The Wrap: International students, cottage flushing rules, MLL strike impact, Bee Maid move, and a reno for MTYP

Manitoba is welcoming four times the number of international students than it did a decade ago and despite warnings from Ottawa, stakeholders say local campuses can accommodate more growth.

The federal government announced last month it would be capping new visas for international students in a bid to quell pressures on housing markets across the country and crack down on bad actors delivering a less-than-stellar education for high tuition rates.

Until repairs are completed on a pipe leaking sewage into the Red River, the City of Winnipeg is asking residents and businesses in southwest Winnipeg to “use cottage rules” to reduce toilet-flushing.

Residents are also being asked to take short showers, avoid taking baths or washing cars, run only full loads of laundry, and turn off the water when brushing their teeth or shaving.

The spill from a pipe that runs under the river near the Fort Garry Bridge started on the morning of Feb. 7, and multiple repair attempts have not fully stopped the excess flow of sewage. As of Tuesday, 221.2 million litres of sewage had been spilled.

The bitter labour dispute with Manitoba Liquor Mart workers last summer likely cut the Crown corporation’s profits by $10 million, a legislative committee was told last week.

The liquor authority spent about $1.25 million on replacement workers and additional storage space while saving about $2.8 million on salaries and benefits for approximately 1,400 striking unionized employees, the corp’s CEO said.

In the meeting, the CEO and the MLA responsible for the MLL were peppered with questions about the NDP government’s preference for maintaining publicly operated liquor retail locations rather than expanding private sales in the future.

Bee Maid Honey is set to expand its local wingspan amid anticipated “substantial growth” in the market and increasing overseas demand.

The company is moving from it’s office of 60+ years in St. James to a new $25-million facility in St. Boniface. The new facility will be 129,000 square feet, as opposed to the current Roseberry Street site’s 68,000 sq. ft.

The St. Boniface hub will also have a bigger store — stocked with honey and beekeeping equipment — and more office space for its 70 staff.

The Manitoba Theatre for Young People will soon be greener and more accessible, thanks in large part to more than $1.3 million in federal funding.

MTYP’s 25-year-old facility at The Forks will undergo major upgrades, including a total replacement of its roof, windows and HVAC system, and an expansion of accessibility to studio, backstage and washroom spaces via barrier-free doorway operators.