Trial date for jailed Alberta pastor charged with breaking COVID-19 health orders

Manitoba Federation of Labour calls for independent review of Workers Compensation Board

A major labour association is calling for an independent Workers Compensation Board review as Manitoba leads the country in workplace injury rates.

Last year, 2.5 employees in every 100 reported a workplace injury serious enough to take time off, WCB tracking shows. The number is higher than any other province — just as it has been for the past three years, according to the Manitoba Federation of Labour.

(In 2025, the next highest time loss injury rate was in British Columbia: 2.04 people for every 100.)

“Our prevention work in Manitoba is failing Manitobans,” said Kevin Rebeck, president of the Manitoba Federation of Labour. “We need an independent review to help shine a light on, ‘What is happening on the prevention front of WCB?’”

Indigenous leaders meet with Governor General during first official visit to Manitoba

Three Indigenous leaders were encouraged after discussing reconciliation and the need to confront residential school denialism with Gov. Gen. Louise Arbour, while she began her first official visit to Manitoba Wednesday.

Canadian Mennonite University students, staff victims of cyberattack

Canadian Mennonite University fell victim to a cyberattack that compromised the data of current and former students and employees last month.

School officials became aware of the cybersecurity incident, in which an “unknown third party” accessed its information technology systems without authorization, on Sept. 18, university president Cheryl Pauls said in a recent statement.

The university has since confirmed the third party used that access to steal information from its systems.

“We immediately initiated our incident response plan, retained expert assistance, and informed the university community whose workflows were affected as soon as we became aware of the incident,” Pauls said. “We also reported this incident to law enforcement and will be filing a report with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.”

Today’s horoscope

MOON ALERT: Caution. Avoid shopping (except for food and gas) and important decisions all day. The moon is in Virgo.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

You might have to put your own emotional considerations second to those of someone else because an element of service is a theme for you. You also might explore ways to improve your health, especially through diet. Be aware there’s a moon alert all day.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Bloodvein standing firm, won’t move blockade

Indigenous leaders are accusing the province of violating treaty rights for asking a First Nations community to move its checkstop that was set up to keep drugs and alcohol out.

Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Kyra Wilson and Bloodvein River First Nation Chief Lisa Young say the province isn’t upholding its responsibilities under treaties signed between First Nations and the province, during a livestreamed press conference Wednesday.

“It’s really up to the discretion of the nations in which territory (hunters) are in, and the province needs to understand that as well,” Wilson said.

The province has said it sent a cease and desist letter to Bloodvein, located about 235 kilometres north of Winnipeg, about the checkstop, which has been in place since May 2025 to keep illicit substances out. The province is concerned it would restrict licensed hunters from legally hunting on the territory.

Canadian author Anne Carson wins literature Nobel for ‘bold and inventive’ works that blend genres

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Canadian poet, essayist and translator Anne Carson won the Nobel Prize in literature Thursday for “bold and inventive” works that fuse the classical and the modern and blur the boundaries of poetry and prose.

The Toronto-born Carson, 76, has drawn on themes from classical Greek and Roman literature, modern influences and personal experience for genre-blending titles that have ranged from translations of ancient Greek poets to collaborations with dancers and musicians, including Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed.

The Swedish Academy that awards the prize said she won “for her bold and inventive oeuvre that, in playful dialogue with the classical tradition, has created new forms for contemporary literature.”

The permanent secretary of the academy said the author was in Iceland “listening to the wind” when the panel reached her to notify her of the honor.