Operation Red Nose shuts down for another year in Manitoba due to pandemic

Operation Red Nose is putting the brakes on its holiday-season ride service for another year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The national organization says it has decided not to offer the service in Manitoba this year as the public health situation is still in flux.

They were hoping to bring it back after pausing it last year because of the pandemic, but ultimately decided not to due to safety concerns for its volunteers, Anne-Marie Audet, executive director at the national Operation Red Nose office, said in a news release.

"The safety of our volunteers and clients is our priority, so the hard choice to push our safe ride campaign to 2022 is ultimately the most reasonable one given the current health situation," she said.

In past years the non-profit has offered free safe ride services during the winter holiday season in several Manitoba communities in an effort to curb impaired driving.

It's operated in Manitoba since 1994, and served 11 communities as of 2018: Winnipeg, Brandon, Flin Flon, Gimli, Portage la Prairie, La Broquerie/Steinbach, St. Malo, Selkirk, Shilo, The Pas and Thompson.

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