Manitoba Halts COVID Fine Tracker, Focuses on Collections

0:00Manitoba's government has pulled the plug on its public dashboard tracking COVID-19 fine collections. Back during the pandemic, they issued 3,723 tickets for breaking health rules. Justice Minister Matt Weve says they're still chasing the money internally, just like any other fines, but no fresh public numbers are coming out. The dashboard came from the old progressive conservative crew, but the new NDP team shifted resources to actual collections instead. Weve stresses they want folks held accountable for breaking the law without wasting time on a public display that doesn't help now. Fines hit hard, all $298 for first mass slip-up, over $1,200 for some personal violations, $8,000, $550 for federal quarantine breaks, and $5,000 for businesses. Unpaid tickets often stem from court wins, stays, or long payment plans stretching years. In a big case, five repeat offenders lost in court back in 2022, slapped with fines from $14,000 to nearly $35,000, given seven years to pay.

1:08Some tickets are still in court, others bounced to collections. Officials report fewer than 100 tickets remain active from that total, with just over 1,500 sent to collections last. Check. They're handling it like standard fines, keeping accountability alive without the spotlight. That's your update from Canada News Today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with The Story.