Portage la Prairie will soon see personnel enforcing public health orders locally.

Portage la Prairie city council unanimously approved an application to the Province of Manitoba's Municipal Enforcement Support Program (MESP) at a special virtual council meeting held this evening. Council was required to call the impromptu gathering as applications to the Province's program, along with a motion from council, are needed by tomorrow.

The program was created to assist municipalities across the province with financial and other supports surrounding public health order enforcement that may not have the capacity within their existing budgets. The initial plan in Portage is to have three bylaw officers trained in the program along with the City's Chief and Deputy Fire Chief. 

"Our goal is not necessarily to put new boots on the ground solely doing this, but to use our existing resources to assist the Province," City Manager Nathan Peto stated during the meeting.

The training will be done virtually and is scheduled to begin next week. In addition to the training, the local enforcement squad will have access to a provincial coordination network to guide enforcement efforts and tools - including guidelines, operating procedures, identification vests, and ticket books.

Municipalities participating in the Province's program will be entitled to receive 100 per cent of ticket revenue from any tickets properly issued, in good faith, to violators of public health orders. Fines for failure to comply with a public health order are $1,296 for individuals and $5,000 for corporations.