Canada’s university funding system is broken

For decades, Canadian universities have delivered a world-class education at a remarkably accessible cost. Nationally, Manitoba has among the lowest tuition fees in the country. However, like many universities across Canada, the University of Manitoba is facing a new reality that can no longer be ignored.

Province to power up smart thermostat program, rebates

Manitobans may get cash for turning down the thermostat during peak energy-use periods next winter.

When it comes to fixing health care, province must follow doctors’ orders

To get an honest assessment of Manitoba’s health-care system, it’s best to skip the government news releases and listen to the doctors.

What to know about EPA decision to revoke a scientific finding that helped fight climate change

The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday revoked its own 2009 “endangerment finding,” a scientific conclusion that for 16 years has been the central basis for regulating planet-warming emissions from power plants, vehicles and other sources.

The finding itself is straightforward: Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases — caused by burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas — endanger public health and welfare.

It was adopted after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that greenhouse gases are air pollutants that can be regulated under the Clean Air Act.

The Trump administration says the finding hurts industry and the economy and that the Obama and Biden administrations twisted science to determine that greenhouse gases are a public health risk.

Increased taxation requires thorough justification

This year, the City of Winnipeg sent me two “love letters.” The first arrived in May, informing me that it (the city) was “delivering affordability,” with the lowest municipal property tax rates in Canada, the lowest municipal fees on new housing, and the lowest garbage and recycling fees in Canada.

City sewage plant megaproject progresses amid need for more funding

The finishing touches are being put on four massive fibreglass sewage pipes inside a two-and-a-half metre thick concrete tunnel 20 metres underground.

When the work is done, they’ll start pumping out millions of litres of raw sewage per day.

The building that houses them may look modest, but it was made with as much concrete as half of the Canada Life Centre, with still some to go.

“We’ve got at least double that in the balance of the facility in other areas,” said Rob Black, the project director for the upgrade of the North End sewage treatment plant on Main Street North.

Manitoba to study food prices

The Manitoba government has followed through on its promise to conduct a study on groceries in a bid to lower food costs.

Project leads will investigate whether differential pricing — in which shoppers are charged different prices by the same retailer based on customer segment, location, time or demand — is occurring in Manitoba.

Antitrust and anti-competition policies, supply chain vulnerabilities and geographic food deserts will also be probed, the government said Wednesday.

“We know Manitobans are struggling with the price of food, and we know that the prices of food continue to grow in ways that are very concerning,” Finance Minister Adrien Sala told reporters.

Energy sector’s interest in Churchill heating up: Kinew

Several companies, including at least one Canadian energy giant, are “kicking the tires” on a long-touted vision to export oil, gas, minerals and agricultural products through Churchill, bringing the dream of a trade corridor to the Hudson Bay coast closer to reality, Premier Wab Kinew says.

Kraft Heinz pauses plans to split into 2 companies, says its problems are ‘fixable’

Kraft Heinz said Wednesday it's pausing its plans to split into two companies.

Steve Cahillane, a former Kellogg Co. chief who became CEO of Kraft Heinz on Jan. 1, said he wants to ensure that all of the company's resources are focused on profitable growth.

“I have seen that the opportunity is larger than expected and that many of our challenges are fixable and within our control,” Cahillane said in a statement.

The company's shares were flat in morning trading Wednesday as Kraft Heinz reported lower quarterly and annual results. Investors are likely concerned that Kraft Heinz believes its businesses aren't strong enough to stand on their own, said Robert Moskow, an analyst with TD Cowen, in a research note.

Focus on local ‘fertile ground’ at 3rd annual MbTech Week

A weeklong tech “festival” is ready to celebrate made-in-Manitoba innovation later this month.

B.C. organization enters debate on government-run grocery amid rising food costs

VANCOUVER - When Elizabeth Osinde arrived in Canada about two years ago as a refugee from Kenya, pregnant with her son, she remembers being able to buy a bunch of kale for $2 or $3.

That same bunch is now closer to $5.

Osinde said she has a deep sense of gratitude for everything that Canada and the refugee program provide for her and her son, but she still has to rely on emergency hampers from Vancouver's Union Gospel Mission to make ends meet.

"I get half of my groceries from them because sometimes it's a challenge," she said of the hampers that are available to her one every three months, that also come with non-perishable items such as diapers and a $25 gift card for a local grocery store.

Pause at N.W.T. diamond mine amid weak market ‘serious news,’ industry minister says

CALGARY - An expansion project has been put on hold at a diamond mine in the Far North, a move the Northwest Territories government says underscores the need to reduce its economic reliance on that industry.

Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. says it and joint-venture partner De Beers Canada Inc. have decided to pause the Tuzo Phase 3 project at the Gahcho Kué mine some 300 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife. Mountain Province owns 49 per cent of the mine and De Beers owns 51 per cent.

"This decision follows a careful assessment of the project's economics considering the prevailing market environment," Mountain Province said in a news release late Monday.

"While the Tuzo Phase 3 project has demonstrated strong potential, current market conditions have prompted the partners to take a measured approach to its development."

Province’s Indigenous tourism industry growing

Melanie Gamache has been taking her beading and jigging sessions on the road lately.

Schools, immigrant services agencies and private companies had asked whether she would take Borealis Beading to them.

“With the exception of last year (with wildfires), there has been a growing demand,” Gamache said. “There’s just an increase in people wanting to know more — like people want to know the history.”

Gamache registered her company, Borealis Beading, in 2018 and started by hosting Métis beading workshops.

Cascadia movement has roots in the past, but does B.C. separatism have a future?

VICTORIA - In 2017, Cory Pahl was a candidate for the Cascadia Party of British Columbia, whose official goals included the creation of a provincial assembly that would assert the sovereign rights of "British Columbians, Canadians and Cascadians."

Cascadia, the concept of commonality between British Columbia and U.S. states in the Pacific Northwest, has roots dating back to the 19th century and beyond. It has sometimes been expressed as a desire for nationhood — although Pahl said the party never campaigned for the creation of a Cascadian nation, with British Columbia as part of it.

While he acknowledged the "separatism kind of discussion" surrounding the idea of Cascadia, he wanted nothing to do with a new expression of B.C. separatism, fuelled by anti-Ottawa sentiments, alienation from mainstream politics, and a sense of allegiance with similar movements in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Pahl said the Cascadian movement "came from a very different perspective."

Building new foundations in world of trade

It wasn’t so much the deals that emerged that signalled a significant shift in Canada-China relations after Prime Minister Mark Carney’s meeting with People’s Republic of China President Xi Jinping last month.

It was the fact their working lunch ran long, just like the 20-minute meeting scheduled between the two world leaders in October in South Korea ran for 43 minutes, “which is quite unusual for the Chinese,” said Chris White, Beijing-based president and CEO of the Canadian Meat Advocacy Office, during a webinar this week.

“Not every world leader who has that opportunity to meet with President Xi gets both a working lunch and then that (gets) extended.”

White has been the Canadian meat sector’s boots on the ground in China for less than a year, but his presence underscores a growing recognition among industry leaders that being present in key markets matters — even more so when the relationships are complicated.

Small businesses weigh cost of carrying credit card fees, possibility of cash-only crime

Cash, credit or debit — or maybe just one and not the others? Even as technology advances, rising costs and the impacts of crime mean some Manitoba businesses are still seeking new ways to settle the bill with customers.

In Morden, Alex Kanski found himself in the middle of an unexpected controversy when he announced his family restaurant, Moment in Thyme Neighbourhood Grill, would be removing its card payment system and only accepting cash at the end of January.

Kanski said interchange fees — or the cost to process credit card transactions — and other fees to maintain card payments has cost the restaurant about $7,500 annually since it opened three years ago. For a 38-seat restaurant, he said, those losses are hard to take.

“With a restaurant, there’s only so many places you can cut costs,” Kanski said.

Danielle Smith plays separation carrot-and-stick

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is beginning to look like something of a separation arsonist.

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."

Ottawa to relaunch EV rebates program in 2 weeks with new auto strategy

OTTAWA - The federal government announced a suite of new electric vehicle policies Thursday, including the reintroduction of the popular rebate program and the elimination of the EV sales mandate in favour of stricter emissions standards for the auto sector.

The move is the latest rollback of climate policies enacted by former prime minister Justin Trudeau. The government of Prime Minister Mark Carney cancelled the consumer carbon price and halted the implementation of an emissions cap on the oil and gas sector.

Speaking at an auto parts manufacturer in Woodbridge, Ont., Carney said Thursday Ottawa pitched the new plan as a transformation of Canada's auto sector, which has been battered for months by U.S. tariffs.

"We have everything we need to take the lead in the vehicles of tomorrow, and we're positioning Canadian workers and businesses to seize that opportunity," he said.

Bracing for a future global water shortage

Declaring bankruptcy is by all accounts a painful, traumatic and perhaps even humiliating process.

After 80 years, Minute Maid’s frozen canned juices are getting put on ice

Minute Maid helped make orange juice a year-round morning staple in 1946, when it started shipping cans of frozen juice around the U.S.

But 80 years later, the brand's parent company is halting sales of frozen juice concentrates in the U.S. and Canada, saying it wants to focus on the fresh juices that customers now prefer.

“We are discontinuing our frozen products and exiting the frozen can category in response to shifting consumer preferences,” The Coca-Cola Co., which owns Minute Maid, said Wednesday in a statement.

Minute Maid’s frozen juices – including several varieties of orange juice, lemonade and limeade – will be discontinued by April, with inventory available while supplies last, Coca-Cola said.

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.