It was a record hot September for several Manitoba cities and towns. Brandon came very close to breaking its previous hottest September in 2009 when the average temperature was 16.8 degrees. Last month, Brandon averaged 16.7. Heat records were set in Winnipeg, Morden, The Pas, Emerson, Sprague and Thompson.
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Health-care support workers in Manitoba are getting closer to walking off the job – bargaining has reportedly hit a stalemate. More than 25,000 workers, including several thousand in Westman, could be on strike by next Tuesday. Their unions say starting wages are the lowest in country.
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Birth control is now free of charge with a prescription in Manitoba. The province’s Pharmacare program now covers more than 60 commonly used products such as the pill and IUDs.
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Manitoba politicians are returning to the legislature today following their summer break. The NDP government will focus on getting its omnibus budget bill passed. They’ve inserted some non-budget items into the bill – including a measure forbidding employers from using replacements during labour disputes.
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Manitoba Hydro has reported a $157 million net loss for 2023/24 – the second time in three years its reporting a deficit. A continuing drought is the main reason which has lowered water reservoirs drying up power exports.
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Owners of small and medium-sized businesses will finally receive their long-awaited carbon pricing refunds. Ottawa is sending more than $2.5 billion to about 600-thousand Canadian businesses in December.
How much each business will get depends on the province they operate in – and the number of employees.
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government survived another Conservative-led non-confidence vote on Tuesday – the second in less than a week. The NDP and Bloc supported the Liberals, once again, in voting down the motion.
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The Wheat City Lions Club is holding its annual fundraising potato sale this Saturday – 50-pound bags will go for $15.00. They hope to raise several thousand dollars for local projects from the sale which will be held
across from Kelleher Ford on 18th Street on Brandon’s North Hill.
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Baby hippo, Moo Deng, who lives in Thailand has become a viral sensation – and psychologists think they know why. They say it’s something we can all relate to…babies and animals are universal, and when we see a cute one our brains release oxytocin – the ‘cuddle hormone’. And in a cycle of bad news – Moo Deng is a welcome relief.
