Tired of waiting, First Nation buys $8M worth of generators

A northern First Nation that was evacuated almost all summer due to a wildfire and power outage has bought an $8-million emergency backup generator system, the chief announced Friday.

Mathias Colomb First Nation Chief Gordie Bear said he wants the federal and provincial governments to reimburse the community, which had asked the two governments to purchase and provide diesel-powered generators before power was restored in September.

“I don’t know why they didn’t come through with the request that we made when we were out in the boondocks,” Bear told the Free Press. “I just hope they all get together — have a tea party — and cost-share my investment.”

He accused the governments of ignoring the First Nation’s concerns. Bear said four generators were purchased using own-sourced revenue.

Opening the book on how Winnipeg libraries get new material

Last week, local fans of the hit television show Heated Rivalry received a thrilling notification: “Your hold at Winnipeg Public Library is ready to borrow!”

The gay hockey romance has become a major CanCon export, turning Haligionian author Rachel Reid, who penned the books upon which the show is based, into a New York Times bestseller and wreaking havoc on library wait-lists everywhere.

Things started heating up at the Winnipeg Public Library last month.

“That’s when it really took off. There was some increase in December, but not enough to warrant additional copies,” says Aileen Clear, one of three collections librarians responsible for keeping the city’s 20 library branches stocked with new and popular material.

Elmwood students’ clothing venture instils pride, breaks down stereotypes in blue-collar neighbourhood

Xander Woodley is spending his fourth period filling orders.

The Grade 12 Elmwood High School student pulls a blank sweatshirt from the supply closet and double-checks the customer’s purchase: one double-extra-large GPS Crewneck in navy.

He walks over to the heat press at the back of the graphics lab and flips through a stack of transfer sheets to find the correct design.

“It’s a map of our community of Elmwood; these are all of the streets, as well as the Red River and co-ordinates of where we are,” Woodley says, pointing to the line-art rendition of the northeast Winnipeg neighbourhood, the ward boundaries of which run from McLeod Avenue to the Canadian Pacific mainline and from the eastern bank of the Red River to Lagimodiere Boulevard.

U of M partners with firm behind proposed sand mine to study Manitoba groundwater

University of Manitoba researchers will soon have a new, non-invasive tool to study the province’s vast groundwater resources after inking a partnership with Alberta-based mining company Sio Silica.

“If the technology works … it’s going to provide a mechanism to do real-time monitoring of changes in groundwater,” Ricardo Mantilla, an associate professor in the university’s civil engineering department and lead researcher for the project, said in an interview.

The emerging technology — called absolute quantum gravimetry — can measure changes in gravity caused by changes in groundwater levels, allowing researchers to better understand the flow and storage of underground water resources without the need for “expensive and disruptive” drilling, he said.

“That obviously has applications for (Sio Silica), but it can have very important implications for how we understand groundwater in aquifers in our province.”

Province warns of measles exposure at Jets game as cases surge

Manitoba public health officials are warning attendees of a Winnipeg Jets game they may have been exposed to measles, as the province continues to grapple with outbreaks.

More Canadian athletes powered by artificial intelligence at Winter Games

Just for fun, Xavier McKeever and his cross-country ski teammates once tasked ChatGPT to design a training plan for them.

"It was the craziest training plan we've ever seen," said the 22-year-old from Canmore, Alta.

"It basically said you should do intensity every single day. You should do three hours of skiing and then an hour of intensity, and repeat that a few times -- and then you should take a week off completely. We know you can't do that.

"It was pretty funny to see and do, to see Chat GPT can't write a training plan, and that we need our coaching to help us with that."

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.

The Gordie Bell hockey sweater: Homecoming tale of former Portage Terriers netminder’s jersey

Strangely, the first thing I did after opening a much-anticipated Canada Post parcel was smell the contents, hoping to find a hint of my father’s scent.

It didn’t come as much of a surprise after almost 84 years there is none of my late father Gordie Bell’s DNA attached to his 1942 Portage Terriers Memorial Cup jersey I had been gifted. It wasn’t all bad though. More than eight decades have passed since that celebrated national championship and none of the foul odour often attached to used hockey sweaters is detectable either.

In contrast history and nostalgia almost drip from the woven wool jersey.

That ’42 Memorial Cup isn’t the only national title claimed by Junior Terriers. The club won the Centennial Cup in 1973 and the RBC Cup in 2015. But the Memorial Cup team holds special significance, especially if your last name is Bell.

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.

Bill aims to give MMF self-government treaty with Canada

The Manitoba Métis Federation is one step closer to having a self-government treaty with the federal government.

Federal Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty introduced Bill C-21 Thursday, the Red River Métis Self-Government Recognition and Implementation Treaty, which if passed would be the first self-government treaty with any Métis government in the country.

“This treaty has been 156 years in the making and represents the cherished vision of our ancestors and elders, who fought so hard to preserve our existence and keep the flame of our nationhood alive through the dark times,” MMF president David Chartrand said in a statement.

“This legislation realizes their vision and shows that the fighting spirit of the Red River Métis — Canada’s negotiation partner in Confederation and the founders of Manitoba — can never be dismissed when we stand for what we believe in.”

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.

Get vaccinated for flu, COVID-19, measles to protect crowded hospitals: top doc

The province’s top doctor is asking Manitobans to get vaccinated as respiratory virus season threatens to strain hospitals and measles outbreaks tear though parts of Manitoba.

Loblaw and OpenAI partner to integrate PC Express into ChatGPT

Loblaw Cos. Ltd. is integrating its grocery delivery app into OpenAI's chatbot ChatGPT, the grocer announced on Thursday.

The partnership means consumers can explore menu ideas and curate a list of ingredients in the chatbot, and then buy the suggested products on Loblaw's PC Express app, the company said.

"Conversational AI is becoming a new interface layer for how people plan and search and make decisions," said Loblaw chief digital officer Lauren Steinberg in an interview.

Canadians are already using tools like ChatGPT to answer everyday questions such as what to make for dinner, how to make a high-protein meal plan or how to prep for a birthday party, she said.

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.

Manitoba chambers rolls out AI adoption training assessment tool

A new online tool aims to help Manitoba businesses in their move to adopt artificial intelligence.

The AI Readiness Assessment evaluates organizations on their familiarity with, and current use of, AI. The voice-led assessment takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete and provides personalized suggestions for businesses to map their AI adoption.

Manitoba AI Pathways, the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce’s new AI training initiative, developed the assessment in partnership with the Manitoba Association of AI Professionals.

Kay Gardiner, a chambers program director, announced the tool on Wednesday at a small-business forum organized by the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. The forum, held at the Delta Hotel, focused on what AI means for Manitoba businesses today.

School nutrition program prompts student trash talk

One student’s trash has become another student’s research sample at Robertson School.

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.