Government data shows extent of truancy issue

You start to deal with a problem by admitting that you actually have one, not by burying it because you’re concerned about how it might look.

Maple 2.0: Quebec syrup-makers turn to automation and expansion as demand grows

ROXTON POND -

Visitors to the main building of the Côté et fils maple farm in Quebec's Eastern Townships region will be greeted by a wall of screens with the views from dozens of security cameras, showing an array of tubes and troughs filling up with clear, foamy sap.

Through a door, inside the production area, noise-cancelling headphones are needed for the deafening hum of the gleaming machines transforming thousands of litres of maple sap into syrup each day.

Mikael Ruest acknowledges that the process is far removed from the folksy images of buckets and horse-drawn sleighs that still grace the company's syrup cans.

Ukrainian Guide to Winnipeg directory puts focus on area businesses, services run by Ukrainians

A new online directory brings together Ukrainian-owned businesses and service providers in Winnipeg.

The brainchild of Mila Shykota, a provincial government worker who immigrated to Winnipeg in 2022 after Russia invaded her native Ukraine, the directory features 138 businesses — a number she says she adds to every day.

“I came up with the idea a year ago, when I initiated a project at work celebrating our diversity, since our team is very multicultural,” Shykota said on Friday.

She invited co-workers to represent their own country in some way, be it cuisine, culture or heritage. She said when she was preparing her own presentation, she decided to collect data on all of the Ukrainian restaurants and souvenir boutiques in Winnipeg so her colleagues could experience her culture.

More Canadians delivering unpaid care potentially able to access multiple tax credits

The federal and provincial governments are recognizing the service of unpaid caregivers. For all the hours, days and nights of assistance (particularly involving aging family members), a host of tax credits potentially await when filing a return this spring.

“The purpose of these is really a realization that people providing this (unpaid work) have costs others don’t,” says Ryan Minor, Sudbury, Ont.-based tax director for CPA (Chartered Professional Accountants) Canada.

Many could use the tax break.

Statistics Canada points to about one in four individuals ages 15 and older providing care for family members or friends with long-term health conditions.

Former volleyball star recalls struggles for gay rights during 1980s

In 1981, tennis star Martina Navratilova made international headlines off the court for coming out as a lesbian. Around the same time, a less prominent Canadian athlete named Betty Baxter was beginning a public battle for equality.

Baxter was well-known in the queer community, having played on the national Canadian women’s volleyball team at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. She caused a media frenzy a few years later when she became the first female and youngest ever coach of the same team.

Less well-known was that after only 18 months as coach she was fired, behind closed doors, as rumours swirled that she was a lesbian. Baxter had not come out publicly; she lost her job for not denying she was a lesbian.

She was told by a human rights lawyer that she had no recourse. This was common practice before sexual orientation was enshrined in the Human Rights Act in 1996; contemporary readers may have a difficult time imagining how brave it was to come out publicly in the ‘80s.

Proposed quarry threatens Manitoba’s bear cub rescue, operator says

Manitoba’s only black bear rescue says a proposed limestone quarry less than a kilometre away from their sanctuary would have devastating effects on the cubs in their care.

Judy Stearns says the sound of constant rock blasting and gravel trucks driving in and out of the site near Stonewall would stress out the orphan cubs, who tend to be anxious anyway.

“There’s not a tree or hill between us,” said Stearns, who runs the rescue with her husband, Roger. “The project is just not conducive to being beside a wildlife sanctuary with noise-sensitive, timid animals.”

The rescue and rehabilitation centre has been in the RM of Rockwood, located northwest of Winnipeg, since 2018, but the Stearns family has lived in the municipality for more than 20 years.

Canada, Manitoba lagging behind promise to meet 2030 target of protecting more land and water

There are just four years left on the clock for Manitoba — and the rest of the country — to meet a promise to conserve 30 per cent of land and water by 2030.

But halfway through the timeline adopted at the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity in 2022, Canada has made little progress, adding less than one percentage point to its protected land tally and three points to its protected waters.

The country needs to double its protected areas to meet its target, known as 30-by-30. But conservation groups, including the Wilderness Committee and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, warn progress could stall even further as federal funding for conservation initiatives is set to run out at the end of the month — and there’s no indication it will be renewed.

“We have a conservation economy that we can build on, that gives local jobs, that helps honour our Indigenous reconciliation commitments,” Sandra Schwartz, national executive director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, said.

Senior squeeze: Many older Manitobans are in an increasingly precarious financial situation

Terisa Taylor is deemed a low-income senior, based on the federal tax bracket classification, but the numbers don’t take a full measure of the person.

At age 73, the St. Boniface resident relies on the three acronyms synonymous with aging — CPP, GIS and OAS — to make ends meet.

Manitoba Rental Assistance helps cover about half her apartment costs, but she gave up her car when it became clear it was no longer affordable.

Despite that, Taylor considers herself one of Manitoba’s more fortunate seniors since she’s able to continue to pursue a meaningful life.

NDP bill aims to strengthen renters’ protection

The Manitoba government says it will carry out the largest expansion of rent control in decades.

Public Service Delivery Minister Mintu Sandhu called the measure “historical action” that will affect thousands of units in the province.

Under the proposed legislation, which was introduced by the NDP Thursday, suites that rent for at least $2,000 a month won’t be subject to rent control. Currently the threshold is $1,670 a month.

The proposed law leaves intact the exemption for complexes that are less than 20 years old.

Province takes aim at Sobeys over competition-killing property controls

The Manitoba government has Sobeys in its crosshairs as it looks to end anti-competitive zones around grocery stores and offer consumers more choice.

Public Service Delivery Minister Mintu Sandhu has flagged 43 property controls — restrictive legal covenants and exclusivity clauses that prevent competitors from locating nearby — registered by Sobeys Capital Inc., in a letter to the supermarket giant.

Sobeys is, Sandhu said, the last supermarket chain operating in the province holding property controls.

Legislation enacted last June voids any new restrictions. Existing, registered controls can be removed after a review by the Municipal Board if deemed to be against the public interest.

Manitoba government proposes new grocery rules, rent control, some hydro hikes

WINNIPEG - The Manitoba government announced plans Thursday to expand rent control, raise electricity rates for some large users and keep grocery prices from fluctuating for different consumers.

The proposals were among more than 15 bills and potential regulations introduced at the legislature before politicians broke for the weekend.

The NDP government launched public feedback on a plan that would apply rent controls to more-expensive units. The province currently sets a limit on annual rent increases for units that rent for up to $1,670 a month, and is proposing to raise that ceiling to $2,000.

Landlords can apply to raise rents higher than normally allowed for a variety of reasons, including repairs and upgrades, and the government is planning to reduce the percentage of upgrade costs that can be passed on to renters. Administrative penalties for landlords who violate the act could be increased.

Non-profit to operate home for young moms in River Heights

A home in River Heights will soon be filled with Indigenous mothers and mothers-to-be receiving care and wraparound supports.

Come this summer, a six-bedroom home on Lindsay Street will provide three to six months of pre- and post-natal care and programs.

Hillary Thompson, an 18-year-old who is in her third trimester, has already picked her bedroom.

The spacious room on the main floor has plenty of space for her and a crib, and she can decorate it the way she wants. It’s a far cry from the homes she grew up in as a foster child, she said.

Some B.C. appraisers adding land-claims clause after Aboriginal title court case

VICTORIA - An organization representing about 1,200 appraisers in British Columbia says some of its members are adding clauses to their reports noting that current, past, and potential future land claims have not been considered in their valuations.

Allan Beatty, president of the B.C. branch of the Appraisal Institute of Canada, says in a statement that the recent Cowichan Aboriginal title court ruling in B.C. is contributing to speculation that private property rights could be affected.

Beatty says the organization is preparing advice for its members on the appropriate limitation clauses, but discourages the use of "unsubstantiated adjustments that do not reflect the most relevant market data."

In an August 2025 ruling, a B.C. Supreme Court judge confirmed the Cowichan Tribes hold Aboriginal title over about 300 hectares of land on the Fraser River in Richmond, B.C.

15,000-plus students regularly skip school across Manitoba, leaked documents show

Leaked government documents expose a troubling state of truancy in elementary and high schools across the province.

Two-thirds of Manitobans using AI, but a lot aren’t happy about it, survey reveals

Manitobans admit they rely on artificial intelligence for daily activities, but are troubled by the emerging technology’s impact on the environment, job security and beyond.

TikTok to continue operating in Canada, subject to safety conditions

OTTAWA - TikTok is being allowed to continue its operations in Canada after the government wrapped up a national security review.

Industry Minister Mélanie Joly says the decision hinges on key conditions, including for TikTok to bring in stronger protections for minors and the personal information of all Canadians.

The minister says the decision will also save jobs by ensuring TikTok Canada has a physical presence in the country.

The move reverses a 2024 order for TikTok to close its offices in Canada due to national security concerns.

Muslim community breaks fast at Grand Iftar to raise funds for people in Sudan, Gaza

Almost 300 people from the Winnipeg Muslim community assembled Sunday evening for a Grand Iftar to break their fast and to donate to those who are suffering in Sudan and Gaza.

The iftar — the evening meal served at sunset to break the daily fast during the month of Ramadan, which began Feb. 17 and continues until March 19 — was sponsored by the Manitoba office of Islamic Relief Canada, an international organization that provides humanitarian aid around the world.

A total of $71,000 was raised at the iftar, which will be used to provide food, vouchers, medicine, water and hygiene kits for people in Sudan, which is facing one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises due to conflict. Food and water will also be supplied to people in Gaza.

This is the fifth time Islamic Relief Canada has held a Grand Iftar during Ramadan in Winnipeg. About $100,000 was raised last year.

Stars hit Paris runways, but fall’s real trend was dressing for hard times – and real life

PARIS (AP) — The celebrities came first, as they always do at the Paris runways.

After Oprah Winfrey stole the show in the opening stretch of the nine-day week, Naomi Watts and Kai Schreiber were at Balenciaga. Rooney Mara, Diane Kruger, Alexa Chung, Elizabeth Olsen and Yseult turned up at Givenchy.

Sarah Paulson and Tracee Ellis Ross watched Celine. Chappell Roan was at Vivienne Westwood and then at McQueen, where Myha’la and Sophie Thatcher were also there. Chanel was still to come Monday, and Louis Vuitton capping the season Tuesday.

But this week was about more than the front row.

Volunteering at aviation museum sparks love of learning, sharing knowledge for former Air Force pilot

Gary Hook was a fighter pilot, commanding officer and senior flight instructor during his 43-year career in the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Hook, 72, piloted more than 15 types of aircraft across Canada and Europe.

These days, the aviation buff volunteers as a tour guide and gallery interpreter at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada, at 2088 Wellington Ave.

“There’s no shortage of good stories to tell about the aircraft, the people and the eras of aviation they flew in,” Hook says.

Newcomer school to close amid immigration clampdown

English-language teachers are warning the consequences will be far-reaching when a school for newcomers — called “a beacon of hope”— closes its doors.

Winnipeg’s Enhanced English Skills for Employment is shutting down March 31.

“It’s sad for the students. It’s sad for the teachers, but it’s also sad for the community, Manitoba at large,” said Allyn Franc, a longtime teacher at the school that rents space on the Canadian Mennonite University campus at 500 Shaftesbury Blvd.

For more than 20 years, the school has been running free intermediate-level language classes on literacy and workplace etiquette.

Proposed law would create committee to probe intimate partner violence

The Manitoba government plans to launch a committee to review intimate partner violence, years after a similar group stopped operations.

Justice Minister Matt Wiebe introduced proposed legislation Thursday that would require the committee to examine cases to identify trends in an effort to recommend ways to prevent intimate partner violence.

“The bill is a step toward… changing the culture to protect vulnerable Manitobans,” Wiebe said.

The Intimate Partner Violence Death Review Committee Act doesn’t specify how many cases the committee must review or a timeline for completion.

Farmers again caught in geopolitical crossfire

A week ago, things were looking up for Prairie farmers.

Canola prices were rising on news China would follow through on its promise to reduce its 75.9 per cent anti-dumping tariff on canola seed after Canada eased steep tariffs on imported EVs.

Those canola tariffs have now dropped to 5.9 per cent, plus the nine per cent standard import tariff already in place. While not zero, tariffs of just under 15 per cent make it possible to restore trade flows and maintain China as Canada’s second-largest canola customer.

As well, Canada’s prime minister was in India on another diplomatic defrosting mission with positive implications for agricultural exports. Any time the world’s largest exporter of pulse crops such as peas, lentils and chickpeas can make inroads into the world’s biggest market for those commodities, the sun shines a little brighter.

Show her the money

Slogans and even legislation only go so far in a world in which cash rules everything around us.

That remains true today, especially for women on the eve of International Women’s Day, commemorating the long fight for equality, rights and liberation.

Society has made strides, including legislation ensuring women receive equal pay for equal work.

It must also be recognized — especially on the financial ledger — more work needs to be done. Financial inequality remains a glaring sore spot.