Taskforce ready for ’emergency enhancement’ of salmon stocks after B.C. landslide

Kinew, two NDP caucus members file lawsuit defence, deny defaming former party MLA Wasyliw to expel him

The premier and two New Democrat caucus members have denied they conspired to defame another politician as an excuse to oust him from the party.

Mark Wasyliw, now an independent Member of the Legislative Assembly representing Fort Garry, was booted from the NDP in September 2024, which the party claimed was due to Wasyliw’s former law partner representing convicted sex offender and disgraced fashion mogul Peter Nygard.

The independent MLA, who’s a defence lawyer, claims statements his former colleagues made in September 2024 linking him to Nygard or accusing him of lying, harmed him and his reputation.

Wasyliw filed his lawsuit in December last year, naming Premier Wab Kinew, Natural Resources Minister Ian Bushie and Seine River MLA Billie Cross as defendants. The claim was later amended to remove Bushie as a defendant and add Environment Minister Mike Moyes, who was at the time chair of the NDP caucus, in his place.

Taskforce ready for ’emergency enhancement’ of salmon stocks after B.C. landslide

WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. - A salmon task force that is examining the impact of the massive Chilcotin River landslide in British Columbia says it's prepared for the "emergency enhancement" of fish stocks after the disaster.

A statement from the Fisheries Department, which is part of the task force alongside First Nations and the B.C. government, says monitoring has confirmed that sockeye salmon have begun to enter the river.

But more assessment is needed to determine if upstream salmon migration has been restored following the July 30 landslide.

The department says chinook and sockeye salmon reared in hatcheries run by the federal government, First Nations and the community will release stocks "as needed."

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)

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?’”

Letters, Oct. 8

Computer scientist Melvin Conway once stated, “Any organization that designs a system (defined broadly) will produce a design whose structure is a copy of the organization’s communication structure.”