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Global News
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Jagmeet Singh seeks to hold Prairie seats as election campaign enters homestretch
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is spending some of the final days of the federal election campaign in NDP-held Prairie cities that could be under threat, as Winnipeg candidates debate the balance between free speech and religious freedom. Singh was campaigning Thursday in Winnipeg — where the party holds two seats – a day after visiting Edmonton, home to two other NDP MPs. Winnipeg polling firm Probe Research reported Thursday that the NDP has been trailing the Liberals and Conservatives in Winnipeg since February — but a recent recovery in the party's popularity could see it hold both seats in the city as well as a third seat in northern Manitoba. 'With the NDP at risk of losing many seats elsewhere, retaining a Manitoba beachhead could be very important as the party seeks to rebuild following a difficult campaign,' says the polling firm's analysis. Story continues below advertisement Singh sought to strike a positive tone Thursday, saying New Democrats have pushed for real change at the federal level. He cited the new dental care program and the completion of a pharmacare agreement with Manitoba in February which will see Ottawa pay for diabetes medication and contraceptives. 'These three New Democrats delivered far more than all the Conservative MPs in this province combined,' Singh told reporters. On a two-day campaign stop in Edmonton on Tuesday, Singh joined former Alberta NDP premier Rachel Notley to argue that Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservative government offers a preview of the sort of divisive, American-style politics the federal Conservatives would bring to Ottawa. On his Thursday stop in Winnipeg, Singh appeared alongside local candidate Jorge Requena Ramos, who has taken Liberal incumbent Ben Carr to task over calls for 'bubble zones' that would limit how close protests can come to sites like Jewish community centres and mosques. Story continues below advertisement The NDP supports these bubble zones and presented a successful House motion last November calling for 'protective bubble zones at places of worship' following heated protests over the Israel-Hamas war. But Ramos said these zones should not apply to sites that are being used for political speech. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy He was reacting to Carr saying it was inappropriate for supporters of Palestinian rights to protest on April 1 outside a Jewish community centre hosting a talk by two Israeli soldiers about their time in the Gaza Strip. 'I fully support bubble zones where they are necessary to protect our Charter rights. That includes the right to worship in a safe place of worship. I also believe in the freedom of peaceful expression, including outside a political event at a community centre,' Ramos wrote in a media statement. Ramos, along with the Winnipeg South Centre candidates from the Communist and Green parties, wrote a letter to Carr demanding he meet them publicly to clarify his stance on 'bubble zones.' The three were also named in flyers posted around the Winnipeg South Centre riding telling voters not to cast a ballot for Carr, accusing him of vocally opposing Palestine. The NDP says Ramos only learned of those flyers Thursday. Ramos took Carr to task for suggesting the April 1 protest was 'completely unacceptable' because it happened at a site housing a Jewish school and daycare. Story continues below advertisement Carr said he's open to a healthy debate on bubble zones but argued his opponents are 'conflating' reasonable limits on speech with an erosion of Charter rights. 'The point is that there are children who go to school and daycare, and to access community services in the building where the protest took place,' he said. 'And I think that it is reasonable to put protections in place to ensure that they are not subject to those demonstrations.' Carr said it was 'perplexing' that the NDP 'was choosing to align itself with the Communist Party of Canada, given what we know about the way that communist-led dictatorships around the world, throughout history, have treated freedom of expression,' Carr said. 'The irony is certainly not lost on me.' The NDP said it does not have control over who supports its positions. Singh, meanwhile, focused again on the U.S. on Thursday, saying health care, environmental regulations, labour and treaty rights must be kept off the table when new trade talks begin with Washington. He said the NDP will fight to protect these interests when trade negotiations between the new government and U.S. President Donald Trump's administration begin shortly after the election on Monday. Singh's late campaign message to Canadians is a call for more New Democrats in the House of Commons to pressure a Mark Carney-led Liberal government on progressive priorities. Story continues below advertisement The NDP leader has said Ottawa works best when one party doesn't hold all the power. –with files from The Canadian Press' David Baxter
CBC
25-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
U.S. visitors to Manitoba up in 1st quarter of 2025, bucking national trend: StatsCan
While the number of people visiting Canada from the U.S. declined earlier this year, Manitoba may be bucking that trend. According to Statistics Canada, in March, the number of U.S. trips to Canada by automobile was down by 10.6 per cent from the same month in 2024. Winnipeg is "not immune to global shifts," representatives of Economic Development Winnipeg told the city's finance committee last week. But new data from Statistics Canada shows that land border crossings into Manitoba increased by 7.6 per cent during the first quarter of 2025, compared to the January to March period last year. "Though nationally we're seeing a decline — I would say a stable decline — in U.S. visitation, in Manitoba we're not seeing the same impact, based on the most recent Statistics Canada data, by land crossing and also by air," Natalie Thiesen, vice-president of tourism with Economic Development Winnipeg, said in an interview Wednesday. Arrivals by air in Manitoba increased even more during the same period — by about 60 per cent, Thiesen said. That may be due partly to increased capacity from new flights coming online within the last year. The agency has heard concerns from some Americans who worried they won't be welcome if they come here, Thiesen said. Economic Development Winnipeg commissioned a poll by Probe Research, conducted from March 4 to 16, that suggests a strong majority of the 600 respondents said Manitobans should still warmly welcome Americans, Thiesen said. "So that's telling [about] our friendly Manitoba nature and Winnipeggers' willingness to welcome Americans to our jurisdiction, and they're an important piece of business to our visitor economy," said Thiesen. The head of the Manitoba Hotel Association says there are a number of big events planned this year, expected to draw large numbers of tourists. "So [we're] pretty optimistic for the year ahead. And yeah, we really haven't heard much or anything of large changes in U.S. demand in Winnipeg or Manitoba so far," said president and CEO Michael Juce. Tourism is a $1-billion industry in Winnipeg, and cross-border travel represents about 25 per cent of visitor expenditures in the city, said finance committee chair Coun. Jeff Browaty. Many Canadians are also looking at travel options within Canada rather than going to the U.S., and Winnipeg is attempting to capture some of that interest through a new tourism campaign touting the province's status as Canada's "middle child." Browaty said he believes the favourable exchange rate for the U.S. dollar in Canada may also serve as an enticement for American shoppers.
Winnipeg Free Press
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Sudden swing riding
In a snap election, with a handful of weeks for candidates to convince constituents, the tides can turn quickly, and what was once a safe riding can suddenly find itself back in play. A month ago, Kildonan-St. Paul may have seemed a safe bet for Conservative blue — incumbent Raquel Dancho, a career politician with name and face recognition after two terms in the riding, against accountant and political rookie Liberal Thomas Naaykens. Today, data suggests the riding may be a tossup. Probe Research partner Mary Agnes Welch described Kildonan-St. Paul as a possible 'sleeper' riding in a survey released earlier this week — that despite its history of voting in largely Conservative candidates. Alex Lambert / Free Press Kildonan-St. Paul Liberal candidate Thomas Naaykens (left) hands a campaign leaflet to voters Al Dennis (middle) and Wayne Dennis in the River East neighbourhood Wednesday. Dancho, who is running for a third time, isn't fazed. The 35 year old said her constituents are worried about issues deeper than the polls — most prominently, the rising cost of living — and want an experienced representative. 'My experience has served the community very well, and certainly, during this unsettling time, I get the feedback that people are looking for an experienced voice in Ottawa,' she told the Free Press. The Liberals clearly believe they have a chance. Less than a week before election day, Naaykens was joined on the campaign trail by federal Justice Minister Gary Anandasangaree. 'I believe that this riding is ready for change,' Anandasangaree said after giving a speech and taking photos with volunteers at Naaykens' campaign office on McLeod Avenue. Naaykens said the issue he's heard about most while door knocking is concern over which party leader is best suited to handle any coming threats from U.S. President Donald Trump amid the trade war coming from south of the border. He concedes he may not have Dancho's political experience — he worked as a financial analyst in the agriculture sector and was an officer in the Canadian Armed Forces before getting into politics — but suggested it could be a benefit in a riding looking for answers to those worries. '(Dancho) doesn't have that real-world experience, she never really had the private sector jobs where you gain that … she's had the opportunity to run in a couple campaigns where, for me, this is fresh,' Naaykens 36, said. 'But we do have a strong team that has kind of already been in place because they're very, very dedicated Liberals.' The riding was formed in 2004 from pieces of three surrounding areas, and was represented by Conservative Joy Smith from its inception until 2015. She was largely a single-issue MP, spending much of her time in Parliament fighting against sex trafficking. Liberal MaryAnn Mihychuk represented the area for one term during former prime minister Justin Trudeau's red wave in 2015, serving as the minister of employment, workforce development and labour for two years. Dancho has been the MP since 2019. The riding has gained constituents since the last federal election: a chunk of the Rural Municipality of Springfield, including Oakbank, is now part of Kildonan-St. Paul. The Conservative-leaning additions to the riding could enforce its status as a 'bedroom community' or a residential suburb without much by way of commercial or industrial spaces, said Kelly Saunders, an associate professor in political science at Brandon University. 'It is a suburban type of bedroom community riding. It has an urban, suburban feel, which is the type of area where Liberals have strength, but it has rural as well, which is why Tories have won there,' she said. 'It all depends on if the NDP vote continues to collapse. If the NDP had about 25 per cent like last time, it would be different, but if the NDP vote goes to the Liberals, it will really be in play.' NDP candidate Emily Clark ran for the first time in 2021 and received 23.5 per cent of the vote, six per cent less, or about 2,600 votes fewer than the second-place Liberal candidate at the time, Mary-Jane Bennett. Dancho took more than 40 per cent of votes cast in 2019 and 2021. Clark, an account management director for a medical education technology company, said progressive voters are worried about splitting the vote and opening the door for the Conservatives. She called it a 'frustrating' aspect of meeting voters at the doors, especially considering the Liberal party promised to abolish Canada's first-past-the post voting system in 2015. That promise was broken. Adrian Wyld / The Canadian Press files Conservative Raquel Dancho has been Kildonan-St. Paul MP since 2019. 'I'm hearing that a lot and, in fact, even sometimes in a sort of an apologetic kind of way, (voters are saying) 'I want to vote for you, I'm so worried about splitting the vote, but please put a sign on my lawn, I'll make a donation, but I might not be able to vote for you this time around,'' Clark, 37, said. 'It's difficult, and it's certainly frustrating.' Like Dancho, Clark said affordability concerns were what she was hearing most in the riding. Residents in the Seven Oaks neighbourhood told the Free Press they feel the same way. Mary Singh said she was undecided voter, but was leaning toward voting Conservative, in part because her concerns about the number of immigrants coming to Canada and the possible impact on the cost of living. 'I feel like (Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is) able to do a lot better than (Justin) Trudeau (did), according to what his plan is,' Singh, a 32-year-old donor technician, said. 'The housing crisis is higher now, compared to before, and it's also because a lot of people near me have a lot of demands on the housing and food and groceries.' Another undecided voter, 41-year-old software developer Matthew Klassen, said he will vote for either the Liberals or the NDP. He said the fact that he still hadn't seen the Conservative plan on Wednesday as well as the way Poilievre carries himself have made it impossible for him to vote Conservative. 'I don't like Pierre (Poilievre's) stance on a lot of things,' said Klassen. 'The way he's been talking, it's a lot of Trump-isms.' He said he's leaning more toward voting for the Liberals instead of the NDP, to avoid vote-splitting. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. Some had already gotten out and voted in advanced polls. Diane Cameron, a retired teacher in her 70s, said she voted for the Liberals because she, too, believes Poilievre is too closely aligned to Trump. 'Poilievre is a Trump ass-kisser,' she said. — with files from Kevin Rollason Malak AbasReporter Malak Abas is a city reporter at the Free Press. Born and raised in Winnipeg's North End, she led the campus paper at the University of Manitoba before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Malak. Every piece of reporting Malak 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
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Singh seeks to hold Prairie seats as election day nears
OTTAWA – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is spending some of the final days of the federal election campaign in Prairie cities where he's hoping to hang on to seats that could be under threat. Singh was campaigning Thursday in Winnipeg — where the party holds two seats — a day after visiting Edmonton, home to two other NDP MPs. Winnipeg polling firm Probe Research reported Thursday that the NDP has been trailing the Liberals and Conservatives in Winnipeg since February — but a recent recovery in their popularity could see them hold both seats in the city as well as a third seat in northern Manitoba. 'With the NDP at risk of losing many seats elsewhere, retaining a Manitoba beachhead could be very important as the party seeks to rebuild following a difficult campaign,' says the polling firm's analysis. Singh sought to strike a positive tone Thursday, saying New Democrats have pushed for real change at the federal level. He cited the new dental care program and the completion of a pharmacare agreement with Manitoba in February which will see Ottawa pay for diabetes medication and contraceptives. 'These three New Democrats delivered far more than all the Conservative MPs in this province combined,' Singh told reporters. On a two-day campaign stop in Edmonton on Tuesday, Singh joined former Alberta NDP premier Rachel Notley to argue that Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservative government offers a preview of the sort of divisive, American-style politics the federal Conservatives would bring to Ottawa. Singh focused again on the U.S. on Thursday, saying health care, environmental regulations, labour and treaty rights must be kept off the table when new trade talks begin with Washington. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. He said the NDP will fight to protect these interests when trade negotiations between the new government and U.S. President Donald Trump's administration begin shortly after the election on Monday. Singh's late campaign message to Canadians is a call for more New Democrats in the House of Commons to pressure a Mark Carney-led Liberal government on progressive priorities. The NDP leader has said Ottawa works best when one party doesn't hold all the power. The Singh campaign is expected to return to Toronto Thursday evening, with four days remaining until the election. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2025.
CBC
18-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
'Buy Canadian' campaign resonates with Manitobans as U.S. tariffs loom: online survey
Social Sharing Manitobans are changing their buying habits and travel plans as the threat of a trade war with the United States looms, an online survey suggests. The Probe Research s urvey, conducted from Feb. 3-6, focused on 600 adults living in Manitoba who were members of the company's propriety panel or another national online panel. Because an online panel is a non-probability sample, no margin of error can be ascribed, Probe Research says. Minor demographic information was applied to the sample to reflect the province's population. Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump signed orders imposing 25 per cent tariffs on both steel and aluminum entering the U.S — on top of the economy-wide 25 per cent tariff — that are scheduled to take effect March 12. After Trump's initial tariff threat of economy-wide of 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian products beginning on Feb. 1 (he paused implementation until March) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canadian premiers launched a "Buy Canadian" campaign to support domestic businesses and products. The campaign has rippled across the country, prompting shoppers to pay more attention to the source of their groceries. Apps to make buying Canadian easier pop up in patriotism push 4 days ago Duration 2:00 The survey says respondents living in Winnipeg and those with higher formal education were more than 85 per cent likely to "essentially boycott" American products as compared with just under 60 per cent of rural or northern respondents. Almost 90 per cent of people over the age of 55 — comprising three-quarters of the total respondents — were more likely to stop buying U.S. made products, the survey found. People aged 55 and older who took the survey and those who lived in Winnipeg were found to more likely put off plans to travel to the U.S. That's compared with just over half of respondents between the age of 35-54 who say they would postpone or cancel a trip. Overall, more than six in 10 people surveyed indicated they had cancelled vacation plans in the U.S., with women 10 per cent more likely to have decided against or cancelled a trip than men. 'We're not going to America': Canadians boycott U.S. over Trump threats 4 days ago Duration 2:40 NDP and Liberal supporters surveyed are more likely to boycott U.S. goods and travel than Conservative supporters, the survey found. Among federal Liberal supporters surveyed, more than 90 per cent said they have cancelled or decided against a trip to the U.S. in the next six months as compared with about one third of Conservative respondents. Many 'somewhat confident' in Kinew's approach When it comes to regional approaches, the survey found six in 10 respondents were "somewhat confident" in Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew's abilities to handle tariffs should they be implemented. NDP and Liberal supporters were found to be 89 per cent more likely to have confidence in Kinew, while a third of respondents who support the provincial Progressive Conservatives expressed trust in Kinew's approach.
