canada is reporting some areas of southern Manitoba received up to 70 millimetres of rain over the last 48 hours, though southeastern regions, including Lac du Bonnet, got less than 10 millimetres of rain as of Friday morning. But more rain is on the way — along with a temperature drop — with the agency forecasting a period of rain mixed with snow after midnight Friday in the area, and risk of freezing rain overnight. Conditions improving in Bird River Jack Brisco, mayor of the RM of Alexander — which is dealing with the largest of the wildfires currently active in the province, in the Nopiming area — said conditions have improved because of the cooler and wet weather, though it also caused some problems Friday morning. "Bombers from Manitoba, I know they had problems in Gimli because they're getting so much rain," he said. "We've had assistance from bombers from Ontario, so all of them are pitching in and doing their best to look after this fire." That fire, located about one kilometre from Bird River, was about 100,000 hectares, according to the province's latest fire bulletin, issued Friday afternoon. About 100 firefighters are currently defensively battling the flames around Bird River, Brisco said in an interview with Radio Noon. Close to 400 residences in the rural municipality have been issued evacuation orders, with Brisco estimating up to 1,000 people may have been forced out of their homes or cottages. The mayor said he's hoping for a good downpour of rain to help put out the fire. "The wind is blowing from the north now … so it's going in a little bit of a new direction," he said. "The conditions are better, but the wind isn't really helping out right now." The Lac du Bonnet area fire remained at around 4,000 hectares as of the latest fire bulletin. Travel is still restricted in several areas still under evacuation order. "The rain is helping, but obviously [there's still] tinder-dry conditions, there's tree stumps and trees that are still on fire, burning on the inside," RM of Lac du Bonnet Reeve Loren Schinkel said, adding that it may take two or three days before any evacuation orders are changed, even with perfect weather. "We are worried about lives and property," Schinkel said. "We know that the fire in that area flared up again last night and Wildfire Services says we're not letting anything go until we're sure it's all put out and secure for the residents to return." He's urging residents to be patient while officials wait on conditions to improve before lifting further evacuation orders. "You would think a little bit of moisture, you know, would help extinguish it — and it [does]. But we need this soaking rain for a few days to really get control of it," he said. The wildfire in the rural municipality killed two people and has destroyed at least 28 buildings. Ronald Runzer came back Friday to find his house was still standing, but his workshop and storage sheds were "burned into the ground."
