The Manitoba Summer Fair continues today through the weekend at Brandon’s Keystone Centre grounds. The Midway opens at 2:00 pm today, and at noon on Saturday and Sunday. Activities include the Chrome in the Trees
Classic Car Show, and Breakfast under the Dome on Sunday. Saturday, the Travellers Day Parade will be held downtown starting at 11:00 am.
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As we head into the weekend, the province-wide state of emergency remains in place with most of Manitoba under high fire danger. A full burn ban is in place. Campfires are prohibited even in approved pits – and all trails and water routes in all provincial parks are closed. There are still 27 active wildfires across the province with a total of 112 to date – 100 of those were human-caused.
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The fires burning near Flin Flon and Sherridon have now combined to create one large blaze – the biggest in the province. It’s estimated to be over 307,000 hectares on the Manitoba side of the border alone. The weather has been cooler this week, which has helped in the fight – but officials say rain forecast this weekend won’t be enough to put out the flames.
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To keep us up-to-date on the fire situation, the Manitoba government has launched ‘MB Ready’, a centralized web portal. The Emergency Management Organization says it’ll provide timely and accurate information on events as they happen and on the supports available. It was also created to thwart false information that shows up on social media. You can find the portal at MB Ready
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The final numbers are not in yet, but as of Friday morning the Manitoba Day of Caring Radiothon for Wildfire Evacuees had raised $376,377 for the Canadian Red Cross – this includes matching funds from governments. The money supports immediate and ongoing relief, including financial assistance for evacuees and recovery efforts.
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Manitoba Public Insurance is closing down Project Nova. In 2019, the initiative to update MPI’s insurance and driver licensing was budgeted at $85-million, and to date they’ve spent $164-million. MPI decided to end it when new estimates showed costs would hit almost $436-million. The auditor general is now investigating Nova.
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The union for Canada Post workers and the corporation have exchanged proposals for a potential arbitration process. CUPW says it’s ready to bring negotiations to a ‘successful conclusion.’ The two sides returned to the bargaining table on Thursday.
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This is the economic news everyone has been fearing. In April, the first full month of U.S. tariffs, Canada posted its largest merchandise trade deficit on record at $7.1 billion as exports fell sharply. Analysts say it didn’t really matter that trade with some other countries increased – it shows how dependent we are on the U.S.
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The Liberal government could table legislation as early as today to break down internal trade barriers and increase labour mobility within Canada. This comes as Prime Minister Mark Carney continues behind-the-scenes talks with American President Donald Trump on trade.
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How often do you buy steak? A report from Dalhousie University says beef is quickly becoming a luxury item because of soaring prices. The study’s author says beef is no longer just food – it’s a financial decision. Since January, the cost of striploin and top sirloin have jumped by around 34% each. A shrinking cattle inventory is a key factor causing the prices hikes.
