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Winnipeg Free Press
10-07-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba exports to U.S., China plummet
While Manitoba's exports to the United States and China plunged earlier this year, the dollar value of its imports soared. U.S. imports to Manitoba hit roughly $10.97 billion in January through May — an eight per cent increase from the same time in 2024. Meanwhile, imports from China jumped 6.9 per cent year-over-year, totalling $684 million. 'It's surprising,' said Chuck Davidson, president of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Files Canola and corn grow south of Rivers on Tuesday. Canola oil and meal have been slapped with massive import tariffs by the Chinese government, leading to a downturn in trade. He's tracked a sentiment across businesses to bring their supply chains closer to home. Uncertainty has rocked the private sector since Donald Trump was elected U.S. president in November. Tariffs and tariff threats have made regular headlines, shaking operations and causing companies to pause future investments. Davidson pointed to a weaker Canadian dollar: some companies can't get materials they require within Canada and must pull from the United States. Those goods are likely more expensive, he surmised. A Canadian dollar equated to US$0.73 on Wednesday. The exchange rate began increasing last fall, ahead of the U.S. election. Companies also bulk bought in preparation for tariffs, noted Fletcher Baragar, a University of Manitoba economics professor. The rush could've shown in the January through May import numbers, recently released by the Manitoba Bureau of Statistics. Manitoba's exports to the U.S. dropped 14.7 per cent year-over-year; they fell 29.8 per cent when looking at China. The export values totalled $5.55 billion and $481 million, respectively. Davidson cited the 'Trump factor' for the U.S. decrease. The Trump administration has placed tariffs on aluminum, steel and items not meeting the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement on trade. Globally, countries have been slapped with U.S. tariffs. It's affected businesses like Kathy Tran-Riese's. Tran-Riese opted to pause sales in the U.S., starting in May, to avoid the cost of her glasses frames more than doubling. KayTran Eyewear imports frames to Winnipeg from China before exporting to the United States. The U.S. deems the goods Chinese by their country of origin; Trump stripped China of an exemption where packages under $800 were shielded from tariffs. 'I had a pretty large consumer base in the U.S.,' Tran-Riese said Wednesday. Roughly half of her revenue came from the southern clientele. However, since halting shipments to the U.S., she's seen an 80 per cent jump in sales: she's been holding pop-ups across Canada. '(There's) an initial myth that you think you have to … have a stronghold in the U.S. to build good revenue,' said Tran-Riese, who had Canadian customers asking for pop-ups before Trump's inauguration. 'This has really taught me otherwise.' Boosting interprovincial trade will help lessen reliance on United States exports, Davidson said. So will increasing trade to other countries, both he and Baragar relayed. Manitoba's non-U.S. exports jumped 6.5 per cent year over year, when comparing January through May. The total reached $2.55 billion. Non-U.S. imports rose at a faster pace — up 10.3 per cent, to $3.65 billion. 'I suspect we'll probably see more of that in the future, but those numbers are proportionately very, very small,' Baragar said. 'There's enormous potential for growth, but Canada — certainly for the last 50 years — hasn't really been looking in those directions.' Nineteen European delegates visited Manitoba in April, expressing a desire for more trade. Africa and other Pacific Rim countries are also candidates for future growth, from Baragar's view. Chinese tariffs remain in place. Cam Dahl, general manager of Manitoba Pork, said he's 'not surprised' by the statistic of fewer exports. China placed tariffs of 100 per cent on Canadian canola oil, canola meal and peas, and of 25 per cent on some pork, fish and seafood. The measures came as retaliation to Canadian tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports. Dahl is meeting with Canadian, American and Mexican counterparts later this week to discuss trade, among other topics. 'It just shows — the understanding of the value of that integrated market isn't just in Canada, it goes across North America,' he said. 'There's just so much uncertainty.' Prime Minister Mark Carney has circled July 21 as a Canada-U.S. deal deadline. The outcome will shape Manitoba's import and export numbers for the rest of the year, Baragar forecast. British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia joined Manitoba in experiencing a year-over-year decrease in international merchandise exports in May. (Manitoba's drop was the largest, at 19 per cent.) Energy, forestry and industrial equipment exports plunged that month, Statistics Canada data shared publicly by the Saskatchewan government show. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Generally, Manitoba exports decreased nine per cent — to $8.11 billion — when comparing 2025's first five months to 2024's. Imports jumped 8.5 per cent, to $14.62 billion. Manitoba trucking firms have been shuttering and laying off staff due to less demand, the Manitoba Trucking Association confirmed last week. The provincial government is increasing its export support program and passed the Fair Trade in Canada Act to promote trade within Canada and abroad, Business Minister Jamie Moses said in a statement. The New Democrats hired Richard Madan, a former reporter, to become Manitoba's trade representative to the U.S. Gabrielle PichéReporter Gabrielle Piché reports on business for the Free Press. She interned at the Free Press and worked for its sister outlet, Canstar Community News, before entering the business beat in 2021. Read more about Gabrielle. Every piece of reporting Gabrielle 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.
Winnipeg Free Press
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Kartusch on track to repeat as women's amateur champion
Addison Kartusch has her sights set on a second consecutive provincial title. The defending Manitoba women's amateur champion carries a three-shot lead into Friday's final round of the annual summer tournament, which is being held this year at her home course of St. Charles Country Club. Kartusch, 18, fired a two-under 70 on Thursday after opening the 54-hole event with a one-over 73 on Wednesday. She's back in town after finishing up her first year at Bowling Green State University in Ohio and picking up where she left off. Thomas Friesen / The Brandon Sun Addison Kartusch has a three-shot lead entering Friday's final round of the Golf Manitoba women's amateur championship. Clara Peake of Minnedosa isn't going away quietly, at one point grabbing the lead on Thursday. She's at two-over for the event after rounds of 76-70. Killarney's Cala Korman is also within striking distance at four-over following rounds of 76-72. Charmaine Hayden is fourth-overall at 12-over but leads the women's mid-amateur category. She has a two-shot lead over Southwood's Rhonda Orr. A total of 21 competitors teed it up this week. Over on the men's side, the mid-amateur is being held at the same time with a field of 69 golfers. Jeremy Kirk (70-72) of Fort William Country Club enters the final round of play with a one-shot lead over defending champion Allan McDonald of Breezy Bend, who opened with a three-over 75 but followed that up with a four-under 68. 'It was a tough day out there, harder than the first day so staying around even was the goal,' Kirk told reporters following his round in hot and windy conditions. The 27-year-old drove in from Thunder Bay on Tuesday and didn't get a chance to play a practice round at St. Charles but has clearly felt comfortable. 'I've played enough golf in my life where target golf, it helps. I didn't know where the trouble was so it freed up my mind too,' he said. 'The greens were the hardest thing to learn but I was lucky enough to come out here early that first day and putt around a bit, figure out the greens and just hit the targets. Kirk played four years of college golf at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks and is eligible to compete in Manitoba because of a joint-affiliation between Golf Manitoba and Golf Ontario for Thunder Bay players. 'It's stressful when we get out here. But it's a different type of stress. You want to do well but it's not like when I was in college or trying to get recruited to college,' he said. 'I'm just out here having fun and come Monday, back to work.' Right behind Kirk and McDonald is one of the province's most decorated amateur golfers, Todd Fanning, who had the round of the tournament so far with a six-under 66 on Thursday — including a 30 (six-under) on the back nine. It was quite a rebound from his opening 78. 'There were no signs of it really. Obviously I had a day (Wednesday) I'd like to forget. I made the turn at five-over and vowed to try and get myself back to even par by the end of the tournament,' said Fanning, 57, who credits a range session with his son as helping to get the 'evil demons' out of his game. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'I felt pretty good on the first nine. And then on the back nine, for about an hour I just hit perfect golf shots and made the putts I had to. Suddenly I started thinking about going really low. I haven't had that feeling for a while. It was really fun.' He previously won the event in 2017 and 2021, joking that math would suggest he's due again here in 2025. Curtis Markusson of St. Charles is tied with Fanning, two shots behind Kirk. Several other golfers are lurking including Jordy Lutz of Elmhurt and Drew Jones of Shilo (three strokes back), 2023 mid-amateur champion Patrick Perrin of Elmhurt and Eric Johnson of Breezy Bend (four shots behind) and David Spurr of Elmhurst (five shots back). X and Bluesky: @mikemcintyrewpg Mike McIntyreReporter Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike. Every piece of reporting Mike 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.
Winnipeg Free Press
26-06-2025
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Carberry residents blast RCUT plan for Hwy. 5
CARBERRY — Residents blasted the provincial government at an open house Wednesday where for the first time the RCUT design was named as the 'preferred alternative' for the intersection of Highway 5 and the Trans-Canada Highway. The fourth round of community consultation on the intersection turned into a one-way shouting match at times, with community members fuming over the proposed change. About 150 people packed into the Carberry Collegiate gymnasium where about 30 placards and maps illustrated why, according to the province, an RCUT, or Restricted Crossing U-Turn, intersection is the best option for the intersection. Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Jordan Dickson, left, and Debra Steen, organizers of the local opposition to the proposed RCUT modification to the Trans Canada Highway, voice their opposition at the community engagement meeting in Carberry, Wednesday evening. 'It is time for rural residents to get the same treatment as urban areas,' community member Debra Steen said to a representative from one of the consulting firms hired by the province. 'We're tired of getting the cheapest solution,' she said. 'You need to go back to the government and tell them this needs to be re-looked at. We demand an overpass.' The RCUT would force drivers going straight or turning left from Highway 5 to turn right before crossing over three lanes and making a U-turn 900 metres later. Drivers turning left from the Trans-Canada would be able to turn at the intersection. Community members accumulated more than 2,100 signatures saying an RCUT isn't the right option. Area residents at the open house said an overpass is what they want to see built, an option the province ruled out in the early stages of the study. 'They're laughing at us, they're saying we'll get used to it, they're saying rural lives are not worth it,' Jordan Dickson said. The province ordered the redesign of the intersection following the June 2023 collision that claimed the lives of 17 seniors. At the start of the discussion, Dickson stopped and asked the crowd if anyone from the community was in favour of the RCUT. Not a single hand was raised and a smattering of 'no's' rang around the gym. 'So why are you pushing it on us? They haven't listened to a single thing we said,' Dickson said. 'We are listening,' Donovan Toews, managing partner of Landmark Planning and Design, told the crowd. 'What I hear is local folks … don't like the RCUT design, and do want an interchange.' Toews said the project consultants, which also include the firm WSP, 'are doing our job to do proper engineering, to be objective, and to make a recommendation that we feel would be the safest and most appropriate for this location. 'Not everyone will agree with that, and we will make a recommendation.' Toews said the petition will be included with whatever recommendation the consultants make. An area potato farmer said if an RCUT does get built, it will not only be dangerous, but confusing. Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Donovan Toews, Managing Partner at Landmark Planning and Design, answers questions from concerned Carberry and area residents at the fourth community engagement meeting regarding the proposed RCUT modification to the Trans Canada Highway at the Highway 5 intersection at Carberry Collegiate on Wednesday evening. 'We don't expect an overpass, because we don't live in the Perimeter,' said Paul Adriaansen. 'I can't even imagine this fiasco.' Steen in an interview with the Sun after the group discussion said it's important that the government knows what locals who cross the intersection regularly know. 'I think it's important that they hear locally that there is no one in Carberry that's in favour of the RCUT,' she said. 'I hope they're listening, I hope they hear us. I think we're clear.' Carberry Mayor Ray Muirhead said an overpass is the only thing the town wants. 'We are strongly urging the government to reconsider and put our overpass in,' he said. According to one of the placards set up, the cost for an overpass would be $100 million or more. Dustin Booy, an official with Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure, said the cost for an RCUT is about one-fifth of that. 'We've seen different situations before over the years, over the decades where it's involved protests, public outcry and the government has found money,' Muirhead said. 'It's amazing how they can find money for other stuff.' He said the number of farmers and volume of big trucks that come through the area make the RCUT model dangerous. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'We just need something that's uninterrupted, and less confusion,' he said. 'If it works and it's common in the States, why do they only have one in Canada? But there's overpasses everywhere else.' Currently, the only RCUT intersection in Canada is near Regina on Highway 16. Booy said the RCUT intersection is safer because it reduces the number of conflict points. If people do get into an accident, it won't be in a T-bone fashion, so there's a lesser chance of serious injury. He said the feedback gathered at the meeting will be brought to the government, but it is solely up to the officials in charge to make the final decision. alambert@
Winnipeg Free Press
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Fundraising tour de force
A Brandon cyclist is gearing up for the ride of a lifetime in support of cancer research. Grant Hamilton is heading to Europe this week to join Tour 21, an annual event that sees a team of amateur cyclists ride the full Tour de France route, one week ahead of the professionals. The team will pedal more than 3,500 km in 21 days, including climbs and summits in the Pyrenees mountains and the French Alps. It's part of an effort to raise nearly $2 million for Cure Leukaemia, the official charity partner of the Tour de France. Grant Hamilton is heading to Europe this week to join Tour 21, an annual event that sees a team of amateur cyclists ride the full Tour de France route, one week ahead of the professionals. (Matt Packwood / The Brandon Sun) Cure Leukaemia funds clinical trials, driving global advancements in blood cancer treatment and impacting those affected by the disease. Hamilton is the only Canadian on the team. The 48-year-old communications and marketing professional first heard about the event while watching last year's Tour de France. 'I heard the commentators talking about essentially middle-aged schlubs tackling the entire route… and they were doing it for charity,' Hamilton recalls. 'I thought, well, I'm a middle-aged schlub — maybe this is something I could throw my bike helmet in the ring for.' Tour 21 participants commit to a $22,000 entry fee and a minimum fundraising amount of $55,000. Hamilton is covering his own costs and has raised more than 90 per cent of his fundraising goal. Lately, Hamilton's training regime has involved riding as many kilometres as he can. He travelled to California to cycle the Santa Monica Mountains last December and, in March, he joined a Team 21 training camp in Majorca, Spain. A&L Cycle has been assisting Hamilton with training plans, nutritional advice and equipment. 'It's a huge endeavour he's taking on,' says Tyler Wirch, co-owner of the Brandon bicycle shop. 'The Tour de France is probably the hardest bike race in the world… and we wanted to be part of it as much as we could.' The shop couldn't ask for a better cyclist to support than Hamilton, Wirch added. 'He's spent a ton of time on it and, just in general, he's one of the nicest guys I've ever met.' Hamilton believes that cycling has an incredible power to bring people together and build community. The following is a list of volunteer opportunities for Winnipeg and surrounding areas. For more information about these listings, contact the organization directly. Volunteer Manitoba does not place volunteers with organizations but can help people find opportunities. To learn more about its programs and services, go to or call 204-477-5180. The following is a list of volunteer opportunities for Winnipeg and surrounding areas. For more information about these listings, contact the organization directly. Volunteer Manitoba does not place volunteers with organizations but can help people find opportunities. To learn more about its programs and services, go to or call 204-477-5180. Manitoba Underdogs Rescue needs a newsletter co-ordinator for its social-media team. The role involves writing emails to keep supporters in the loop about new dogs, upcoming events and urgent needs. The co-ordinator will work with a graphic designer to enhance messages visually and analyze email performance to boost engagement. Essential skills include a friendly writing style, experience with platforms such as Mailchimp and a passion for storytelling. This remote position requires two to four flexible hours per week. Apply at by Aug. 1. The Henteleff Park Foundation needs volunteers. After a 90-minute orientation on park history and weed management, volunteers can work independently, choosing a spot to nurture. Volunteers can work at their own pace for an hour or two per week and at a time convenient to are welcome to apply individually or as families, only requiring the ability to lift 10 pounds and follow directions. No prior gardening knowledge is needed. Email by Aug. 15. Misericordia Health Centre needs an ophthalmology ambassador to escort patients to treatment rooms. Volunteers act as liaisons between staff members and patients (delivering messages for unit staff, making inquiries on behalf of patients, providing friendly services to patients and helping staff with patient flow). Ambassadors must have a positive and empathetic manner and the ability to stand and walk for long periods of time. Apply online at by Aug. 30. The Manitoba Mountain Bike Association needs board members. The board has eight members, with subcommittees for infrastructure and community outreach. A treasurer, fundraising co-ordinator and director at large are needed to help with bike park proposals, fundraising and administrative tasks. Applicants should have a strong interest in mountain biking or trail stewardship, while skills in grant writing, management, fundraising or trail development are beneficial. It's a flexible time commitment of up to eight hours weekly, plus monthly board meetings. Apply at by Oct. 4. Mennonite Central Committee's Kildonan Thrift Shop needs people with a skill set in assessing and repairing electronic devices. Volunteers are needed to sort, test, clean and price electronic items such as record players, amplifiers, radios and DVD players that have been donated for resale. The shop is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with shifts from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Apply at or 204-668-0967, ext. 5, by June 30. The St. Vital Agricultural Fair is seeking volunteers for its 114th annual Fair and Display Aug. 8-9. Opportunities include serving as greeters, setting up and taking down tables and chairs, and serving meals in a cafeteria style. Volunteers are also needed at the children's craft table and in helping exhibitors place their entries, and to help with cleaning duties such as garbage removal. More information about the event is available at Apply at PjMcFarlane@ or to 204-487-4597, ext. 1, by July 29. The Leftovers Foundation, a food-rescue charity with a mission of reducing food waste and increasing access to food for people facing barriers, is gearing up for Home Harvest. The program facilitates the rescue of homegrown food. Community members can participate by signing up through the website or mobile app to become a donor (grower) or volunteer to complete routes. Growers with excess produce can submit a request any time, and volunteers can harvest and deliver the produce to local service agencies and keep a portion for themselves. Volunteers can sign up in groups or individually. Email alyssa@ or go to for more information. Apply by Aug. 2. The Manitoba Indigenous Summer Games will host more than 2,000 athletes at Sagkeeng Anicinabe Nation. Volunteers are needed for roles such as registration, food services and cultural services. They will also help with security, medical aid and special events. Skills such as organization, communication and attention to detail are essential. Volunteers must be 13 or older. Flexible shifts are available from Aug. 17 to Aug. 23 at Brokenhead Ojibway Nation. Apply online at by Aug. 10. The Canadian Red Cross needs volunteers. The Red Cross can show you how to help when disaster strikes. Go to email volunteer@ or call 1-844-818-2155. That belief was underscored three years ago when he was hit by a car one evening while cycling home with his wife. He was badly hurt — including losing his left pinky finger — but he says it changed his life for the better. It made him get serious about cycling activism and he's already seen the City of Brandon make improvements to its infrastructure — including lowering the speed limit on the stretch of road where he was hit. Hamilton is the founder of Bike Brandon, an organization that exists to support the convenient use and safe enjoyment of all kinds of bikes. Additionally, he volunteers as a board member with Brandon First, a not-for-profit destination marketing organization, and Brandon Riverbank, a 30-year-old charity dedicated to developing the Assiniboine River Corridor. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Hamilton also co-founded the Salamander Summer Music Festival, which returns for its third year next month. 'It's maybe incumbent on all of us to try to make our communities a little bit better,' says the lifelong Brandon resident. 'It doesn't take much. I didn't do it until I got hit by a car.' Hamilton leaves for Europe on Tuesday; Tour 21 starts Saturday in Lille. For details about how to make a donation, find Hamilton on Facebook, Bluesky or LinkedIn and read the pinned posts, or send an email too If you know a special volunteer, email Aaron EppReporter Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron. 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.
Winnipeg Free Press
23-06-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Doctors notes and increased medical costs
Opinion You may recall some point in your past — for some, a more recent past than others — of having to produce a document to prove to a schoolteacher that you were, in fact, not feeling well and did, in fact, have to be excused for the day. Signed, Mom. That seemed normal enough at the time. The question is, why is it so commonplace for employees to still have to do it, well into adulthood? It's a question health-care practitioners in Canada have been asking more often. Doctors Manitoba on Tuesday called for the provincial government to eliminate employer requirements for sick notes to excuse a worker's short-term absence from the job. This call comes after a similar one by the Canadian Medical Association, which made the entreaty to governments in October last year. Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun Manitoba Health Minister and Deputy Premier Uzoma Asagwara The reasoning for the two groups' request is the same: getting rid of the need for workers to obtain a doctor's note acknowledging an illness and the need to be away from work is a drain on health-care resources. It takes up a physician's already precious time with paperwork which has nothing to do with caring for a patient, and everything to do with ticking off a box on somebody else's list. Doctors Manitoba estimates getting rid of these requirements will free up time for hundreds of thousands of other patient visits and save tax- payers about $8 million per year. Those are all great reasons to consider doing away with the requirement, but there are other, more simple ones. The doctors clearly don't want to deal with writing sick notes. It's also questionable how useful getting such a note is for an employer: even if an employee sees a physician, gets a note, and provides it, they have already missed at least some work by that point, and arrangements will already have been made to compensate for the absence. As for the workers, it seems infantilizing to make working adults have to prove the severity of their own illness. Yes, it's possible someone isn't as sick as they claim and simply wants to take the day. But the worker — under the terms of workplace legislation, specific workplace standards or the terms of a bargaining agreement — is already generally afforded a set number of sick days per year. It should not be the employer's right to force a worker to justify the use of them. Weekday Evenings Today's must-read stories and a roundup of the day's headlines, delivered every evening. We have also learned a few things in recent years, and decades, which should change how we approach illness in the workplace. The COVID-19 pandemic was a wake-up call in terms of how we treat illness in public. Specifically we learned it's better to be safe than sorry — if you wake up with a scratchy throat and a cough, just stay home and make sure you're well before returning to work. No more powering through because you're 'not that bad.' And beyond dealing with the infectious, is dealing with the invisible. A worker struggling with their mental health should be able to take some time off to look after themselves without having to produce a note proving they are in the throes of depression or some other ailment. At the same time, managers still have to be able to manage their businesses and set policies for sick leave. The Manitoba NDP had put forward a private member's bill to eliminate sick note requirements for short-term illnesses in 2016, only for it to be struck down by the then-ruling PC government. Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara has said the province is still interested in such legislation. Let's hope we can all do away with an irritation, but still find a solution that works for employers and employees.
