Latest news with #Houde
Winnipeg Free Press
06-05-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Consular Corps of Manitoba expands leadership team with eye on trade
As Manitoba businesses look to export beyond the United States, a volunteer group acting as connective tissue between countries is ramping up activity. The Consular Corps of Manitoba recently expanded its leadership team and is preparing for a greater role in economic development. 'There are significant opportunities for Manitoba, and Canada, to do more trade,' said Philip Houde, the Consular Corps' new chair. 'A lot of people want to do business with us.' SUPPLIED Philip Houde, honorary consul for Morocco and new chair of the Consular Corps of Manitoba. Thirty-two countries have honorary (volunteer) or professional consuls in Manitoba. Their mandates vary: some stick to diplomatic assignments like answering questions about visas and travel; others have an eye on furthering trade within the province. Houde was tapped to become Morocco's honorary consul two years ago. He already had political connections; previously, he'd been Tory premier Brian Pallister's chief of staff. The Consular Corps of Manitoba announced Monday that Houde would take the leadership reins from Barry Rempel, honorary consul for South Korea (and former president of the Winnipeg Airports Authority). The organization's role of secretary-treasurer has been split into two — a secretary and a treasurer — as members expect to become more active in trade. 'Manitoba is as important as ever,' Houde said. 'It's a matter of how quickly can our government and … our industry respond.' Take Morocco: the country has a strong desire to boost trade with Manitoba, especially in agriculture stability, Houde said. The University of Manitoba inked a deal with Morocco's University Mohammed VI Polytechnic two years ago to collaboratively research agriculture, green energy and other fields of mutual interest. Houde, who acts as a Moroccan government representative, said the North African country views Canada as a reliable trading partner. 'I think you're going to see more Morocco … in Manitoba,' Houde said. 'You're going to see that from other nations as well.' He's meeting with the Business Council of Manitoba and other business-facing organizations next week to discuss honorary consuls' roles in addressing current 'economic challenges.' 'Any time you have the ability to directly introduce people and create relationships… that's a massive positive,' said Bram Strain, the Business Council's chief executive. Honorary consuls are 'well-connected.' They're often involved when a foreign ambassador, company or trade representative visits Manitoba, Strain said. Such visits are occurring more frequently, he added. Last month, a delegation of 19 European ambassadors visited Manitoba with an eye on trade. Many of Canada's trade agreements have been 'underutilized,' said Rempel. 'In a time where the global trade environment is somewhat unsettled, (these agreements) give us an instant opportunity, if we want to move on them.' He's clocked more interest to do business with South Korea. The East Asian country needs protein, steel and aluminum — all found in Manitoba. Rempel has been busy making connections. Recently, it meant linking Manitoba Trade Minister Jamie Moses with a consul general. A South Korean company wanting to expand into Canada may contact their country's ministry of foreign affairs. The ministry then taps Rempel to find the right contact. During his time as chair, Rempel oversaw bylaw changes allowing for more consul participation in economic development, including being more public about the organization's work. The Consular Corps of Manitoba began in 1960. Rempel chose to step away from his role as chair after two years, citing a desire for new leadership. 'We've got a good executive team now to take us through the next couple of years.' Not all consul-deploying countries will want to further Manitoba trade relations. Countries are more enthusiastic if they have existing trade agreements with Canada, Rempel said. The honorary consuls of Spain and the United Kingdom haven't yet seen a significant increase in trade talks, though both regions have signalled a desire for more business opportunities in Manitoba. 'We always try to keep our eyes and ears open,' said Dwight MacAulay, honorary consul for the U.K. MacAulay, the province's former chief of protocol, has been named vice-chair of the Consular Corps. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. 'We're all trying to work and give some thought as to how we might diversify the economy of Manitoba,' he said, reflecting on the consuls. Delegations from Morocco and Trinidad and Tobago are possibilities, their Manitoba consuls affirmed. 'The tariffs the U.S. government put in place will certainly impact the trading relations between Trinidad and the U.S.,' said Kris Ramchandar, the Caribbean country's honorary consul. Trinidad officials may look to Manitoba for food imports, among other items, he continued. He's mainly a diplomatic liaison, providing resource materials for Trinidadian diaspora. Visa-related questions have increased lately, he added. 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. 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CTV News
03-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Quebec man among first in Canada to receive lab-grown cell transplant for Type 1 diabetes
A Montrealer is the first in Quebec to receive lab-grown islet cells in a clinical trial aiming to reduce or eliminate insulin use for Type 1 diabetes. A 58-year-old Montrealer is the first patient in Quebec to receive a transplant of lab-grown cells to help treat his Type 1 diabetes — a milestone in an international clinical trial underway at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). Bruno Houde, who was diagnosed with the disease at age seven, said life with diabetes has felt like an endless battle. 'It's a nightmare because you're fighting something that just always sneaks up on you,' he said. 'You never win. You always end up losing.' People with diabetes, which affects more than 300,000 Canadians, must regularly monitor their blood sugar levels and take insulin daily. Poorly controlled glucose can lead to serious complications, and even death. Houde says that, thanks to this experimental procedure, his insulin dose dropped by 40 per cent since his transplant in November 2024. His doctors hope the injections could stop altogether as the cells continue maturing inside his body. Dr. Sara Meltzer, the trial's co-investigator and an endocrinologist at the MUHC, emphasized that this isn't a magic fix. The cells continue developing even after infusion, and the patient still has a critical role to play. 'These cells are not 100 per cent mature. They finish growing once they're in the patient,' she said. 'And that takes time.' The procedure involved a transplant of islet cells — tiny clusters within the pancreas that regulate blood sugar. Traditionally, those cells come from organ donors. In Houde's case, they were grown entirely in a lab from human stem cells. 'We're looking at the possibility of having an inexhaustible supply of these cells,' said Dr. Steven Paraskevas, the principal investigator of the trial and a transplant surgeon at the MUHC. 'That's incredibly exciting.' He said traditional islet transplants are limited by donor availability and the fact that only a fraction of transplanted cells tend to survive. Most patients need cells from two or more donors, added Dr. Paraskevas. With lab-grown cells, that barrier could disappear — though the treatment still requires immunosuppressive drugs to prevent rejection. According to Dr. Meltzer, Houde's commitment made him a strong candidate. 'He was really good at managing his diabetes with a huge amount of effort,' she said. Houde continues to undergo weekly follow-ups at the MUHC, a trek he always makes by bike. The trial requires long-term monitoring of up to five years to fully assess outcomes and potential side effects. The study is sponsored by U.S. pharmaceutical company Vertex, which announced encouraging preliminary results in June 2024. The full-dose treatment, given to a dozen patients at that point, showed promise in reducing or eliminating the need for external insulin. The MUHC is one of four sites in Canada and 30 worldwide participating in the trial. Health Canada and the FDA are watching closely, said Paraskevas. 'They need data to decide whether this product can become available to the general population of people with diabetes,' he said. 'We're still a few years away, but we're hoping it could be a real game-changer.' Quebec designated the MUHC in 2022 as the province's only centre for islet transplantation. While approval may still be years off, Houde said the changes he's already seen have transformed his life. 'The biggest difference is how I feel,' he said. 'I'm not afraid to do something because I might have a hypoglycemia. It's wonderful. It's just a miracle.'
Montreal Gazette
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Montreal Gazette
Even Pierre Houde is surprised by the Canadiens this season
The Corner Booth The Montreal Canadiens surprised just about everyone this year by making the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in four years, including legendary Habs play-by-play announcer Pierre Houde. But on this week's episode of The Corner Booth with hosts Aaron Rand and Bill Brownstein, back on home ice at Snowdon Deli, the French-language voice of the Habs on RDS since 1989 said the signs were there that this young team was primed to turn the corner. 'In the long run, I was a very strong believer in that team, very early in the process, including the captain and all those young players coming on board,' Houde said. He added that coach Martin St. Louis has played a major role in the Cinderella success of the rebuilding club. 'He was the perfect coach for the process to start with,' he said. The recipient of the Hockey Hall of Fame's 2024 Foster Hewitt Memorial Award is set to celebrate 50 years in broadcasting, and he shared a few stories with Rand and Brownstein this week, including how he almost became the first-ever Colorado Avalanche play-by-play announcer, and how his first English game — of only two he has ever done — was actually one of the most infamous in Canadiens history. He also talked about the pride he feels being 'the professor' to so many anglophone Habs fans, who credit Houde's calls with helping them learn French over the years. 'It's so heartwarming,' Houde said. 'I just love doing my job in the French language because I think there are so many opportunities to call the same play in various ways.'
