Manitobans talk about their experience, hopes after getting COVID-19 vaccine Last Modified: 8:35 AM CST Monday, Jan. 18, 2021 | Updates A light at the end of a long dark tunnel. Winnipeg Free Press A light at the end of a long dark tunnel. That’s how many Manitobans looked at news last month that the province would soon roll out its first COVID-19 vaccines. On Dec. 16, the province opened its first vaccination site, and since then, more than 13,000 Manitobans have received their first immunization shot against the virus. 2020 was a year like no other — it featured a once-in-a-century global pandemic, a summer of racial reckoning and street protests, a U.S. presidential impeachment, dramatic political violence south of the border, and an economic crash that left many struggling to keep their heads above water.