Ottawa moves to tighten rules barring forced labour products from Canada

OTTAWA - The federal government tabled a bill Friday to change the way Canada bars imports of products made with forced labour following an American tariff threat.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand was in Paris with Prime Minister Mark Carney as the legislation was tabled by her parliamentary secretary, Rob Oliphant.

"This will be a made-in-Canada solution to an international problem," Oliphant told reporters on Parliament Hill.

He said the bill would create a public list of products that have been linked to forced labour in specific regions, based on intelligence from embassies and other authorities.

Supreme Court rules New Brunswick lieutenant-governor must be bilingual

The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that the lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick must be able to perform their functions in both official languages.

As UFOs go mainstream, the jury is out on what the existence of alien life might mean for religion

Some religious adherents, as well as some nonbelievers, maintain that the existence of life on other planets might undermine many faiths because it would complicate assertions that humans are unique. But others argue the opposite.

Carney announces new intelligence exchange agreement with France

PARIS - Canada and France will deepen their defence and industrial co-operation through a new general security of information agreement, Prime Minister Mark Carney said in Paris on Friday.

Carney made the announcement in a joint statement alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, ahead of a bilateral meeting between the two at the Palais de l’Elysée.

“Businesses in both of our countries are doing more together, in energy, defence, critical minerals and now in (artificial intelligence)," Carney said.

"What this means is an ability to exchange classified information between our defence, our space, our AI and our aerospace sectors.”

B.C. firm ‘over the moon’ about contract to chart Canada’s role in lunar exploration

VANCOUVER - Shaun Riddell is "over the moon" — figuratively, if not quite yet literally — since his Langley, B.C., firm was named among three companies hired by the Canadian Space Agency to lay the groundwork for human and robotic missions to the lunar surface.

Riddell, the CEO of SpaceDirt, says he was "blown away" by the awarding of the $500,000 contract, given the competition for the national grant.

SpaceDirt makes technology for autonomous robotic resource development on Earth, aimed at predicting where to drill and making discovery faster, safer, and more cost-effective in extreme environments.

Riddell says the long-term vision for the company's robots is to be the "dump trucks" of the moon, while the current project will draw a road map on how "Canada will contribute to the overall mission of developing resources on the moon."

Late start to season due to cold washed away in storm-powered flash for many Manitoba farmers

Torrential rains eroded Manitoba farms, flooded fields, isolated cattle herds and damaged longstanding rural properties.

The entirety of the damage from this month’s storms is still unknown. Many producers are waiting for water to drain.

The provincial government plans to assess the situation at the end of June by using crop insurance data and talking to producers. From there, it’ll determine whether more support is needed for impacted farmers, the agriculture minister said.

Meanwhile, the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corp. — which oversees crop insurance — has received an average 314 calls daily over the first three days this week.

Next-generation 911 coming to Manitoba by early 2027

Manitoba, which has been plagued by spotty 911 service, will be ready to switch to a modern, next generation emergency call system by the federally mandated deadline, says Bell Canada.

A tale of two bridges and one president

For truckers, the Ambassador Bridge is the only game in town. The bridge connects Windsor, Ont., with Detroit, Mich., and is one of the busiest border crossings between Canada and the U.S. (Cars can also use the Detroit-Windsor tunnel.)

First Nation in Manitoba declares state of emergency due to drugs, violence

THOMPSON - The chief of a northern Manitoba First Nation says her community is so overwhelmed by drugs and the resulting violence that her members are living in fear.

Sayisi Dene First Nation has declared a state of emergency and is calling on provincial and federal governments for better policing and mental health and addiction supports.

The fly-in community about 325 kilometres north of Thompson sees an RCMP presence about once a month, with two officers travelling there, often for less than a day.

Chief Kelly-Ann Thom‑Duck says recent violence has members scared to visit the band office or grocery store and that previous conversations with RCMP have led "nowhere."

HBC charter goes on display at Manitoba Museum

After months of petitions, legal scrutiny and political pressure, the 1670 Hudson’s Bay Company Royal Charter has formally arrived at the Manitoba Museum, marked by a ceremony including many notable Canadian and Indigenous political leaders.

“It’s with a profound sense of gratitude and humility that I stand before you today as we recognize the gifting of the HBC Royal Charter, together with our consortium partners,” said Dorota Blumczynska, CEO of the Manitoba Museum.

“Today marks an opportunity that is not to redefine the past, but to better understand it, and to help us use it to build a more just and inclusive future.”

The 356-year-old document, which not only birthed HBC, but effectively laid a foundation for colonial Canada itself, attracted new controversies in the last year or so. After years of bleeding at the bottom line, HBC announced in March 2025 that it would begin liquidating its stores across the country and selling off its assets to pay off creditors.

City looking into expanding 30 km/h zones in residential areas, on regional streets

Winnipeg city council’s public works committee has directed staff to study whether to expand its 30 km/h school zone speed limit to additional residential streets, or even busy regional roads.

Tesla loses bid for urgent judicial review of Manitoba’s EV rebate

Tesla’s Canadian subsidiary will have to wait longer for its day in a Manitoba court.

Manitoba makes Polaris long list

Four Manitoban artists — Begonia, Boy Golden, JayWood and Propagandhi — have a shot at becoming the first local musicians to win the prestigious Polaris Music Prize after earning a spot on the award’s official long list of 40 notable albums released last year.

With a 10 per cent chance at netting the $30,000 award, Manitoba is well-represented, trailing only Ontario (13 nominees) and Quebec (12). Of the 40 records that made the long list, 10 will be selected for the prize’s short list, which will be announced July 9.

The long list for the prize — presented annually to the Canadian album of the year, based solely on artistic merit — was announced Thursday in Toronto during the NXNE music festival.

In total, 202 albums were submitted for consideration by the 205-member national jury of critics and broadcasters.

Designated encampment debate returns to city hall

A city councillor is renewing efforts to identify potential locations for designated encampment sites following an Ontario court decision that could impact how homeless people are relocated in Winnipeg.

The motion, introduced by Coun. Cindy Gilroy is scheduled to go before the executive policy committee next week. It calls on the public service to examine multiple locations across Winnipeg that could be considered suitable to host encampments.

Speaking to the Free Press on Thursday, Gilroy said a recent court decision in southern Ontario has renewed the case for designated encampment sites in Winnipeg. Last month, a judge barred the Region of Waterloo from clearing an encampment in Kitchener, Ont., unless alternative housing options were made available to those living there.

“The laws are changing so dramatically,” the chair of the community safety committee said, adding she’s unsure if the city is prepared for a similar legal challenge in Winnipeg.

Mayor’s inner circle to consider $600K grant for soccer complex upgrades if city gets women’s pro league team

City administrators are recommending a $600,000 grant to the Winnipeg Soccer Federation to help fund upgrades at the Ralph Cantafio Soccer Complex, subject to Winnipeg securing a Northern Super League team, Canada’s top professional women’s soccer league.

Canada Post moves to convert nearly half a million more homes to community mailboxes

Canada Post is rolling out the latest phase of its transition from door-to-door delivery to community mailboxes, selecting more than three dozen communities that will undergo the conversion starting next year.

Spanning seven provinces and 37 communities from Halifax to Victoria, the change will see an additional 485,000 addresses move to a more centralized mode of mail delivery.

Those homes come on top of the 136,000 addresses in 13 communities already selected for conversion late this year or in early 2027.

Switching the four million addresses that still enjoy doorstep delivery to community mailboxes within about five years marks a key pillar in Canada Post's plan to overhaul its business model in the face of declining letter mail and mounting financial losses.

Mother of B.C. cyberbullying victim Amanda Todd welcomes federal online safety bill

The mother of a British Columbia teen who died by suicide after being relentlessly tormented by a cyberbully says proposed federal legislation tackling online safety would have helped her daughter and will help save lives.

Carol Todd's daughter Amanda died in 2012 after being sexually exploited by an online predator.

Todd said in an interview on Thursday that the Safe Social Media Act addresses the mental and emotional toll of social media and is an important step toward keeping youth safe online.

It's also something Amanda would have wanted, she said.

City’s encampment bylaw not intended to end homelessness, but it’s making a difference

When Winnipeg city council approved restrictions on homeless encampments near schools, daycares, parks, recreation centres and seniors housing, critics warned it would simply push vulnerable people from one location to another without solving the underlying problem.

HBC Royal Charter welcomed in ceremony at Manitoba Museum

WINNIPEG - A 356-year-old document that granted the Hudson's Bay Co. control over roughly one-third of Canada is now in public hands.

The HBC Royal Charter was unveiled Thursday at the Manitoba Museum in Winnipeg in a ceremony that was both a celebration of the new life of the document and a reflection on the troubled legacy it created.

"In 1670, a king, sitting across the ocean, claimed authority over our lands," said Ovide Mercredi, former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations.

"Through the so-called right of discovery, vast territories were granted to the Hudson's Bay Co., as if our lands and territories were empty. But our lands were not empty, our nations were here."

Concerns from array of groups about prevalence of gambling ads during World Cup

TORONTO - The stage is set for Toronto's turn as FIFA World Cup host, and some government officials and advocates worry that the major sporting event will also spark intensified gambling advertising — and the public health problems that can follow.

Stan Cho, Ontario's minister of tourism, culture and gaming, is looking at further restrictions on gambling advertising in the province and is concerned in particular about the global soccer tournament.

"Any time there's a big sporting event, you see the spike in just gambling in sheer numbers," he said recently. "Of course that means that problem gamblers are going to be more susceptible to the problem that they have."

The Responsible Gambling Council reserves ad spots during events like the World Cup, Cho said, but advocates who oppose gambling advertising want to see the first province to bring in a regulated online gambling market go much further.

Northern First Nation purchases popular tourist lodge in Seal River watershed

The Sayisi Dene First Nation has purchased one of the largest hunting and fishing lodges in Manitoba’s Seal River Watershed, marking a return to the community’s traditional lands and an economic development opportunity for the northern nation.

The Lodge at Little Duck is nestled between Neganilini and Little Duck lakes, more than 1,000 kilometres north of Winnipeg. It is located in the Seal River watershed, a 50,000-square-kilometre subarctic ecosystem relatively untouched by industrial development, and centred on the last major river in northern Manitoba without a hydroelectric dam. A network of provincial and federal parks has been proposed to protect the region.

“The Sayisi Dene people have a real connection to the lands, especially around where the lodge sits,” Chief Kelly-Ann Thom-Duck said in an interview. “We have plans to use the area and see where it goes.”

The fly-in hunting, fishing and eco-tourism destination has its own airstrip, lounge and cabins. Manager Shawn Paul said it regularly welcomes more than 100 guests every summer and fall for guided caribou hunts and fishing trips.

Social media platforms, app stores at odds over who should enforce social media bans

As countries including Canada move toward social media bans in an attempt to keep youths safe online, tech companies are in a tug of war over who should be the gatekeepers.

Executives from Snapchat and Meta, the owner of Instagram, Facebook and Threads, have argued it should be app stores rather than platforms charged with verifying the ages of users when they try to add a platform to their phones.

Apple and Google, which run the App Store and Play Store respectively, have introduced some age-gating measures but appear to be at odds with social media platforms over whose responsibility those measures should be.

Experts say trying to put the onus on either side is pointless because app store owners, platforms, governments and parents all have to step up to keep kids safe online.

Oligarchs don’t care about ‘public good’

Don’t think the tech oligarchs are the good guys, fighting for democracy, in the next battle that’s coming. Because they’re not.