Alberta Health Services — which the province is dismantling as it forges ahead with its full-scale and controversial overhaul of the health system — is facing even more uncertainty as yet another leader departs.

Perry — the miniature donkey who was the animation model for the iconic character voiced by Eddie Murphy in the movie Shrek — has died.

Winnipeg is no stranger lately to cybersecurity threats.

Institutions like universities, school divisions and car dealerships have experienced breaches only recently.

But a new program at the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology (MITT) is training students to combat these cyber threats.

“There’s always something going on,” said Brenden Yarmie, a 19-year-old cybersecurity student at MITT. “Like recently, there was the Pembina Trails outage which was a big deal.”

Yarmie says there’s news of an attack or threat every day.

“There’s all sorts of stories we’re hearing from different places in the world where there could be a bank that’s been hacked in, or there’s just smaller things going on. I just find it very curious.”

MITT’s Jarde Miskimmin says the school’s new program, which kicks off this fall, will not only teach students how to be cybersecurity analysts — they’ll also practise ethical hacking and penetration testing.

“One of the reasons that we’ve decided to introduce the cybersecurity analyst program is because we’re seeing that these cyberattacks are becoming more prevalent and becoming more frequent,” said Miskimmin, the program manager for information, communication, technology and skilled trades.

“Think of it like a group of students trying to get into a locked door, trying to use different keys, trying to find ways to breach that security.”

The cybersecurity analyst program is geared towards people with some IT foundational knowledge. The program ends with a practicum – MITT works with partners in the industry – so students are able to use their learning out in the field.

Miskimmin describes cybersecurity as one of the fastest growing industries in the IT landscape. There’s an estimated 38,000 open positions throughout Canada for cybersecurity professionals.

“I don’t know that there’s any organization that does not rely on some form of digital technology,” he said. “And when you rely on digital technology, there’s always a potential that that could be breached. Cybersecurity analysts can help prevent that from happening and safeguard your information.

“It keeps continuing to advance at a rapid pace.

“I’ve seen first-hand what can happen when your information is breached and what the consequences can be.”

Beverlie Stuart, MITT’s vice-president of business development and community initiatives, says it’s important schools keep up with changes in technology, especially with how reliant society has become on these advances.

“This is ever-evolving, this world of cybersecurity, so they have to be able to adapt and learn new skills,” Stuart said.

“Hackers are becoming more and more sophisticated today.”

With a new batch of students gearing up for the new program, Stuart says the school is helping to give all industries the best chance it can to see a future safer from security breaches.

“I know our program, I know the students that are graduating and I feel so much safer knowing that they’re gonna be out in the workforce protecting us,” she said.

Yarmie’s ultimate goal is to be on the front lines of Canadian industries, protecting them from security breaches.

“If you’re interested in computers and like the idea, it’s always good to give it a go,” he said. “There’s so many different online resources that can help you learn and figure out if you might be interested in something like this.”

Starting Monday, MITT is waiving application fees until spring for all its programs.

The post Foiling hackers, countering threats: Manitoba program arms students with cybersecurity skills appeared first on CityNews Winnipeg.

Several California communities, including Pacific Palisades, have been evacuated due to raging wildfires. A woman from Saskatchewan who lives there now has recently lost her home and all her belongings.

Average asking rents fell nationally to $2,109 in December on a year-over-year basis, marking a 17-month low, according to a new report.

Health PEI says the healthcare system across PEI is currently facing significant overcapacity resulting in limited bed availability.

 It adds that with the onset of the cold and flu season, healthcare facilities are anticipating an increase in patient volumes — further challenging the province’s healthcare resources.

While our system is under strain, Health PEI is implementing a number of measures to manage patient volumes and improve patient flow.  Those measures include:

• Prioritizing long-term care beds for patients currently in the hospital
• Increasing the number of available critical care beds, including intensive and progressive care beds
• Expanding bed capacity beyond traditional spaces
• Streamlining discharge policies, including assessments for homecare services
• Utilizing homecare services/programs to maintain client care at home

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Donald Trump’s persistent talk of annexing Canada is a deliberate ploy to distract Americans from discussing the damage that the U.S. president-elect’s steep tariffs will cause to their economy.

He was speaking to CNN’s Jake Tapper Thursday during a visit to Washington, D.C. for former president Jimmy Carter’s funeral.

The Provincial Government is informing students, parents, guardians, teachers, and school administration that some of their personal information may have been part of PowerSchool’s recent North American cybersecurity incident.  PowerSchool is a third-party platform used by many education systems, including PEI, and as a result of unauthorized access to PowerSchool, personal data of past and present Island school members may have been compromised. Personal information that may have been accessed include Name; Date of birth; Address; Phone numbers; and/or other personal information such as food allergies.  PowerSchool has advised Government that it has contained the incident, and implemented enhanced internal controls to secure the system.  Efforts are being made to identify those impacted and all those identified will receive further information in the coming weeks.

Ontario Provincial Police say they are investigating criminal allegations brought forward by Pickering's city council.

Michael Koochin, 38, of Slave Lake, Alta., is in custody and faces more than a dozen criminal charges in connection to a vehicle collision in August that killed two men and injured several others on a motorcycle ride for charity.

Medical witnesses told a jury in Saint John that Alexander Bishop's wound was not survivable. 

Friday is the day we’ll get December’s jobs figures from Statistics Canada.  In November, the national unemployment rate rose to 6.8 per cent, while the economy added 51-thousand jobs..   PEI’s economy had added 2,700 jobs in November and the provincial unemployment rate was down to 8.0 percent.

Saskatchewan's Ministry of Advanced Education mailed out 415 tax slips to the wrong people, according to the office of the province's information and privacy commissioner.

Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was detained at a march in Caracas on Thursday in her first public appearance in months and her ally, former presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, demanded she be freed immediately.

Steinbach Community Outreach is undergoing a leadership change. Founder and long-time Executive Director Irene Kroeker is stepping into a new role as Community Resource Coordinator, while Madeleine Thiessen, previously the Head Advocate, will take on the title of Executive Director. 

Kroeker’s new focus will allow her to work more closely with individuals experiencing homelessness, particularly those who spend much of their time on the streets.  

“They come in the morning often before we are even there, and then we let them in, especially now with the weather, the way it is. And so, we let them in and then we give them breakfast and we listen to what their other needs are.” 

She explains that families often offer a warm place to stay for those in need, and her goal is to provide items like food for them to bring along. 

“We want to organize things that they can take with them to that family and show their part of being gracious and giving them a few of the household items that they always will need when they’re staying there.” 

Thiessen says her focus will turn to the guests at Community Outreach and highlights the collaborative nature of their work.  

“I’m still going to be in the office and I’m still going to do the same thing that I’ve been doing all this time. I think we’re good the way we are, and our whole team pitches in.” 

Both Kroeker and Thiessen are motivated by the people they serve and the stories they hear. 

“We’ve had quite a few success stories in the last little while,” Thiessen shares. “When people come in and they say, ‘Hey, I am clean. I have a place to live, and I have my child with me,’ things like that, it’s just a refresher.” 

She adds that they also meet people where they are and help them get through the difficult times. 

“It’s so beautiful to listen to their stories and hear where they’ve come from and what they have been through. We just enjoy being with people.” 

For Kroeker, the joy lies in connecting individuals with resources, which is the reason she is so thrilled about this new position. 

“I love problem solving. I used to be a resource teacher, so I love connecting them with various resources. That, I would say, is my first love.” 

Steinbach Community Outreach has come a long way from its humble beginnings in a garage 17 years ago, to its current location. However, change is on the horizon, as the organization will need to find a new space within the next four years. 

“We’re not sure where we’re going yet. If anybody has an empty building, that’d be great.” 

Despite the challenges, Kroeker and Thiessen remain optimistic and focused on their mission in their new roles.

With files from Carly Koop