Manitoba puts $1.65M into southwestern airport
Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Glen Simard (left) is joined by officials at the Virden Regional Airport on May 26, 2025. (Manitoba Government/YouTube)
The province is putting $1.65 million into an ongoing project to improve the airport in Virden.
Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Glen Simard was in the southwestern town on Monday to make the announcement.
'This is an important investment that will encourage regional development and job creation in Westman,' the minister said in a statement.
The provincial dollars will go towards the expansion and rehabilitation of the Virden Regional Airport.
The province said the funding will go towards a new automated weather observing system and improved support for medical transfer flights for services like STARS Air Ambulance.
'This is very important for our area,' Virden Mayor Tina Williams said, adding her town is becoming a health-care hub for the southwestern part of the province.
Along with the health-care improvements, Williams said the new funding will help bolster tourism and business opportunities tied to the airport.
The airport was built in 1940 as a flying school to train pilots during the Second World War.
'Since the RAF decommissioning in 1944, the airport has been kept active through the efforts of many area residents, private aviators, and especially the Virden Flying Club,' said Coun. Bruce Dunning, chair of the Virden Airport Commission.
Dunning said the overall project was launched last year as the airport had become outdated over the decades. He said the ongoing project has seen the extension of the runway, installation of the weather observation system, and runway lighting.
'Once again our airport has become the centre for aviation activity in southwestern Manitoba,' he said.
Dunning noted along with the provincial funding, the project has seen support from rural municipalities of Wallace-Woodworth and Pipestone, the Town of Virden, and the Virden Area Flying Club.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
29 minutes ago
- CTV News
Barrie police arrest two suspects following recovery of stolen equipment valued at more than $1 million
Barrie Police arrest two suspects following recovery of stolen equipment valued at more than $1 million dollars. Barrie Police arrest two suspects following recovery of stolen equipment valued at more than $1 million dollars. CTV's Pat Foran reports. Police arrest two suspects following recovery of stolen equipment valued at more than $1 million Following CTV News reports about businesses selling equipment only to be scammed by fake bank drafts, another victim has come forward and says he was defrauded of $42,000 with a fraudulent cheque. Randy Swain of Kingston, Ont., said he was selling two snowmobiles and a trailer earlier this year when a buyer offered to pay $42,000 using a bank draft. 'I checked the driver's licence, I checked the bank draft to make sure everything looked correct to me,' said Swain. 'They are just that good, it's on a paper that comes from the bank.' When Swain took the bank draft to his bank, he said it was approved, but two days later the funds were withdrawn from his account. 'Two days later, the bank is withdrawing the money from my account after they said everything was good to go,' said Swain. Patrick Binnette of Lancaster, Ont., previously told CTV News he also was defrauded through a fake bank draft. Another story told to CTV came from Todd Moddejonge of Newmarket, who sold a spray foam trailer for $155,940, but was paid with a fraudulent bank draft. Following a three-month investigation, Barrie police charged two people with a long list of offences after they recovered $1 million worth of personal watercraft, pontoon boats, construction equipment, high-end watches, and vehicles. While it's not clear whether the three fraud victims CTV News did stories with are connected to this investigation, police say the stolen goods recovered were also purchased with fake bank drafts and cheques. Barrie police believe the two people they arrested are responsible for other thefts using those methods. 'We are looking at over $1 million in property that has been seized, a significant amount of Canadian currency and a lot of stolen property,' said Peter Leon, Corporate Communications Coordinator with Barrie Police Service. Along with the stolen goods, police said they've also seized 45 firearms. 32-year-old Farshid Ayon of Springwater Township, and 26-year-old Olivia Osborne of Toronto are both facing multiple charges including theft over $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, motor vehicle theft, fraud over $5,000, uttering forged documents, identity theft and identity fraud. fraud arrests 32-year-old Farshid Ayon of Springwater Township, and 26-year-old Olivia Osborne of Toronto are both facing multiple charges including theft and fraud. The three people who reached out to CTV News have been in touch with the investigators and police are urging anyone who has had property stolen with fake bank drafts or fraudulent cheques to come forward. 'We anticipate there will be more victims and we are asking that if anyone recognizes these two suspects, to get in touch with police,' said Detective Sergeant Clint McLellan of South Simcoe Police. Police are also advising the public to remain cautious when selling high-value items and accepting bank drafts. They advise you to do transactions at a police station, or to make sure bank drafts clear at the bank before releasing the property.
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Interest in ‘elbows up' merchandise waning ahead of Canada Day, businesses say
When Rachael Coe decided to launch an 'elbows up' merchandise line at her store in Yarmouth, N.S., in March, she said it was an immediate bestseller. Within a week, Coe said her Timeless Memories shop had already made 400 sales. By the end of the first month, she had sold 2,500 products ranging from T-shirts to hoodies to car decals. Demand for items bearing Canada's rallying cry against U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and annexation threats was so high that Coe launched a website to keep up with the surge. 'It was a response from all over Canada,' she said. 'We reached every single province then we started covering worldwide. Our 'elbows up' merch went everywhere.' Many Canadian businesses hopped on the patriotic trend that also saw Ontario Premier Doug Ford wearing a 'Canada is not for sale' ball cap ahead of a January meeting with Canada's premiers and prime minister. But Coe's sales started slowing down by May. And despite a slight boost ahead of Canada Day, she said the 'elbows up' line is now selling at similar rates to the classic red-and-white merchandise she sells every year around this time. Although business owners say they are selling more Canada-themed products this year leading up to July 1, many have also noted a decline in 'elbows up' merchandise sales. The rallying cry, initially embraced as a grassroots movement at the height of cross-border trade tensions and Trump's musings about making Canada the 51st state, has shifted to a more generic expression of Canadian pride amid continued tensions, retailers and experts say. Others note that the phrase 'elbows up' has increasingly been used in a partisan context, contributing to the marketing shift. Stephanie Tomlin, Toronto-based owner of the online business Shop Love Collective, said she saw an explosion in 'elbows up' merchandise sales in March, selling as many as 10 or 15 products per day. Similarly, her sales began to stagnate in May. Leading up to Canada Day, she said she's selling 'quite a bit more' merchandise compared with previous years, but that's due to interest in Canada-themed products across the board. 'I think the climate in Canada is a little bit more settled after the election and that … we feel like we will never be the 51st state,' Tomlin said, adding that Canadian patriotism is becoming less combative as annexation talks have died down. Howard Ramos, a professor of sociology at Western University, said 'elbows up' became 'more partisan than it used to be' when Prime Minister Mark Carney embraced the phrase in his election campaign ads in late March. 'It's just added to how the expression is dying down as a pan-Canadian claim,' he said. 'Now you see on social media, especially from Conservative handles, the use of 'elbows up' in a sarcastic way to criticize Mark Carney or Liberal policies.' Negative online comments about the 'elbows up' movement have discouraged Coe from promoting her products on Facebook. But when she's interacting with customers in her Yarmouth shop, she said the phrase isn't as divisive. 'It's not a political term, and it simply means that you're defending your country, and everyone should be defending our country, just like you would defend (against) a goal in hockey,' Coe said. Danielle McDonagh, owner of Vernon, B.C.-based Rowantree Clothing, said she stopped promoting her 'elbows up' merchandise on a large scale when she noticed the phrase being interpreted as an 'anti-Conservative' and 'boomer' movement. For McDonagh, increased concern about the political climate in the United States has also chipped away at the lightheartedness of the 'elbows up' movement. 'I think some of the levity is gone for me,' she said. While sales of her 'elbows up' products have dropped by about 90 per cent since hitting 1,000 in the first month, she said she continues to promote the merchandise in small batches at local markets in Vernon. Business owners say their customers continue to prioritize supporting the Canadian economy, as they are routinely answering questions about where their products are manufactured. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. And the push to buy Canadian isn't just coming from this side of the border. Coe said many American tourists arriving by ferry from Maine visit her shop in search of Canadian merchandise. '(Tourists) want to support us just as much as Canadians want to support us,' Coe said. McDonagh said her business sees similar interest from Americans. 'I'm shipping a lot of Canada-centric merchandise to the States, which I just love,' McDonagh said. 'People chat with me on my site and say … we're supporting you.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025.
Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
5 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks Are Worth Over $2 Trillion. Here Are the 2 Most Likely to Join the Club Next.
This section contains press releases and other materials from third parties (including paid content). The Globe and Mail has not reviewed this content. Please see disclaimer. N/A Markets News
