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MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Nexom founder Martin Hildebrand with the new Cyclor Turbo wastewater treatment technology at the East St. Paul Wastewater Treatment Facility on Thursday, April 16, 2026. For Aaron story. Free Press 2026

Manitoba company Nexom puts East St. Paul treatment technology demonstration facility in international spotlight

Aaron Epp 6 minute read 6:00 AM CDT

Rural Municipality of East St. Paul — If Martin Hildebrand has anything to do with it, people from across the continent who are exploring wastewater treatment options will soon be visiting East St. Paul.

Last week, the founder of Manitoba water solutions company Nexom and other stakeholders celebrated the opening of North America’s first full-scale Cyclor Turbo wastewater treatment demonstration facility.

The project showcases a compact, chemical-free treatment technology that delivers phosphorus and nitrogen removal while significantly reducing infrastructure footprint.

It’s a project that has generated “a huge amount of interest” across North America, said Hildebrand, whose company brought the technology to the community.

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Inflation jumps on Iran war shock but few signs yet of spreading price hikes

Craig Lord, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Preview

Inflation jumps on Iran war shock but few signs yet of spreading price hikes

Craig Lord, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Updated: 3:42 PM CDT

OTTAWA - Statistics Canada reported a jump in the headline inflation rate for March but economists parsing the latest data argue there are few signs so far that the price shock from the Iran war is spreading beyond the pumps.

The agency reported Monday that the annual rate of inflation accelerated to 2.4 per cent last month, an increase of 0.6 percentage points from February.

It said higher gas prices tied to the war in the Middle East were the main reason for the jump. But economists had expected a slightly larger increase in the headline inflation rate and pointed to signs of easing elsewhere in the consumer basket.

"I would say, apart from those fuel-related inflation spikes, the report was fairly benign," said TD Bank senior economist Leslie Preston.

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Updated: 3:42 PM CDT

A woman gasses up at a gas station in Mississauga, Ont., Tuesday, February 13, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov
A woman gasses up at a gas station in Mississauga, Ont., Tuesday, February 13, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

Provinces on track to allow cross-border alcohol sales by next month, Ottawa says

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 1 minute read Preview

Provinces on track to allow cross-border alcohol sales by next month, Ottawa says

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 1 minute read Updated: 3:12 PM CDT

OTTAWA - The federal government says 10 provinces and the Yukon are on track to allow consumers to buy Canadian alcohol directly from producers by next month.

Pierre-Alain Bujold, a spokesperson for the Privy Council Office, says provinces and territories are continuing to work toward the May 2026 deadline.

He says each participating province and territory will decide how to implement the policy within their jurisdictions.

All 10 provinces and the Yukon signed an agreement last year to allow consumers to order Canadian wine, spirits, beer and other alcoholic beverages for personal consumption directly from producers.

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Updated: 3:12 PM CDT

Bottles of British Columbia wine are displayed at a liquor store in Cremona, Alta., on Feb. 7, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Bottles of British Columbia wine are displayed at a liquor store in Cremona, Alta., on Feb. 7, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Alberta, South Korea reach deal to eliminate three per cent tariff on crude exports

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Preview

Alberta, South Korea reach deal to eliminate three per cent tariff on crude exports

The Canadian Press 1 minute read 6:28 PM CDT

EDMONTON - Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has signed a joint statement with South Korea to waive a three per cent tariff on crude exports from the oil-rich province.

The Alberta government says the agreement will open up more market access for energy producers shipping bitumen from Canada.

It says Alberta exported almost $400 million in crude oil to South Korea last year, but with tariffs removed, that number could grow to between $400 million and $1 billion annually.

Smith has stated her goal is to double oil and gas production in the province by 2035, and she wants to see more pipeline capacity to make it happen.

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6:28 PM CDT

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith answers questions at a news conference in Calgary, on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Todd Korol
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith answers questions at a news conference in Calgary, on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Todd Korol

Two Southwest Airlines planes came dangerously close in Nashville and had to take evasive action

Josh Funk, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Two Southwest Airlines planes came dangerously close in Nashville and had to take evasive action

Josh Funk, The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: 3:13 PM CDT

Two Southwest Airlines planes had to take evasive action to avoid colliding Saturday in Nashville, Tennessee, after an air traffic controller directed one pilot to turn into the path of the other plane.

Last year, an American Airlines jet collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people aboard both aircraft. That crash on Jan. 29, 2025, put the spotlight on midair collisions, which are rare in commercial flights where the planes are equipped with systems to alert pilots about a potential collision.

Most of the close calls that happen every year involve small planes that don’t have those systems, but the Federal Aviation Administration couldn’t immediately provide a number for how many happen annually. There are typically several collisions involving small planes every year like the one that happened in February 2025 in Arizona that killed two people.

Both of the Southwest pilots involved in this incident over the weekend told the air traffic controller that they received alarms from their collision avoidance systems that directed them to take action with one plane climbing while the other descended to avoid the potential midair collision, according to audio posted by www.LiveATC.net.

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Updated: 3:13 PM CDT

Southwest Airlines grounds crew refuel an aircraft at Hollywood Burbank Airport in Burbank, Calif., Friday, April 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Southwest Airlines grounds crew refuel an aircraft at Hollywood Burbank Airport in Burbank, Calif., Friday, April 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
MIKE THIESSEN / FREE PRESS

Sentinel journey, sentimental memories

Wooden elevator reduced to rubble after towering over Austin for 75 years

Ben Waldman 6 minute read Friday, Apr. 17, 2026

BlackBerry stock up 13 per cent on expanded partnership with Nvidia

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press 1 minute read Preview

BlackBerry stock up 13 per cent on expanded partnership with Nvidia

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press 1 minute read Updated: 3:40 PM CDT

BlackBerry Ltd.'s share price popped by 13 per cent as the firm deepened its ties to tech giant Nvidia.

The Waterloo, Ont.-based software developer's share price closed the trading day at $7.50.

The rise came after BlackBerry announced it has expanded a partnership that will allow its developers to build and deploy AI systems for Nvidias' IGX Thor platform.

Nvidia's IGX Thor is meant to be used in regulated environments for things like autonomous, humanoid and surgical robotics, medical imaging and industrial automation.

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Updated: 3:40 PM CDT

The BlackBerry logo located in the lobby of the company's B building in Waterloo, Ont. on Tuesday, May 29, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Ryan
The BlackBerry logo located in the lobby of the company's B building in Waterloo, Ont. on Tuesday, May 29, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Ryan

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Grand enhancement for Jeep

Kelly Taylor 3 minute read Preview

Grand enhancement for Jeep

Kelly Taylor 3 minute read Friday, Apr. 17, 2026

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.

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Friday, Apr. 17, 2026

Supplied

The 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee gets what is best described as a mid-cycle refresh, but also a new engine: an available 2.0-litre Hurricane turbocharged four-cylinder. A larger infotainment screen is the big news inside the Grand Cherokee cabin.
Supplied The 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee gets what is best described as a mid-cycle refresh, but also a new engine: an available 2.0-litre Hurricane turbocharged four-cylinder. A larger infotainment screen is the big news inside the Grand Cherokee cabin.

What to know about psychedelic retreats, a booming business with few safety guardrails

Matthew Perrone, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

What to know about psychedelic retreats, a booming business with few safety guardrails

Matthew Perrone, The Associated Press 6 minute read Updated: 11:38 AM CDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Surging interest in the purported benefits of psychedelic drugs has given rise to books, documentaries and conferences dedicated to the mind-altering substances. Now add one more business to the list: psychedelic retreats.

Hundreds of outfits across the world are offering multiday trips where attendees pay for drug-assisted experiences claiming to promote psychological healing, personal growth and other benefits.

Many have safety procedures in place, but they still carry “potential for physical, psychological, and interpersonal harms,” researchers who surveyed dozens of retreats wrote in a recent paper in JAMA Network Open.

Currently no psychedelics have been federally approved in the U.S., although that may soon change. On Saturday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Food and Drug Administration to accelerate reviews of psychedelics that show potential for conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder. The order also directs law enforcement agencies to quickly lower restrictions on any psychedelic approved by the FDA.

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Updated: 11:38 AM CDT

FILE - An empty pitcher and shot sized cups sit on an altar during an ayahuasca ceremony at a retreat in Hildale, Utah, Oct. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski, File)
FILE - An empty pitcher and shot sized cups sit on an altar during an ayahuasca ceremony at a retreat in Hildale, Utah, Oct. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski, File)

‘The people don’t want it,’ Ford says about decision to sell jet days after purchase

Allison Jones and Liam Casey, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

‘The people don’t want it,’ Ford says about decision to sell jet days after purchase

Allison Jones and Liam Casey, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Updated: 3:30 PM CDT

TORONTO - Taxpayers flooded Ontario Premier Doug Ford's cellphone over the weekend with complaints about the province's purchase of a $29-million jet to fly him around the province, he said Monday.

By Sunday morning, he had acquiesced to their demands and reversed the decision.

Ford said he should have made the case to the public as to why he needed a jet before buying it.

"The people don't want it, that's fine with me," the premier said Monday in Ottawa, where he travelled for an unrelated event.

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Updated: 3:30 PM CDT

Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks at the Ismaili Centre Toronto, in Toronto on Monday March 30, 2026.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks at the Ismaili Centre Toronto, in Toronto on Monday March 30, 2026.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

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