Canada Goose says diversification efforts working but Q3 profit fell from year ago

TORONTO - Canada Goose Holdings Inc. says its efforts to convince customers to turn to the company for more than a down-filled parka as winter hits are paying off — but investors may not be convinced.

While customer demand for the retailer's star product — down-filled outwear — remained strong in its most recent quarter, Canada Goose said Thursday that its non-down-filled outwear grew even faster and was accompanied by gains in lightweight and year-round apparel.

"That shift is intentional," said Carrie Baker, Canada Goose's president of brand and commercial, on a call with analysts.

"We want to be able to bring newness to the floor. We want to be able to drive repeat visitors, bring people back to see something new."

Manitoba has most measles cases in Canada — and it’s likely much worse, doctors say

Manitoba has the country’s highest number of reported measles infections in 2026 — a year after the province’s outbreak began — while a surge brings stronger messaging from the government.

Dr. Davinder Singh, who is Manitoba’s public health lead on measles, said the province is seeing its highest monthly totals since May.

“Unfortunately, we’re seeing an increase in the number of detected or reported cases. We also know the number of cases that are diagnosed are only a relatively small fraction of the true number of cases out in the community,” he said Wednesday.

“We can estimate that there may be about 10 times as many infections as we have that get reported to us or that get detected.”

Independent toy shops ready to fill void from Toys “R” Us Canada closures

TORONTO - For tots, teens and anyone in between, Cowtown Kids Toys & Candy is a dream.

The Maple Creek, Sask., shop spanning four buildings is jammed with more than 30,000 toys ranging from classic books and puzzles to trendy plushies, trucks and other curios.

Owner Bob Siemens says the vast array of products is proof his business — like many other independent shops — is ready to fill the void created by Toys "R" Us Canada closures.

"Even if it looks like the toy industry is suffering, there's still a vibrancy in the independents that have been there and have stood the test of time. They're going to be eager to meet the folks still looking for toy shops," Siemens said mere hours before Toys "R" Us Canada announced it had filed for creditor protection Tuesday.

New book from renowned Canadian financial author aims to help you ‘Save Yourself’

If your goal for 2026 is getting into better financial shape, one of Canada’s most renowned personal finance experts is throwing you a self-rescue line.

Kelley Keehn has recently published her 12th personal finance book in the last 20 years, Save Yourself: a New Approach to Thinking About Money and Taking Control of Your Financial Future. She spoke with the Free Press about taking a different tact to helping Canadians to make positive financial change.

Her new book comes at the right time, released in January when many make resolutions about being better with money.

As with past efforts, Keehn has sought to provide advice on the behavioural aspects of finance. But with Save Yourself, she upped the ante with neuroscience to help readers understand how human brains handle the subject of money. “My first book was over 20 years ago on the psychology of money, but it was anecdotal because there was little research on the psychology of money.”

Beloved drop-in centre remains a haven for youth after 50 years

Some children are never given the foundational tools at home to ease their way into this world. For a long list of complex reasons, home is not always a haven. And it’s not assured to be a safe place for kids.

But there is a building at the corner of Ross and Sherbrook that serves as both a home and a refuge, where young people find safety, acceptance and love, 365 days a year, anytime, all the time.

“I wouldn’t be alive today if it hadn’t been for Rossbrook House,” is an often-repeated phrase.

In 1976, Sister Geraldine MacNamara (Sister of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary), with the help of other sisters and a group of young men from Winnipeg’s Centennial neighbourhood, founded Rossbrook House as an alternative to the streets.

Children’s Museum forced to tighten financial belt, fundraise

The Children’s Museum is a home away from home for the Maes family.

“We come all the time,” says mom Rachel Maes, while watching four of her six kids explore the centre’s toddler zone on a cold Monday afternoon.

“We’re a Métis family, so we can come for free, which is amazing.”

The young family visits the colourful museum at The Forks several times a month during the depths of winter, but that may soon change.

Egypt to adopt restrictions on children’s social media use to fight ‘digital chaos’

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's Parliament is looking into ways to regulate children’s use of social media platforms to combat what lawmakers called “digital choas,” following some western countries that are considering banning young teenagers from social media.

The House of Representatives said in a statement late Sunday that it will work on a legislation to regulate children’s use of social media and “put an end to the digital chaos our children are facing, and which negatively impacts their future.”

Legislators will consult with the government and expert bodies to draft a law to “protect Egyptian children from any risks that threaten its thoughts and behavior," the statement said.

The statement came after President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on Saturday urged his government and lawmakers to consider adopting legislation restricting children’s use of social media, “until they reach an age when they can handle it properly.”

‘Clear passion’: Manitoba pet accessories company Crash Safe Dog dedicated to local materials, manufacturing

GRANDE POINTE — To say that Kirsten Booth loves Freya, her four-year-old Great Dane mix, might be an understatement.

“My partner would say (Freya’s) the centre of my world, even if it’s supposed to be him,” Booth says. “I guess I’ve always viewed any of my pets as members of my family, so she’s kind of like my child.”

Keeping Freya safe is a top priority for Booth, so she’s thankful for Crash Safe Dog. The Manitoba company manufactured the harness Booth uses so Freya can safely travel in her car.

Booth, who lives in Brantford, Ont., has a two-hour round trip commute to work, and Freya joins her every day.

Flexibility has become deal-breaker, not perk

There was a time when a flexible work arrangement was a bonus, something employees quietly hoped for once they’d survived probation.

A remote day here or there, the ability to adjust hours around a doctor’s appointment or the occasional work-from-home afternoon were all considered nice extras — perks that made a job feel a little more humane.

Fast forward to January 2026, and flexibility isn’t something workers merely appreciate. For many, it has become a core condition of employment — a deal-breaker if it’s removed or denied.

This shift is on full display this month as Ontario’s provincial government has begun implementing a policy that requires civil servants to return to the office full time. As of Jan. 5, nearly 60,000 public service employees who had been working remotely or in hybrid arrangements are being told to work in person five days a week.

Manitoba enterprise at forefront in bolstering soil structure

Soil health has always been important to anyone who wants to grow plants that flourish but never more so than today. Soil degradation due to drought and extreme weather is a global problem that has a direct link to agricultural productivity and food security.

The status of soil health in Canada is not a concern limited to farmers and backyard gardeners. Scientists, policy makers and researchers are recommending urgent action to protect soils to safeguard the future of our food production.

In June 2024, following an 18-month study of soil conditions in Canada, the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry released the report Critical Ground: Why Soil is Essential to Canada’s Economic, Environmental, Human and Social Health. The report, which is based on testimony from more than 150 experts, concluded that soil in our country is at risk, with implications for food production, climate resilience and biodiversity.

Dale Overton takes soil health and its implications for fertility and food production seriously. His company, Overton Environmental Enterprises, manufactures several microbial products for large-scale agriculture as well as for the home gardener. Overton is deeply interested in regenerative farming practices and how biological amendments can benefit soil health, carbon sequestration and soil microbiomes, and boost growth rates and crop yields.

Storybook ending for student warming hut winners

Manitoba’s newest student-designed warming hut doubles as a public awareness campaign for a child advocacy centre.

First Nation’s power-outage misery ‘frozen like a rock’

An army of plumbers, engineers and members of the Canadian Armed Forces are continuing to assess damages after a lengthy power outage at Pimicikamak Cree Nation froze water and sewage pipes.

Chief David Monias said it is going to take months to repair damage to homes and years to install new water and sewage treatment plants and systems.

“They have frozen pipes — the sewage plant is completely frozen,” Monias said Wednesday. “The raw sewage has frozen like rock, it is as hard as rock. There is enough (methane) gas in there that we can’t even enter the building. So they are trying to figure out a way how to air out that building so that they can assess the sewage problem.”

Monias said the experts are going to try to get the water and sewage systems up and running while the community works with government on a longer term solution. He said the plants will eventually need to be decommissioned.

Children’s Hospital to spruce up ward with local art

Local artists are being invited to create child-friendly nature-themed original artworks for the walls of CK5, the childhood cancer, blood disorders and transplants ward at the Health Sciences Centre Children’s Hospital.

Ribbon Skirt Day leader reflects on changes since her cultural attire was shamed

In Isabella Kulak's home is a box of about a few hundred letters, notes and hand-drawn pictures of ribbon skirts sent to her from across Canada and beyond — fan mail from those who consider her story and the origins of "Ribbon Skirt Day" as inspirational.

"I have like a whole notebook of letters, a whole stack of drawings from all these schools and it makes me feel so happy and it warms my heart," said Isabella, a shy 15-year-old, on a phone call from her home in Kamsack, Sask., located about 270 kilometres east of Regina.

"I do want to eventually write back to them, but I am really busy with school."

After all, the Anishinaabe girl is still a teenager. This past week, she had a volleyball tournament. These next few months, she will be completing Grade 10 and the next big step is on the path to medical school, she said.

Manitoba law to protect women from partner abuse on horizon

More than three years after a law targeting intimate partner violence received royal assent, the legislation known as Clare’s Law will come into force in Manitoba in March.

The law allows for critical information held by authorities about a person’s history of violence, abuse or exploitation to be disclosed to their intimate partner.

The legislation is named after Clare Wood, a British woman who was murdered in 2009 by an ex-boyfriend who had a lengthy criminal record of sexual violence. The United Kingdom was the first jurisdiction to adopt such legislation.

Before the law comes into force in Manitoba, a regulation was needed that set out the policy and procedures for application, assessing risk, disclosing and sharing information. The Disclosure to Protect Against Intimate Partner Violence Act required a program be established, a provincial government document on the proposed regulation posted online last April stated.

Family from the Democratic Republic of Congo navigates chilly firsts alongside IRCOM supports

All Clever Ganza wants to do this winter is build a snowman.

He’s not yet had the chance, as it hasn’t been the right kind of snow — although to the eight-year-old, all snow is snow.

It’s his second winter in Winnipeg after arriving in Canada with his parents and younger brother Travor, 5, in December 2024.

Clever has acclimatized pretty quickly.

The Forks Market to serve up second helping of Sharecuterie

Cassandra Carreiro has been on quite a ride the last 2 1/2 years.

“It’s all kind of a blur,” the 35-year-old entrepreneur said. “A fever dream.”

In May 2023, Carreiro opened Sharecuterie, Winnipeg’s first drop-in, sit-down charcuterie café, at 160 Stafford St.

Now she’s preparing to open a second location at The Forks Market. Currently under construction, the 150-square-foot kiosk will serve a variety of dine-in and takeout options. It’s scheduled to open in February.

New year, deeper pockets needed

Changes to daily living expenses in the new year are bringing new challenges to Winnipeggers and Manitobans already burdened by the cost of living.

Getting around in the city by public transit got more expensive Thursday, and the cost of vehicle insurance will rise on April 1.

Winnipeg Transit’s standard adult cash fare increased by a dime to $3.45. Youth and seniors will now be charged $2.95, also up 10 cents compared to 2025 rates. Discounts remain in place for peggo card users, though electronic fares also rose to $3.10 for adults, $2.30 for youths and $1.55 for seniors.

Monthly passes also got more expensive: $119.35 for adults, $88.55 for youth and $59.70 for seniors. Short-term passes are also more expensive: a 24-hour adult peggo e-pass climbed to $11.45, and youth and senior versions rose to $8.50 and $5.75, respectively. A seven-day adult e-pass now sells for $31.

‘Canada is not for sale’ hat makers want to share domestic manufacturing tips

OTTAWA - One of the people behind the viral "Canada is not for sale" hat says he wants to help other companies get on board the made-in-Canada train.

Liam Mooney told The Canadian Press he and his fiancée and business partner Emma Cochrane felt distraught watching Ontario Premier Doug Ford tell U.S. President Donald Trump and American media in early January that — the president's musings about annexation notwithstanding — Canada would never be for sale.

A few days later the Ottawa-based pair, now married, stitched together a hat bearing the premier's message. Mooney called it a "creative rebuttal" in a form familiar to Trump.

But after a year of learning the ins and outs of domestic manufacturing — and seeing the lengths Canadian firms have to go just to get their products on local store shelves — Mooney said his goal in 2026 is to spread the "Canada is not for sale" ethos.

Skating trail expected to open in time for New Year’s Day activities at The Forks

Skaters, rejoice: the Nestaweya River Trail at The Forks could be open as early as New Year’s Day, marking one of its earlier openings in recent years.

The port rink on the Assiniboine River and a small section of the the iconic river trail opened on Dec. 31 last year. The earliest recorded opening of the six-kilometre skating trail was Dec. 21, 2013.

“We had a good freeze this year… and we’re hoping for a nice, long season this year,” Adam Dooley, spokesperson for The Forks, said Monday.

Sections of the trail, which snakes along the Red and Assiniboine rivers and meets at The Forks port, have some slush owing to recent snowfall and may take more time to open, Dooley said.

Advocates push for advance MAID requests two years after Parliament recommendation

OTTAWA - Sandra Demontigny knew something wasn't right when she couldn't remember buying herself a new pair of boots. They were a splurge — a little out of character for the mother of three — and she had been excited about bringing them home.

"I saw them near the door and I asked my kids, 'Who bought these boots? I've never seen them,'" she said.

"The kids were saying, 'No, (they're) yours. You bought them and you really like them."

Sliding her feet inside, she realized she couldn't remember buying them. "I started crying," she said.

Foods with healthy-sounding buzzwords could be hiding added sugar in plain sight

Many consumers feel pride in avoiding the glazed pastries in the supermarket and instead opting for “all natural” granola that comes packed with extra protein. Same goes for low-fat yogurts “made with real fruit,” organic plant-based milks and bottled “superfood” smoothies.

Buyer beware: Healthy grocery buzzwords like those often cover up an unhealthy amount of sugar.

Added sugars are difficult to quickly spot because many companies use clever marketing to distract consumers, said Nicole Avena, a professor of neuroscience and psychiatry at Mount Sinai Medical School and Princeton University who has studied added sugars.

Avena said while some health-forward brands know people are starting to become aware of the hazards of added sugars, "a lot of the bigger brands don’t worry so much about people’s health.”

Students tasked with designing shelter for homeless

Concerned about the state of empathy at her suburban high school, a St. Vital teacher has tasked teens with designing transitional homes for their unsheltered neighbours.

Collège Jeanne-Sauvé made headlines in September when a student was involved in an altercation with a man living in nearby Dakota Forest.

Winnipeg police and the Louis Riel School Division reported at the time the man came out of a tent and chased after a group of students, injuring one. Allegations the teenagers provoked the man by hurling insults and items at the man’s tent were also reported.

The Sept. 9 incident — as well as the gossip in its aftermath — led Kay Wojnarski to reach out to End Homelessness Winnipeg for advice.