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A part of the provincial government’s throne speech was creating legislation that will eliminate Sunday and holiday shopping restrictions for businesses.
Currently, businesses that can stay open without a bylaw are businesses that ordinarily operate with four or fewer employees (including the owner), restaurants, pharmacies, laundromats, boat and motor vehicle rental, repair and service shops, places with educational, recreational or amusement purposes, tourism and recreational facilities including summer resorts, other retailers selling only nursery stock, flowers, garden supplies and accessories, fresh fruit and vegetables, and gasoline and related goods for motor vehicles, and businesses that sell liquor or cannabis.
Sunday shopping hours are 9 am - 6 pm. Only the above businesses are allowed to open on holidays.
Businesses that aren't included in the list above can receive fines for opening on holidays. For example, on Labour Day, a Winnipeg grocer kept his store open and received a 10 thousand dollar fine after being threatened with the fine when he had his stores open on Good Friday.
Stephen Chychota thinks the legislation is a great idea.
"If they (businesses) have more power to them, to operate as freely as they can, in order to be there for their fans, for their customers, that's fantastic. Going forward, I think that's a good plan."
Municipalities will have the option to determine if the restrictions will remain.
Chychota says he’ll have to touch base with chamber members to see their thoughts on the potential of being open on Sundays and holidays.
Chychota says the fewer restrictions placed on a business, the better and that it makes more sense all around to allow businesses to make the decision.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
The Government of Manitoba announced legislation that would increase Manitoba Hydro’s short-term borrowing limit.
Crown Services Minister Jeff Wharton said that Hydro will have the opportunity to save Manitobans money by updating their financial investments.
“This long-overdue change will save ratepayers up to $41,000 a day in interest,” said Wharton.
The current loan limit of $500 million was established in 1992 and hasn’t been looked at in 27 years. Since then, Hydro’s asset base has grown substantially with major capital projects like the Bipole III transmission line, and the Manitoba Minnesota Transmission Line.
Wharton said that the current borrowing limit is undersized relative to Hydro’s current and future needs. Increasing the short-term borrowing limit to $1.5 billion would help capital projects in various stages of construction where a loss of funding would cause a delay in the project.
Events like the October snowstorm has put forward the need for increased emergency funding. The final damage bill from the storm for Hydro is estimated to be in $100 to $120 million range.
The loan could potentially reduce annual costs for Hydro customers by between $8 and $15 million, depending on market conditions and cash balances.
The loan increase would also bring Hydro more in line with utilities in the country. B.C. Hydro’s loan limit is $4.5 billion and SaskPower’s loan limit is $2 billion.
The government says the move shows their commitment to fixing the province’s finances and helping save Manitobans money by shopping smarter.
Wharton added that by changing Hydro’s short-term borrowing limit, the cost for ratepayers to service Hydro’s debt will be reduced.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
Many Manitobans who participated in a Manitoba Hydro incentive program for solar energy are still waiting for the job to be completed.
Applications for the Solar Energy Pilot Program ended April 30, 2018.
By applying before the deadline, 25 per cent of the installation costs would be covered.
Originally, Manitoba Hydro informed contractors that installations had to be completed within a year of application approval.
The deadlines for completion keep getting pushed back and some customers have been told to wait until May 2020.
If you have any concerns about your project, call Manitoba Hydro at 204-360-3676.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
Finally. After many cases of blatant theft, and a serious attack at a Liquor Mart in Winnipeg on Wednesday, Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries has announced a new security initiative to be put in place at their stores.
Locked, secure entrances will be constructed, and anyone wishing to go in must show valid photo I.D. Otherwise, they won't be let in.
The Tyndall Park location in Winnipeg will be the first to have a secure entrance constructed, following a serious incident in which one employee was sent to hospital after an unprovoked attack, and 2 others were injured.
The new security initiative will be rolled out to liquor marts across the province. In the meantime, Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries reminds you to not get involved if you witness a theft.
Read the full statement from MBLL President Manny Atwal here.
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- Contributed by Alec Woolston
The Government of Manitoba gave its throne speech on Tuesday, and two major agriculture groups in the province are satisfied with the government’s plan.
Keystone Ag Producers President Bill Campbell said that KAP is pleased with what the government brought forward in the speech.
“We look forward to working together on the issues that matter most to Manitoba farmers,” said Campbell. “We want to thank Minister Pedersen for debriefing with us on the contents of the speech.”
KAP and Manitoba Beef Producers were both happy to hear that the province will be exploring the elimination of the education portion on property taxes. As it stands right now, producers in the province pay up to 10 times the amount that other Manitobans pay.
They both welcomed the increased funding towards the GROW program, while they add they are waiting for more details on how it will be beneficial to producers.
While there were some positive steps being taken in the province’s approach on agriculture, Carson Callum, the General Manager of Manitoba Beef Producers says the omission of how the changes to the Crown Lands Leasing Program will be carried out was concerning to producers.
“The Crown Lands piece is a really big issue, especially for many of our members,” said Callum. “It would have been helpful to see some of the areas that they are going to address in the short term, but we continue to push our position in relation to Crown Lands with the province.”
Other things the government has promised are the completion of the Lake Manitoba Outlet Channel, the introduction of new bio-fuel standards, and an increased focus on rural crime.
The province also announced a new “Partners for Economic Growth” program, which acknowledges the importance of agriculture to the province's economy.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
The Manitoba Government is introducing a new income support program for those with disabilities.
An online survey has been launched to receive feedback so Manitobans can decide how the new program should operate and what kinds of assistance should be provided.
The online consultation will focus on fundamental questions to help with the parameters of the program.
Those with disabilities are currently eligible for Employment and Income Assistance if they have a mental or physical illness or disability that prevents them from supporting themselves.
This is different from other provinces that have multiple income programs tailored to certain kinds of disabilities.
Families Minister Heather Stefanson says through the Disability Matters Vote campaign, Manitobans called for those kinds of alternative income programs.
You can take part in the consultation until January 31, 2020, by clicking here.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
The CN Rail strike will affect a lot of things in Canada, but it’ll take a toll specifically on grain producers who rely on the train to bring their grain to market.
Pam Derocquigny, the General Manager of the Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association, says that while a strike is never ideal, the timing of this one is particularly concerning.
“It’s been a challenging harvest for many of our producers in the province, and it’s been a struggle to get the crop off and into the bin,” said Derocquigny. “It’s just unfortunate that at this point, for those producers who are looking to market their crop, and move it obviously, that if CN is their only access or delivery point to get the grain moving into market, that obviously can impact producers’ ability to market, and therefore the cash flow of their crop.”
Derocquigny added that this isn’t the first time that a rail company has been on strike, noting that the previous strike only lasted 5 days. While this strike is only on day 2, the uncertainty of how long the strike will last is adding to producer stress.
“It’s one of those situations when there’s uncertainty it’s never a good thing,” said Derocquigny. “We’ve been through an extremely challenging harvest, and many producers are still trying to harvest. Those challenges, and of course, those higher stress levels related trying to get the crop off, and now we have another factor like this where there’s uncertainty as to, you’ve got the crop in the bin, how do we get it to market?”
The CN Teamsters and the federal government are talking to try and end the dispute as soon as possible, which Derocquigny says is promising.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
Advance Voting for the Gilbert Plains by-election is on today until 8 pm at the Gilbert Plains Municipal Boardroom.
Election day is November 27th.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
With clear skies in the forecast for tonight, you have the perfect opportunity to witness an incredible and rare celestial event.
At approximately 10:50 p.m., and lasting for only 15 minutes, the Alpha Monocerotid Meteor Shower will spray meteors at us at a rate of 400 meteors per hour.
The last time such an unforgettable burst of meteors occurred from this shower, was in 1995.
The stream moves in and out of the Earth's orbit, which is why large outbursts such as tomorrow night's, are only occasional.
Astronomers recommend heading to a dark location, with a clear field of view, looking east.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
The Government of Manitoba gave its throne speech on Monday to set out the government’s priorities for their next term.
In the speech, the PC's guaranteed tax relief, job growth, health care investments, education reform, and climate action.
They outlined an ambitious agenda with over 100 initiatives and at least 20 bills planned for introduction.
The government’s speech reaffirmed their 100-day plan and the five-point Moving Manitoba Forward Guarantee, which promises lower taxes for families, 40,000 new private-sector jobs, improved health care, new schools, and the progression of the Made-in- Manitoba Climate and Green Plan.
One of the first things the Government promises to tackle is tax reform, which includes, the implementation of the 2020 Tax Rollback Guarantee that promises to put $2,020 back into Manitoban’s pockets. They also want to eliminate the education portion of property taxes within 10 years.
In the area of job growth, the province wants to continue leading the country in removing inter-provincial trade barriers, speed up the permitting process in municipalities across the province, introducing legislation to remove Sunday and holiday shopping restrictions, increase tourism funding by 25%, launch the Partners in Economic Growth (PEG) initiative with regional and sector partners with a focus on the province’s areas of economic strength including agriculture, aerospace and technology; and increase the highway construction budget to $400 million over the next 4 years.
The government also laid plans for health-care investments. The province wants to provide better health care sooner through the $2-billion Health Care Guarantee, create 200 new nursing positions by 2023, and establish the $40-million Front-Line Idea Fund for health-care workers to support innovative solutions to improve patient care.
The PC government’s education reform plans are to: build 13 new schools over the next 10 years, complete the K-12 Education Review, and launch the $25-million Teacher’s Idea Fund to support innovative solutions to improve educational outcomes across the province.
The government’s climate plan is rather extensive. They plan on exploring how to electrify their transportation infrastructure to reduce Manitoba’s carbon footprint, introducing new bio-fuel standards requirements, doubling the investment in the GROW trust, and exploring the elimination of plastic bags.
In addition to all the plans, the province wants to finalize Operation Return Home to bring the people of the Lake St. Martin First Nation home, and to work with the feds to complete the Lake Manitoba Outlet Channel.
Premier Pallister also invited people across the country to come and join in Manitoba’s 150th anniversary next year.
To read the government's full throne speech, click here.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
Internet speeds in Swan River got a big boost last week. Westman Communications Group invested more than $300,000 in network and plant enhancements in the community.
That means the company can now provide faster, more reliable internet speeds to residents of Swan River and the surrounding area.
"We're finding that there is a growing demand for bandwidth in Swan River and we wanted to be proactive and make sure we meet that demand," said Dave Baxter, President, and CEO of Westman Communications Group. "We want to offer the highest speeds available and highest reliability as well for the future."
Swan River didn't approach WCG asking for the upgrade. The upgrades are still quite fresh. They were completed late last week.
"We expect that we'll hear some positive comments about the internet experience," continued Baxter.
Swan River is one of 34 communities that Westman Communications Group offers its services to. These types of upgrades are made to assure their customers have the best possible service.
"We're always on watch and making sure we make the investments in our network so that we remain the leader in offering high-speed, reliable speed to our customers," concluded Baxter. "We want to make sure our customers never feel let down with the quality of our services."
In 2015, WCG brought its services to Swan River and the internet speeds were at least 50% faster than those offered by other providers in the area.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
