Latest news with #JohnQ
Winnipeg Free Press
22-07-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
NDP questions PCs' pre-election ‘dark of night' $18-M rail port infrastructure grant
The provincial government is investigating why its predecessor did not publicize an $18-million contract that was finalized in the leadup to the 2023 election campaign. Finance Minister Adrien Sala confirmed Monday that the province — for the second time in three months — is looking into the Progressive Conservatives' dealings with JohnQ, an economic development corporation run by 12 municipalities in Manitoba. Under the leadership of then-premier Heather Stefanson, the PC government awarded a hefty grant to JohnQ in August 2023 to develop a regional rail port south of Winnipeg. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES Finance Minister Adrien Sala confirmed Monday that the province is looking into the Progressive Conservatives' dealings with JohnQ, an economic development corporation run by 12 municipalities in Manitoba. 'Why, in the dark of night, did the former government send $18 million out the door without any kind of an announcement or any type of press release?' Sala said Monday. 'That is something that should worry the average Manitoban.' The multimillion-dollar sum was spent on purchasing a plot of farmland located in the Rural Municipality of Ritchot for a future rail park. It also covered the cost of now-complete engineering and environmental assessments on the site west of Highway 75. Concerns about the brokering of that Aug. 29, 2023 deal have become 'more prominent' in recent weeks, Sala said. The finance minister did not elaborate on the timing of the inter-departmental probe that is underway in his office, as well as in the Transportation and Economic Development departments. Premier Wab Kinew's team wants to ensure taxpayers are getting 'good value for money,' he said, noting that proceeding with this project would involve costly infrastructure upgrades. Sala released JohnQ's last progress report, which is more than a year old; the July 10, 2024 document recommends modifications be made to nearby roadways and a ring dyke be constructed. 'The NDP's current fascination with JohnQ… is nothing more than a fishing expedition,' PC MLA Wayne Ewasko said in a statement. The representative for Lac du Bonnet has defended the former government's agreements with JohnQ to build a rail port and 22 stand-alone child-care facilities. The conglomerate was founded to promote collaboration and best practices when building infrastructure 'to avoid costly duplication,' added Ewasko. Deputy education minister Brian O'Leary flagged concerns about procurement processes related to the nearly $100-million 2022 child-care construction deal in a letter to the auditor general in April. Sala's office indicated the province has not requested the auditor general also look at the rail park deal, but that is a possibility if more information is not uncovered internally. JohnQ's chief executive officer said the 2023 agreement included 'clear deliverables and timelines' that have been met to date. 'The mayors and reeves who lead JohnQ view this as a significant opportunity for true regional collaboration and regional economic development,' Colleen Sklar said in a text. Sklar said her team is committed to working with all governments to move the rail port forward 'responsibly and transparently' within the parameters of current agreements. Citing confidentiality requirements, she declined to provide specific details about the project. Sala indicated that he is concerned about the former government's operations, rather than any specific vendor. Wednesdays A weekly dispatch from the head of the Free Press newsroom. 'Manitoba does stand to benefit from leaning into our central position and we certainly do see opportunities around us becoming a transportation-logistics hub here in Canada. However, whether or not this particular rail port has a role in that is not yet clear to us,' he said. The finance minister accused the PCs of having 'a record of questionable decision-making,' citing the Sio Silica scandal. Stefanson and two of her ex-cabinet ministers were recently found to have disregarded the caretaker convention after losing the 2023 election and attempting to approve a controversial sand mine. The 'JQ Rail Oversight Committee' was formed in October 2023, the same month as the last provincial election. Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Netflix adds Tyler Perry's new movie — and it has vibes of a brilliant Denzel Washington thriller
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Since partnering up with Netflix, mega producer/writer/director/actor Tyler Perry has really been cranking out the hits for his fanbase, which includes the recent Beauty in Black, She the People and The Six Triple Eight. Joining the ranks as of today, June 6, is the new heart-wrenching drama, Straw. And judging by the movie's premise, this is a movie I have to add to my must-watch list, as it sounds similar to one of my favorite Denzel Washington movies. Straw sees Perry team up with another member of Hollywood royalty, Taraji P. Henson, making this the fourth time the duo has partnered up on the big screen, following I Can Do Bad All By Myself, The Family that Preys and Acrimony. In the movie (a story written and directed by Perry), Henson plays Janiyah, a struggling single mother who's at her wits' end trying to care for her child. Netflix teases: "A single mother's world unravels in chaos as her day goes from bad to worse to catastrophic as she struggles to care for her ill daughter. Pushed to the brink by a world that seems indifferent to her existence, she's forced to confront impossible choices in a society that offers her no safety net." Now, in terms of the Denzel Washington factor in my excitement for Straw, the Tyler Perry film's premise and trailer remind me of Washington's John Q (2002). In John Q, Washington plays a desperate father who, after being told his son couldn't get a much-needed heart transplant because his family couldn't afford it, walks into a hospital with a gun, demanding doctors and nurses save his son's life. From beginning to end, the movie is a tearjerker, but it's incredibly riveting to see the lengths a parent will go to in order to save their child. If you want to watch John Q. before or after Straw, it's now streaming on Prime Video. Beyond the premise, I'm also excited to watch the performances from some talented stars, in addition to Henson. It should prove rather interesting to see Glynn Turman and Sinbad reunite on screen since their days starring together on A Different World. Turman in particular, has proven to be a solid dramatic actor in recent years, appearing in things like Rustin, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and Queen Sugar. I'm also excited to see Teyana Taylor, as her rise in Hollywood continues, recently being spotted in A Thousand and One and The Book of Clarence. Again, Straw is now streaming on Netflix in the US and UK. If you're interested in watching, you'll need a subscription to the streaming service.
CBC
23-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Former PC government paid JohnQ Public $18M days before election announced
One week before the last provincial election was called, the Progressive Conservative government quietly gave JohnQ Public an $18 million grant. There was no public announcement about the one-time funding that was paid in full to JohnQ — a company owned by 12 rural municipalities — on Aug. 29, 2023. The grant is for a land purchase in the Rural Municipality of Ritchot to develop a proposed "Winnipeg Regional Rail Port," NDP government principal secretary Emily Coutts said in an email. "The grant was intended to support JohnQ's purchase of the lands plus some funds to cover engineering and environmental assessments," Coutts said. JohnQ has come under scrutiny in the past month after the government requested Manitoba's auditor general to review a $100-million daycare construction program initiated by the previous government that JohnQ project managed with the help of Boom Done Next — a company co-owned by Marni Larkin, the director of the PCs' 2023 re-election campaign. In April, Education Minister Tracy Schmidt said Boom, Done Next was paid $2.8 million by JohnQ for the work. The provincial funds given to JohnQ were not awarded through a tendered contract. "A grant to purchase lands is not a good or service therefore its not required to go to tender," Coutts said. Coutts said a project such as this would require multiple regulatory steps including zoning approvals, assessing highway development needs and finding an anchor tenant. JohnQ did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Winnipeg Free Press
25-04-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
NDP calls for auditor general to probe 2022 PC daycare project
The NDP has called on the auditor general to investigate a mega-contract to build daycares that it says allowed the previous government to funnel $2.8 million to a Progressive Conservative campaign manager's firm. 'We cannot in good faith ignore the political overlap,' Education Minister Tracy Schmidt told the legislative assembly on Thursday. Schmidt tabled a letter deputy minister Brian O'Leary wrote to Auditor General Tyson Shtykalo requesting his office look into a procurement process that began in 2022. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Files Education Minister Tracy Schmidt questions whether a Tory daycare contract violated ethics rules. MIKAELA MACKENZIE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES MLA Tracy Schmidt, shown at a school nutrition program funding announcement on Oct. 18, 2024, confirmed the new school planned for Ste Anne will have vocational programming. The April 16 memo suggests a construction project, valued at nearly $100 million, 'may not have followed normal provincial or municipal procurement practices.' The Education Department has questions about whether the contract was a good investment and how child-care sites were selected, O'Leary wrote. He noted none of the sites selected are located in Winnipeg. The province partnered with 'John Q,' an affiliate of capital region municipalities, to build 22 standalone child-care facilities under the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. John Q subcontracted Boom Done Next, a sales and event management company owned by Marni Larkin. Larkin oversaw the Progressive Conservatives' 2023 election campaign. Schmidt said she wants answers because Larkin's company ultimately received $2.8 million through the PC government-approved project. Larkin did not respond to a request for comment Thursday. Company president Joe Leuzzi confirmed Boom Done Next worked with John Q, which he described as 'a longtime and valued client,' and helped build more than 1,700 new child-care spots. 'Marni Larkin recused herself from this work entirely and played no role in the project. I am writing to you as the sole manager of this initiative,' Leuzzi said in an email. He accused the province of unfairly drawing the auditor general's office 'into a political narrative to generate headlines' and doing a disservice to families who are benefiting from the daycares. Wayne Ewasko, who was the PC education minister in 2022, questioned the timing of the NDP releasing the letter. Thursday marked Ewasko's final day in the house as interim leader of the Progressive Conservatives. A new party leader will be announced Saturday. 'If the education minister's throwing shade on me on this, I've got no problems having a chat with the auditor general if the auditor general's office sees fit to question me on anything,' he said. Ewasko indicated he was unaware of Boom Done Next's connection to the larger construction project until Thursday. Schmidt said she was first alerted of 'irregularities' in November when she took over the file when her predecessor, the late Nello Altomare, went on medical leave. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. Delays related to the construction of a child-care facility in the Meadowlands development in the Rural Municipality of West St. Paul initially led to the discovery, she said. She indicated there have been issues related to administering that contract. 'That begged the question of what was going on,' she said. The auditor general's office did not immediately provide comment on the matter. Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
