Uniqlo sets May 15 date for first Winnipeg store

Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo will open its first Winnipeg store, located in CF Polo Park, on May 15.

Grain market ‘analyst in your pocket’

Mark Lepp grew up on a 5,000-acre grain farm near Elm Creek, but he never took to farming the way his father and two younger brothers did.

“I probably frustrated everyone around me,” he said. “The real art of farming — I was not that artist.”

That hasn’t stopped the entrepreneur from making a name for himself in agriculture. In 2004, he co-founded FarmLink Marketing Solutions, which pioneered the business of providing personalized marketing recommendations for Western Canadian farmers.

“I always liked the economics part (of farming),” Lepp said. “I liked the business part.”

Grand enhancement for Jeep

For 2026, and the vehicle that arguably launched the luxury SUV segment — the Jeep Grand Cherokee — it’s what you can’t see that makes the biggest difference.

Under the hood, the venerable Pentastar V-6 engine continues, but expanding the list of powertrain options is a new Hurricane 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder engine.

It would be easy to see that change as a step backward. If four cylinders are good, six are better, right?

Not so fast. The new engine is the high-output option, offering more power, more torque and better fuel economy than its six-cylinder stablemate.

Rural B.C. communities ask province to support foreign worker program changes

Leaders in some of British Columbia's rural communities are calling on the provincial government to support changes to the temporary foreign worker program or businesses will have to start shutting their doors. 

Tiffany Hetenyi, executive director of the Fort St. John and District Chamber of Commerce, says business owners tell her they will have to start reducing their hours, or close for good, because of staffing shortages.

The federal government in March announced changes to the temporary foreign worker program meant to benefit employers in rural communities struggling to fill jobs, but provinces have to opt into the program. 

The chamber is one of 10 B.C. business groups that wrote to Premier David Eby in September, asking his government to support the federal temporary foreign worker program. 

Taiwan’s chipmaker TSMC reports 58% jump in profit, warns about Iran war impacts

HONG KONG (AP) — Taiwan’s chipmaker TSMC, one of the world’s largest companies, reported a 58% jump in profit on Thursday for the January-March quarter, thanks to strong demand driven by the artificial intelligence boom even as the Iran war was driving up costs.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp., a key supplier for Apple and Nvidia and the largest contract chipmaker in the world, reported a record net quarterly profit of 572.5 billion new Taiwan dollars ($18.1 billion) for the first three months of the year, better than analysts had expected.

Profit for the quarter was 58.3% higher compared to the 361.6 billion new Taiwan dollars ($11.5 billion) booked the same period a year earlier. It was also 13.2% higher compared with the previous quarter in October-December.

Revenue increased 8.4% in the January-March period from the previous three months to $35.9 billion, the company said. For the current April-June quarter, TSMC expected revenue to further grow to between $39 billion and $40.2 billion.

Lawmakers gathered quietly to talk about AI. Angst and fears of ‘destruction’ followed

WASHINGTON (AP) — A congressional subcommittee on Thursday held a roundtable discussion on the potential of artificial intelligence, which took a turn toward the existential as each lawmaker aired their anxieties about the rapidly evolving technology.

Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., expressed alarm that federal workers may be using AI chatbots to handle sensitive government data. Rep. William Timmons, R-S.C., asked whether it should be illegal for AI systems to use someone’s likeness to create pornographic images.

Rep. John McGuire, R-Va., expressed concerns that AI systems could deny U.S. military forces from taking lethal actions due to a model's conclusion for “moral” behavior. And Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., raised concerns about the Trump administration’s use of AI in the war with Iran, the technology’s intensive energy usage and its potential effects on the climate.

While members of Congress elsewhere debated other major topics — the scope of the federal government’s surveillance powers, the war with Iran and funding the Department of Homeland Security — the House Oversight Committee’s subcommittee roundtable on “Artificial Intelligence and American Power” brought executives of AI firms, academics and those implementing AI at major companies together with lawmakers.

Board game inspires business name

Alexander Hupé found his company’s moniker between Pacific Avenue and Park Place.

When the entrepreneur was brainstorming names for Shortline Moving Solutions Inc. — the moving company in Winnipeg’s North End that he opened for business on April 7, 2015 — he was inspired by Monopoly.

Short Line is one of the four railroads featured in the classic board game. Hupé fell in love with the game as a child, a passion that followed him into his early 20s, including when he lived in B.C. for six months and played football for the Okanagan Sun.

“We used to play all the time in Kelowna to unwind after practice,” says Hupé, now 35. “I had to win at all costs.”

Portage la Prairie Mall site sold to local ownership group

The Portage la Prairie Mall has new owners after three entrepreneurs purchased the site.

Joel McPhail and Josh McPhail, who own the Rona store that operates within the mall, and Dan Trotter, owner of a new Wendy’s location near the store, announced the acquisition earlier this month. When asked about the terms of the deal, Josh McPhail declined to comment.

There are no finalized redevelopment plans. The ownership group is exploring opportunities to revitalize the west Portage site and “position it as a renewed commercial hub that serves the needs of the community,” according to a prepared statement.

The mall opened on Saskatchewan Avenue West in 1979, and once bustled with activity. After declining in popularity for more than a decade, the shopping centre closed on Dec. 31, 2024.

The Latest: A 10-day Lebanon ceasefire appears to hold as European leaders set to meet over strait

A 10-day ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump and agreed on by Lebanon and Israel appeared to be holding in Lebanon early Friday, potentially boosting efforts to extend a ceasefire between Iran, the United States and Israel.

It was unclear whether a lasting deal would be reached between the U.S. and Iran before the ceasefire ends next week, but the pause in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah could be an indication some progress has been made.

An end to Israel’s war with Hezbollah was a key demand of Iranian negotiators. Israel has not been fighting with Lebanon itself, but rather with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group inside Lebanon, which said in a statement that “any ceasefire must be comprehensive across all Lebanese territory and must not allow the Israeli enemy any freedom of movement.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he agreed to the ceasefire “to advance” peace efforts with Lebanon, but said Israeli troops would not withdraw.