B.C. organization enters debate on government-run grocery amid rising food costs

VANCOUVER - When Elizabeth Osinde arrived in Canada about two years ago as a refugee from Kenya, pregnant with her son, she remembers being able to buy a bunch of kale for $2 or $3.

That same bunch is now closer to $5.

Osinde said she has a deep sense of gratitude for everything that Canada and the refugee program provide for her and her son, but she still has to rely on emergency hampers from Vancouver's Union Gospel Mission to make ends meet.

"I get half of my groceries from them because sometimes it's a challenge," she said of the hampers that are available to her one every three months, that also come with non-perishable items such as diapers and a $25 gift card for a local grocery store.

Pause at N.W.T. diamond mine amid weak market ‘serious news,’ industry minister says

CALGARY - An expansion project has been put on hold at a diamond mine in the Far North, a move the Northwest Territories government says underscores the need to reduce its economic reliance on that industry.

Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. says it and joint-venture partner De Beers Canada Inc. have decided to pause the Tuzo Phase 3 project at the Gahcho Kué mine some 300 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife. Mountain Province owns 49 per cent of the mine and De Beers owns 51 per cent.

"This decision follows a careful assessment of the project's economics considering the prevailing market environment," Mountain Province said in a news release late Monday.

"While the Tuzo Phase 3 project has demonstrated strong potential, current market conditions have prompted the partners to take a measured approach to its development."

Province’s Indigenous tourism industry growing

Melanie Gamache has been taking her beading and jigging sessions on the road lately.

Schools, immigrant services agencies and private companies had asked whether she would take Borealis Beading to them.

“With the exception of last year (with wildfires), there has been a growing demand,” Gamache said. “There’s just an increase in people wanting to know more — like people want to know the history.”

Gamache registered her company, Borealis Beading, in 2018 and started by hosting Métis beading workshops.

Cascadia movement has roots in the past, but does B.C. separatism have a future?

VICTORIA - In 2017, Cory Pahl was a candidate for the Cascadia Party of British Columbia, whose official goals included the creation of a provincial assembly that would assert the sovereign rights of "British Columbians, Canadians and Cascadians."

Cascadia, the concept of commonality between British Columbia and U.S. states in the Pacific Northwest, has roots dating back to the 19th century and beyond. It has sometimes been expressed as a desire for nationhood — although Pahl said the party never campaigned for the creation of a Cascadian nation, with British Columbia as part of it.

While he acknowledged the "separatism kind of discussion" surrounding the idea of Cascadia, he wanted nothing to do with a new expression of B.C. separatism, fuelled by anti-Ottawa sentiments, alienation from mainstream politics, and a sense of allegiance with similar movements in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Pahl said the Cascadian movement "came from a very different perspective."

Small businesses weigh cost of carrying credit card fees, possibility of cash-only crime

Cash, credit or debit — or maybe just one and not the others? Even as technology advances, rising costs and the impacts of crime mean some Manitoba businesses are still seeking new ways to settle the bill with customers.

In Morden, Alex Kanski found himself in the middle of an unexpected controversy when he announced his family restaurant, Moment in Thyme Neighbourhood Grill, would be removing its card payment system and only accepting cash at the end of January.

Kanski said interchange fees — or the cost to process credit card transactions — and other fees to maintain card payments has cost the restaurant about $7,500 annually since it opened three years ago. For a 38-seat restaurant, he said, those losses are hard to take.

“With a restaurant, there’s only so many places you can cut costs,” Kanski said.

Canada Goose says diversification efforts working but Q3 profit fell from year ago

TORONTO - Canada Goose Holdings Inc. says its efforts to convince customers to turn to the company for more than a down-filled parka as winter hits are paying off — but investors may not be convinced.

While customer demand for the retailer's star product — down-filled outwear — remained strong in its most recent quarter, Canada Goose said Thursday that its non-down-filled outwear grew even faster and was accompanied by gains in lightweight and year-round apparel.

"That shift is intentional," said Carrie Baker, Canada Goose's president of brand and commercial, on a call with analysts.

"We want to be able to bring newness to the floor. We want to be able to drive repeat visitors, bring people back to see something new."

Bracing for a future global water shortage

Declaring bankruptcy is by all accounts a painful, traumatic and perhaps even humiliating process.

Independent toy shops ready to fill void from Toys “R” Us Canada closures

TORONTO - For tots, teens and anyone in between, Cowtown Kids Toys & Candy is a dream.

The Maple Creek, Sask., shop spanning four buildings is jammed with more than 30,000 toys ranging from classic books and puzzles to trendy plushies, trucks and other curios.

Owner Bob Siemens says the vast array of products is proof his business — like many other independent shops — is ready to fill the void created by Toys "R" Us Canada closures.

"Even if it looks like the toy industry is suffering, there's still a vibrancy in the independents that have been there and have stood the test of time. They're going to be eager to meet the folks still looking for toy shops," Siemens said mere hours before Toys "R" Us Canada announced it had filed for creditor protection Tuesday.

First Nation says Hydro misuse of river diversion destroying sturgeon population

A northern First Nation is calling on Manitoba Hydro to alter its use of the Churchill River diversion to protect a lake sturgeon population allegedly decimated by hydroelectric operations.

Tataskweyak Cree Nation Chief Doreen Spence said the culturally significant species is facing extinction on the river system without immediate intervention, 50 years after Manitoba built the diversion to send water to large power generating stations.

“The diversion has artificially altered the flow of the water… so much that the river is barely able to sustain life as it once did,” Spence told reporters in Winnipeg Thursday.

“Manitoba Hydro must operate the diversion in sync with the natural flow regime of the river for the sturgeon to survive.”

Flexibility has become deal-breaker, not perk

There was a time when a flexible work arrangement was a bonus, something employees quietly hoped for once they’d survived probation.

A remote day here or there, the ability to adjust hours around a doctor’s appointment or the occasional work-from-home afternoon were all considered nice extras — perks that made a job feel a little more humane.

Fast forward to January 2026, and flexibility isn’t something workers merely appreciate. For many, it has become a core condition of employment — a deal-breaker if it’s removed or denied.

This shift is on full display this month as Ontario’s provincial government has begun implementing a policy that requires civil servants to return to the office full time. As of Jan. 5, nearly 60,000 public service employees who had been working remotely or in hybrid arrangements are being told to work in person five days a week.

Damage estimates spiral as Pimicikamak tries to recover from power outage, deep freeze

The power is back on, but the damage has been done. Water leaks. Burst pipes. Burned houses. And still, more than 4,000 residents of Pimicikamak Cree Nation are forced out of their homes, with no clear timeline of when they’ll be able to return.

On Saturday, six days after a downed power line left the remote Northern First Nation without electricity for over four days, Pimicikamak Chief David Monias spoke to reporters by Zoom to give an update on the crisis — and emphasize the expertise and supports the community still needs to recover.

Although power has been restored to the community, which is located roughly 100 km south of Thompson, over four days without electricity caused major damage, Monias said. The water treatment plant is “pretty much ready to explode” due to leaks and is unable to draw water into its reservoir, leaving the community without potable water.

Houses too suffered in the deep freeze, including damage to pipes and cracked floors. So far, of the 1,335 houses on the community, which is also known as Cross Lake, at least 200 are severely compromised and not yet safe for residents to return. That number may grow as officials continue their inspections.

Northwest Territories facing a hard-as-diamonds reality as pivotal industry wanes

It’s said that pressure makes diamonds, but a diamond mining downturn is what's putting pressure on the Northwest Territories economy these days.

Diamond mines have long been a vital source of well paying local jobs, with spinoffs in hospitality, construction and other areas. It’s been estimated that the region's three operating mines directly and indirectly employ more than 1,500 residents — a significant chunk of the territory's population of almost 46,000 — and account for about one-fifth of the N.W.T.'s gross domestic product.

“Diamond mining in the Northwest Territories has been incredibly pivotal to our economy over the last 25 years,” said Caitlin Cleveland, the N.W.T.'s minister of industry, tourism and investment.

“It's put over $30 billion into the Canadian economy, $20 billion of which has stayed here in the Northwest Territories.”

Hundreds evacuated amid power outage in Pimicikamak

More than 300 Pimicikamak Cree Nation residents have been moved to other communities in Manitoba amid a power outage that is now not expected to be resolved until 6 p.m. on New Year’s Day.

The evacuation to Thompson, Whiskey Jack Landing and Norway House Cree Nation involved elders, people with certain health conditions and families with babies, Chief David Monias said.

“The problems we are having keep on piling up the longer we go (without power),” Monias said Tuesday morning. “People are frustrated, and people are angry that this is happening. We have people at risk.”

Hotel space in Thompson was limited, he said. Buses were scheduled to transport dozens of residents to Winnipeg starting Tuesday afternoon.

Canada responsible for ensuring safe First Nations housing, Federal Court rules in $5-B class-action suit

A Federal Court judge has recognized Canada is responsible for ensuring safe housing on First Nations in a $5-billion class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of two reserves in Manitoba and Ontario.

Churchill’s future has looked bright in the past, then politics dimmed the lights

The future of the often-troubled and chronically overlooked Port of Churchill and Hudson Bay railway looks exceedingly bright.

First Nations sue over oil-rich land

A pair of First Nations are suing the provincial and federal governments, claiming land and mineral rights to a swath of land in southwestern Manitoba that generates more than $1.3 billion annually from oil and gas production.

Canupawakpa Dakota First Nation and Dakota Tipi First Nation filed a statement of claim in Court of King’s Bench on Thursday calling for a declaration of title and subsurface rights over Manitoba’s portion of the Williston Basin.

The oil-rich basin stretches from southwestern Manitoba into southern Saskatchewan and over the U.S. border. The Manitoba portion hosts at least 14 identified oil fields and is home to all the current oil production in the province, the lawsuit states.

The plaintiffs are claiming rights over the entirety of the basin in Manitoba, including the “right to economically participate in the extraction, development and production of subsurface minerals.”

Canadians seeking ways to save on groceries as food costs remain top concern: survey

A survey of Canadians' perceptions around food affordability and purchasing behaviours suggests that consumers have changed how they shop, cook and eat in response to rising prices.

The latest edition of the Canadian Food Sentiment Index, released by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab in partnership with online data platform Caddle, said food remains the dominant household financial concern for Canadians.

More than four-in-five survey respondents indicated it's their top expense pressure. While that was down from 84.1 per cent of respondents a year ago, it still far outpaces other day-to-day expense concerns, such as utilities, household items and supplies, housing, transportation and entertainment.

Half of the nearly 3,000 respondents to the survey conducted last month said food costs increased "significantly" over the past year, while just over one-third indicated their food expenses were up "slightly" and close to 12 per cent said they stayed the same.

New trade deal to chop red tape, knock down trade barriers across Canada

VICTORIA - Trade of tens of thousands of goods across Canada's 14 jurisdictions will soon be free after an agreement has been signed between all provinces, territories and the federal government to allow businesses to sell their products across Canada.

Ravi Kahlon, British Columbia's minister of jobs and economic growth, announced the deal in Victoria, although it was signed by the country's trade ministers at a meeting in Yellowknife on Wednesday.

The B.C. government proposed and chaired the national initiative for the Canadian Mutual Recognition Agreement, and Kahlon said it's an important step for cross-Canada trade.

"And this is the largest red tape reduction in Canada's history, and it's just the beginning," he told reporters.

Doctor retention needs focus in year ahead

It’s time for Manitoba’s annual check-up: the provincial government’s speech from the throne. Physicians watch closely because this is where government sets its priorities for improving health-care quality and access.

Encampment residents defiant as new policy takes effect

As the sun broke through the gap between two high-rise apartments on the north side of the Assiniboine River Monday morning, the large encampment tucked behind the Granite Curling Club lay quiet.

Monday marked the first day of the city’s new encampment policy, which bans such dwellings from more than a dozen areas — including anywhere within 50 metres of a nearby child-care centre, which parts of Mostyn Park are.

According to a recent email obtained by the Free Press from Greg MacPherson, the city’s senior co-ordinator of community development, the Mostyn Park encampment will be among those prioritized for dismantling in the coming weeks.

“I’ve been staying here for five years,” said Peter, who didn’t give his last name. “Why are they going to try to evict me now? And evict me from what? There’s no reason I should have to live like this in my own country.”

Twelve takeaways from the City of Winnipeg budget

Winnipeg’s preliminary 2026 budget includes plenty of road construction projects, expanded late-night bus service, extra firefighters and paramedics, and new safety measures for the downtown Millennium Library. Here are 12 highlights.

Greenwashing rules to be scaled back, but scope of change remains unclear

TORONTO - Canada's greenwashing rules are being scaled back, but it remains to be seen what the changes mean for businesses wanting to talk about their environmental record.

In the federal budget released last week, the government said it plans to remove parts of the greenwashing laws, passed in June last year, that are part of the Competition Act.

"These “greenwashing” provisions are creating investment uncertainty and having the opposite of the desired effect with some parties slowing or reversing efforts to protect the environment," the government said in the budget.

Specifically, the government says it plans to remove the rule that business environmental claims have to be backed up by internationally recognized methodology, as well as removing the option for third parties such as environmental groups to be able to challenge claims.

Many Canadians preparing to cut back on holiday spending: survey

The rising cost of living is expected to put a chill on holiday spending this year.

A new survey by insolvency firm Harris & Partners released Tuesday shows most respondents are preparing for a more modest Christmas.

Almost 72 per cent of the 1,820 Canadians surveyed by the company in November said they will cut back on Christmas spending this year and 85 per cent expect to set a strict budget for the holiday.

"For a large number of people, there is simply less financial flexibility available," CEO Josh Harris said in a news release. "Christmas remains an important time for connection and celebration, but this year it will look different for many households."