Latest news with #Ducharme
Winnipeg Free Press
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
All geared up for the Prairie Cup
Looking to try a new sport and inspired by friends who played, Jaden Loeppky started her lacrosse journey in 2023 at her high school, Dakota Collegiate. Now, just two years later, she'll be off to the Canada Summer Games in August with the Manitoba Girls' U17 team, as her progress parallels the increasing growth of lacrosse across Manitoba. But before that, Loeppky and her U17 squad, along with six other Manitoban teams, will take part in the Prairie Cup — a regional tournament that features teams from Alberta and Saskatchewan, and gives Manitoba the chance to showcase its lacrosse strength at home for the first time. SUPPLIED Jaden Leoppky and her U17 squad, along with six other Manitoban teams, will take part in the second annual Prairie Cup, hosted by the Keystone Centre in Brandon from July 18-20. Created just last year, the Prairie Cup is an annual tournament for U13 to U17 boys and girls that aims to give more competitive play for the smaller provinces. After the inaugural Prairie Cup was hosted in Saskatchewan last year, this year's edition will bring 24 teams and around 500 players to the Keystone Centre in Brandon from July 18-20. 'I'm excited that it's in Manitoba,' said Loeppky. 'Manitoba doesn't have a lot of major tournaments, so I'm excited to play, at, well, not home, but in Manitoba still.' The girls' U13 and U15 teams for Manitoba weren't around when Loeppky started lacrosse. It was only last year that Manitoba fielded the younger teams, reflecting the recent growth of girls participating in the sport. In 2019, there were just 21 girls playing lacrosse in Manitoba, but last year that number had grown to over 400. 'It's been really cool to see,' said Loeppky on the development of women's lacrosse in Manitoba. 'I started when it was still pretty new, like the first women's box lacrosse team was in 2022 at the Canada Summer Games. And so since it's only been really like three of four years since that began, there's just been so much growth.' Since starting out, Loeppky has been a member of the Manitoba U17 team starting in summer 2023, competed in national events like the 2024 Canadian Box Lacrosse Nationals and the 2024 Lacrosse Field Nationals, and officially joined the Canada Games training squad last fall. Shawna Ducharme, director-at-large of Grassroots and Outreach at Manitoba Lacrosse, says the Prairie Cup is a great way to increase exposure of the sport and provide more game experience for young players. 'That's ultimately what it gives us, is that higher-end game play,' said Ducharme. 'Which in Manitoba, in some divisions, we struggle to get more than one team… So, quite often, as an example, our U17 female team will play exhibition games against our U15 boys. So this helps a lot with playing in your own division and giving you exhibition games before you go to Nationals.' Ducharme hopes the Prairie Cup will be beneficial to the Westman area, which has around 200 players, and could inspire more young athletes in and around Brandon to pick up lacrosse. SUPPLIED In 2019, there were just 21 girls playing lacrosse in Manitoba, but last year that number had grown to over 400. 'Honestly, I think that anyone who has a passion for it can do so well, since it's still a developing program,' said Loeppky. 'I think what made me do well in the beginning was just how much I loved it. It was such a fast-paced sport and just creating relationships with my teammates was also something that made me interested in it.' Manitoba Lacrosse also hopes to continue building its women's programming, particularly through the Manitoba Herd Program, which focuses on female development and expanded this year to include both box and field lacrosse. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'It's been really heavy on the development of the box side of female lacrosse,' said Ducharme. 'This program has really helped us get young women, young athletes involved in the sport of lacrosse and playing against females as opposed to playing co-ed.' As a final tune-up before the Canada Games in St. John's, the Prairie Cup offers valuable experience for Manitoba's U17 teams, and Loeppky says strong team bonds — which also helped them earn silver at the 2025 Lobster Trap tournament in Halifax at the end of June — are one of their biggest strengths. 'The fact that since we've been playing for such a short amount of time and everyone's so passionate about it, having to take in all the information of learning a new sport in such a short amount of time, I think it just shows how much everyone just loves lacrosse,' said Loeppky. The Prairie Cup will have all three arenas in the Keystone Centre running at the same time with various games. Action starts at 8:30 a.m. on Friday and will run until 9:00 p.m.
Global News
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- Global News
Quebec government ‘reassigns' head of auto insurance board amid SAAQclic scandal
The Quebec government has reassigned the president and CEO of the province's auto insurance board. Éric Ducharme's dismissal from the top job was confirmed by a government source who was not authorized to speak publicly. Ducharme was appointed to the position in April 2023 to restore order at the auto board, which has been in crisis since the disastrous rollout of its new online platform. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy He is being dismissed in the middle of a public inquiry announced last spring after Quebec's auditor general revealed cost overruns of at least $500 million in the creation of the platform. Quebec's anticorruption squad conducted a search of the auto board's head office in June. Premier François Legault has refused to publicly reiterate his confidence in Ducharme in recent months, but had suggested he would wait for the report from the public inquiry before taking any action.
Winnipeg Free Press
24-05-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Spotlight on entrepreneurship inspiration
On a given day, Darion Ducharme might present to remote First Nations students: how do you create a budget? How do loans work? Elsewhere, Rayel Smoke could be dropping off Indigenized lawn games she created, while Emilie McKinney markets clothes and accessories her company manufactured. The Indigenous Chamber of Commerce Manitoba chose the three young entrepreneurs to spotlight during its 'Launching Success for Leaders of Tomorrow' luncheon, set for Thursday in Winnipeg. Ruth Bonneville / Free Press Darion Ducharme, founder of Teqare, and executive director Kendra Halabura at 201 Portage Ave. Ducharme will be a panelist at next week's Indigenous Chamber of Commerce luncheon. 'Our communities … we've been in survival mode for so long,' said Renee Greyeyes, chamber president. She's noticed a shift: many Indigenous youth are interested in entrepreneurship; First Nations councils are wanting community members to understand finances and how they can participate in Canada's economic system. The country's number of Indigenous entrepreneurs is expected to grow by 23 per cent over the next decade, a 2024 BDC report reads. The Indigenous population is the fastest growing within Canada. Still, the group is underrepresented in business ownership, the report notes. It's time for young Indigenous businesses to ink deals and inspire others, Greyeyes said. Aspiring entrepreneurs, banking institutions and non-Indigenous business owners are expected to attend Thursday's luncheon. Ducharme, Smoke and McKinney are slated to talk about their companies and experiences during a panel session. 'We want to inspire more and more entrepreneurs,' said Ducharme, 32. '(The) Indigenous people who follow their passions and think big — think bigger than maybe what their parents told them was possible.' He started Teqare in 2021. Previously, he'd managed cellphone stores for a decade; he wanted more time to help customers with issues they faced. A tipping point followed the 2019 death of his wife, due to cancer. 'When you're on your deathbed, you really ask yourself, 'Hey, did I walk my calling?'' Ducharme said. '(Her death) really set me on a path to … realize what really matters.' These last four years, Ducharme has grown a company delivering workshops on cybersecurity, scam prevention, financial literacy and city relocation skills. Groups book workshops that include presentations and workbooks. The company exploded last year after signing a deal with Manitoba First Nations SchoolNet, Ducharme said. This school year, Teqare staff have travelled to more than 60 First Nations in Manitoba and spoken in front of more than 5,000 students, Ducharme said. Financial literacy and city life skills — such as getting IDs and navigating public transit — are topics covered. Indigenous identity, culture and empowerment are woven into sessions. Ducharme said he feels Teqare is making a 'massive impact.' Rayel and Tannis Smoke, ages 31 and 41, respectively, launched Nina Waste Events last year. The sisters wanted to start their own business and began researching rentable wedding items. They found lawn games. '(We said), 'Hey, we can do something bigger with this,'' Rayel recalled. The Smokes built, sanded, painted, and lacquered their own lawn games with an Indigenous spin. The current favourite is Who Dis, a giant spin on classic board game Guess Who? The Smokes' games have landed in Winnipeg and First Nations like Sioux Valley, Bloodvein, Fisher River and Dakota Plains (their home community). They won the Manito Ahbee Pow Wow Pitch last weekend and will advance to a grand finale. Eventually, the sisters aim to add a digital photo booth, tents and cultural wedding décor to their rental options. 'I am just, every day, so excited,' Rayel Smoke said, adding she hopes her story will encourage luncheon attendees thinking about entrepreneurship. McKinney, founder of Anishinaabe Bimishimo Corp., will also be highlighted Thursday. The 23-year-old began by selling jingle cones (accessories used by some powwow dancers). She now ships to more than 100 stores. Her company manufactures bags and clothing. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. McKinney didn't respond to an interview request by print deadline; she'll talk about the impact of tariffs on her business during Thursday's panel, according to Greyeyes. 'Our young people … on stage are mentors for those that are going to come,' Greyeyes said. There's 'so much opportunity' for Indigenous people to run their own businesses, especially when it comes to supplying mining projects. Entrepreneurship — the draw of being your own boss, and not needing a university education — can get people involved in the economic system, Greyeyes added. The chamber is planning for 400 guests, though roughly 100 spots are still available. Seats cost $125 for members and $150 for non-members; tables are priced at $1,200. 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.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Palm Harbor WWII veteran finds comfort in new mission at 100 years old: ‘Life is golden'
The Brief O'Neil Ducharme, a 100-year-old World War II veteran, may be the first to tell you that the key to peaceful longevity is learning to let go. He was a Marine in the 6th Division when he was among the first Allied forces to invade Okinawa, Japan in May 1945, surviving the 22-day firefight of Sugar Loaf Hill. The World War II Museum in New Orleans estimates that less than .05% of the 16 million who fought in World War II are still alive. PALM HARBOR, Fla. - O'Neil Ducharme sits comfortably in his recliner, centered in his garage, as he stares out into the cul-de-sac in front of his home, surprised by how quickly time flies. "I just can't believe it's been 80 years since the end of the war," he said. "But, life is golden. It's beautiful at 100 years old – it gets better." MILITARY MAY: Heroes' Village bringing first-of-its-kind veteran housing to Sarasota The backstory Ducharme turned 100 years old in January and has spent a lot of time reflecting lately. Though, he may be the first to tell you that the key to peaceful longevity is learning to let go – starting, for him, with hellacious memories of fighting in Japan. "I just don't like to look back at the War due to the atrocities," he told FOX 13. He gets asked often, because he's one of the few still alive who was there. As a Marine in the 6th Division, Ducharme was among the first Allied forces to invade Okinawa, Japan in May 1945, surviving the brutal 22-day firefight of Sugar Loaf Hill. The key to survival meant rotating shifts. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube "You go up and spend four or five days [fighting], then you're relieved. You couldn't stand 22 days of that," he said while shaking his head. That's where Ducharme decided to let go of any selfishness, put down his weapon, and become a stretcher-bearer. He volunteered to go back into the firefight to retrieve his injured and fallen comrades. Dig deeper Today, he shrugs off any suggestions of heroism. "You have to keep going," he said, explaining how he suggested the stretcher teams have five members instead of four. "That's so we could always rotate one out and keep going." READ: Program gives Florida veterans a path to agriculture careers The Japanese would eventually surrender. Ducharme and his fellow Marines made history, becoming the first American troops to set foot on Japanese soil as occupiers in 3,000 years. He went on to serve in Guam, Guadalcanal and Korea with 16 others in his family members serving and thriving. "Not a single one of us ever came home with a scratch on us," he said. "Pretty amazing." Then, three years after the War ended, there she was – walking down the street in her Navy uniform. The woman who would change his life. "I said, 'oh my God, look at that woman,'" remembering how taken he was with her immediately. "Without thinking about it, I said 'I'm going to marry her.'" And he did. MORE: PTSD clinic offering Bay Area veterans support O'Neil and Patricia Ducharme were married on the Fourth of July in 1947. They shared 69 and a half years of love and laughter together until Patricia died in 2016. A part of O'Neil did too. Big picture view Depressed and detached for months, he described being "in the dumps" until a friend invited him to the airport. The Honor Guard of West Central Florida asked him to join them in welcoming veterans from a day-long trip to the war memorials in Washington, D.C. It was just what he needed. "Suddenly, my life turns back right-side up," Ducharme said with a warm smile. What they're saying It was, for him, a new love. A collective sharing of the welcome he never got all those years ago. "I felt like I [finally] came home," he said, tearing up. "I really never came home before that. Now, I'm home." READ: Tampa Bay's oldest living WWII veteran has died at 108: 'It's the greatest generation' Why you should care Ducharme is now forging new bonds with his military brethren as time closes in on them. The World War II Museum in New Orleans estimates that less than .05% of the 16 million who fought in World War II are still alive. An average of 131 die every day. Several close to Ducharme have passed recently. "This has been a very tough month for me right now, because I've lost five friends, all World War II veterans," he said with a tear in his eye. He never said letting go was easy. Today, five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren are his latest blessing and perhaps the best medicine yet for healing the heart of a selfless marine. For more on the Honor Flight of West Central Florida, click here. The Source The information in this story was gathered during an interview with World War II veteran O'Neil Ducharme. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app:Apple |Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Gulf Today
13-04-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
American businesses reeling from impact of Trump's tariffs
A toy store manager hit with daily price increase notifications. A lip balm manufacturer forecasts a $5 million jump in cost of goods. A concert venue impresario who saw a surprise price hike of $140,000 to install new seats in a performance hall. They are among a dozen business owners and managers who spoke with Reuters about the impact of President Donald Trump's tariff regime, providing an early idea of what many more Americans might expect, even as taxes on imports -– paid by US companies and often passed on to consumers – were partially paused for 90 days this week. The businesspeople expressed concern about continued economic turbulence. While announcing the 90-day tariff pause on dozens of countries, Trump ratcheted up tariffs on Chinese imports, raising them effectively to 145% when levies imposed earlier this year are taken in to account. He kept tariffs on imports from most other nations at 10% for 90 days, after whipsawing on trade taxes for the past week. Tariffs on Canada and Mexico remain at 25% for goods not covered by the region's existing trade deal. "We're constantly dealing with the uncertainty of the future and of our future supply chains," said Steve Shriver, the founder and CEO of Eco Lips, a Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based company that makes organic health and beauty products with ingredients sourced from more than 50 countries and sold in 40,000 stores nationwide. It has annual sales of around $30 million. On Wednesday, the day Trump announced the pause, Shriver sent a letter to 300 clients for whom Eco Lips manufactures products for their own labels, letting them know that prices will rise and that time frames for delivery will be pushed out. 90-day pause could become 10 days "I don't trust it. It's a 90-day pause. It could change again in 10 days," Shriver said. "There are still 10% tariffs across the board, and that's a substantial addition to our prices." Shriver forecast that his 12-month cost of goods could rise by $5 million, atop his typical $10 million annual outlay for, among other things, ingredients that cannot be grown in the US, such as vanilla, coconut oil and cacao. A $140,000 increase in costs – for concert hall seats In Denver, Colorado, Aisha Ahmad-Post, the executive director for the Newman Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Denver, has spent more than a year managing a major renovation – the replacement of all 971 chairs inside the June Swaner Gates Concert Hall. The Newman Center considered chairs from two US suppliers and one in Canada. One of the American makers was far over their budget and the other's chairs required the use of harsh dry-cleaning solvents as maintenance. In early 2024, Ahmad-Post ordered chairs from Montreal-based Ducharme for just over $560,000 and blacked out a six-week period of hosting any shows for installation in mid-July. On March 5, Ahmad-Post received a letter from Ducharme that it was required to comply with the new Trump trade taxes and "apply the corresponding tariffs to your project." At the time, those tariffs for Canada were at 25% – an increase in $140,000 for the Newman Center seat project, an unwelcome development for an institution still trying to rebuild its rainy day fund that was depleted by the COVID-19 pandemic. "The chairs are already in production, it's not like we can just pivot," Ahmad-Post said. "Now we're stuck trying to figure out how we'll pay for this." 'We're scrambling' Shriver and others said they have received price-increase notifications from suppliers and have already raised their own prices since Trump first started announcing tariffs last month to address what he said were unfair trade imbalances. Trump also has imposed tariffs in pursuit of goals that include keeping out migrants and illegal drugs and encouraging domestic manufacturing. Other businesspeople said they have cancelled purchase orders, halted expansion plans and delayed hiring. Paul Kusler's Into the Wind is a beloved Boulder, Colorado, kite and toy store that has been around for 45 years and has about $2.5 million in annual sales. Most of the goods Kusler sells are manufactured in China. "The tariffs on China are simply unworkable, it's a serious threat to our business," said Kusler, standing amid a sea of colourful kites, Frisbees, puppets, stuffed animals and every other toy imaginable. "We pay bills weekly. These price increases are happening now for items I already have in the door." Kusler said the increased prices he has seen have been between 7% and 10% – but those reflect the brief period that tariffs on China were at 34% following Trump's "Liberation Day" announcement of the trade taxes on April 2. Kusler thinks he can absorb around 3% of increased costs. He added that he has already seen and will continue to feel suppressed consumer demand amid economic turbulence. "People aren't going to buy toys if they are worried about prices rising for food and other staples," he said. Suing the government Emily Ley, the owner of Simplified, a Pensacola, Florida-based company that specialises in high-end office planners for women, said that since Trump announced tariffs on Chinese goods in 2017 during his first term, she has paid well over $1 million in trade taxes to the US government. She forecast that at the new tariff level for China, she will nearly match that $1 million within the next 12 months. Ley said she tried for years to have her goods manufactured in the US, but could find no way to do it and still make a profit. "This could put us under, put us out of business," she said. "We're scrambling right now over what to do." One thing Ley is doing: suing the US government, arguing the taxes unconstitutionally rely on statutes that have nothing to do with tariffs. Reuters
