About 90 people attended a debate last night between the three candidates in the Spruce Woods byelection. PC candidate Colleen Robbins, the NDP’s Ray Berthelette and Liberal Stephen Reid answered questions on topics that included gender education in schools, health-care, roads and social media. Election day is August 26th.
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Rising construction costs have the City of Brandon planning to borrow another $10-million for the Southwest Wastewater Project – this would bring the total to $40-million. Details were shared at a public hearing this week. The city has also applied for funding through the Canadian Housing and Infrastructure Fund – and is in talks with the province for support.
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A new business directory should give small and medium-sized Red River Métis companies a better chance at bidding on federal contracts. The Manitoba Metis Federation says the directory includes 850 registered businesses. Federal departments are mandated to award a minimum of 5-percent of their total procurement each year to Indigenous businesses.
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Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is set to meet today with the federal Agriculture Minister and industry groups to discuss the steep Chinese tariff on Canadian canola seed. China imposed the tariff of nearly 76% last week, causing the price of one of Canada’s most valuable crops to fall – wiping out millions of dollars in its value.
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The union for postal workers has presented new offers to Canada Post that includes a 19% wage increase over 4 years – higher than the corporation’s last proposal. A few weeks ago, workers rejected Canada Post’s offer that included 13% wage hikes.
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Manitoba Mounties now believe a missing Norwegian hiker, 29-year-old Steffen Skjottelvik, was swept away while trying to cross the fast-moving Hayes River. He had planned on trekking from James Bay, Ontario all the way to Alaska and was reported missing last Friday on his way to York Factory.
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Six new measles cases have been confirmed in Manitoba bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 177. There have been over 4,600 measles cases in Canada so far this year, the vast majority in Ontario and Alberta.
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Canada’s movie theatre business grew in 2024. Operating revenues hit $1.6 billion, up 12% from 2022. It’s a rebound from the COVID-era, but below a record $1.9-billion in 2018. As for ticket prices, they’re up almost 32% from 2020.