COVID-19 in Manitoba: Public Policy Responses to the First Wave

In COVID-19 in Manitoba, political scientists Andrea Rounce and Karine Levasseur examine how the province navigated the first wave of the pandemic, framing COVID-19 as a story of policy choices and their human consequences. Initially aiming for a neutral assessment, the authors shift to a more critical tone as they chart the narrative arc of a government that performed well early on but failed to adapt in later stages.

Their analysis highlights how provincial decision-making shaped public experience—both in its early containment efforts and in its later missteps. The book contextualizes these developments within Canada’s federalist system, underscoring tensions between levels of government and the uneven engagement with Indigenous and community actors. Rounce and Levasseur frame the first wave not only as a health crisis but as a cautionary tale of missed opportunities, urging readers to consider what better preparedness might have looked like.