The issue of security at MLA’s constituency offices dominated the return of politicians to the Legislature. Recent fires at the offices of Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine and Housing Minister Bernadette Smith are under investigation – it’s not known if the acts were politically motivated. Meanwhile, a small group protested outside the Leg demanding Fontaine be removed from cabinet. They’re angry about a post that Fontaine had shared calling slain American right-winger Charlie Kirk a ‘white nationalist mouthpiece’ that incited hatred. Fontaine has since apologized for sharing the post.
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Striking Canada Post workers rallied with members of other unions and labour leaders on Parliament Hill on Wednesday. Postal workers walked off the job last week, just hours after Ottawa announced charges to mail delivery. The government said the changes are financially necessary, but the union says they’ll lead to job cuts.
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The province is taking steps to ensure you’ll receive critical mail during the postal strike. This includes cheques, court orders, educational materials, and medical supplies. There isn’t a specific ‘government mail distribution centre’ in Brandon, but in the past the Provincial Building on 9th Street has served as a location for essential mail.
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A plan to enhance rail and port capacity for potash shipments through Churchill is in the works. The port’s Arctic Gateway Group and Manitoba’s Potash and Agri Development Corporation say they aim to make Manitoba a leading global supplier of sustainable potash. Work is already underway to upgrade the port’s facilities.
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Peavey Mart is planning a comeback. The farm goods retailer says it wants to open between 7 and 12 shops in Alberta this fall – eventually moving into Saskatchewan. Peavey Mart began in 1967, but closed all its stores this past winter, including it’s Brandon location.
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Manitoba communities impacted by this year’s wildfire season can get financial help from the government. The province has launched the Disaster Financial Assistance program. Costs covered under the program include
pre-emptive preparation efforts, emergency response operations, recovery support and long-term wildfire mitigation strategies.
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Harvest Manitoba is now a step closer to building a new food rescue and distribution facility. Farm Credit Canada has come through with $500,000 to help create the centre to increase the amount of food available to Manitobans. In the past year, Harvest has saved 8.7 million pounds of surplus food and redirected it to food banks.
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Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away, and if you’re wondering how much dinner will cost this year, some new research is out. The Agri-Food Analytics Lab looked at a typical dinner for 4 – turkey, potatoes, rolls, carrots, stuffing, gravy and pumpkin pie – and found it’ll cost about $32.48. That’s up just 18-cents from 2024. They say turkey prices are actually down a bit this year.
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Scientist and global activist Jane Goodall died on Wednesday at the age of 91. She was a pioneer in her field, both as a female scientist in the 1960’s, and for her work studying the behaviour of primates. Goddall also drew us
into the wild, partnering with National Geographic to bring her beloved chimpanzees into our lives through film, TV and magazines.
