Elect
Ernie
Nathaniel
as your MLA for
Fort Richmond
Real change
for Manitoba
204.410.0065
Real Change for Fort Richmond
Ernie Nathaniel has lived in Fort Richmond for over 40 years, where he and his wife, Lynnette, raised their two daughters. His parents were both doctors who taught at the University of Manitoba Medical college, and Ernie earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at the University of Manitoba.
Passionate about photography and film, Ernie continued in his lifelong interest in the film and video field and went on to start his production company Interlace Media in the 90’s, becoming an award-winning editor. His focus is now documentaries, as these films not only entertain and educate, but unravel complex social topics.
Ernie was just awarded the Barry Lank Memorial film award at the Gimli Film Festival, on behalf of the Documentary Organization of Canada. Ernie’s videos have ranged from music concerts, documentaries, industrials, and films for non-profits. He has always had a passion for social issues, and aims to serve the community through running for MLA for Fort Richmond.
In 2019, Ernie ran for MLA in the Kirkfield Park constituency where he lived from 1967 into his university days before moving to Fort Richmond. Ernie felt motivated to run for MLA after his 96-year-old mother, who is now 100, had an asthma attack. When the ambulance arrived the EMTs could not take her to Victoria Hospital which was only three minutes away, but instead they had to take her 30 minutes across the city to Grace Hospital due to the recent emergency room closures.
The apologetic looks of the EMT workers clearly expressed the decrepit state of Manitoba’s healthcare system, which has only been worsened over the course of the pandemic. Reports of people dying while waiting for care due to enormous budget cuts and a strained healthcare system continue to this day, and Ernie is passionate about fixing the healthcare system for all Manitobans.
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Ernie was on the Manitoba Liberal policy committee for the past three years, and wrote multiple policies that were adopted during the party AGM’s. Some of his policies include restoring hospital emergency rooms, concerns about mining in drinking water, and regulations for irresponsible infill development in the Glenwood community.
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Please see the below clip highlighting the infill concerns of Glenwood residents:
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Ernie is also passionate about environmental issues. An Alberta company, Sio Silica, plans to drill up to 10,000 wells in southeastern Manitoba, threatens to contaminate a world-renowned drinking water aquifer. Ernie is documenting the concerns of the communities affected, in their struggle.
The government has sold the mining rights of many home-owners and farms of the area to Sio Silica, who plans to use an untested method to extract sand and likely contaminate this pristine aquifer. The recent Clean Environment Commission report expresses the concern; “The members of the panel are unable to state with confidence that all potential environmental effects of this project have been fully considered and that adequate detailed plans have been prepared for preventing or mitigating these effects.” (Page xi, CEC Report on the Vivian Sand Extraction Project, June 22, 2023).
In other words, the safety of drinking water for up to 110,000 people cannot be guaranteed. Only the Manitoba Liberals, and specifically MLA Dr. Jon Gerrard, has voiced his concern about this project for the past 2 years. For a brief overview of this issue, see the documentary trailer produced by Ernie below:
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Feel free to call Ernie to discuss your questions and concerns, and how you want him to represent you as MLA for Fort Richmond. Ph: (204) 410-0065
“I would be honoured to represent you.”
