Latest news with #Winnipeg-based
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Great-West Lifeco says Q2 net earnings down 11% but base earnings hit record high
WINNIPEG – Great-West Lifeco Inc. says its second-quarter net earnings dropped 11 per cent from a year ago but its base earnings reached a record high. The Winnipeg-based insurance company says its net earnings for the period ended June 30 amounted to $894 million while its base earnings totalled more than $1.1 billion. Its net earnings from continued operations linked to Canada reached $255 million compared with $373 million a year before. By comparison, the U.S. part of its business had net earnings from continued operations of $305 million compared with $281 million a year prior. The European portion totalled $126 million compared with $231 million a year before. The results came as Great-West Lifeco approved a quarterly dividend of 61 cents per share. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 6, 2025. Companies in this story: (TSX:GWO)
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Some southern Manitoba households ignored public health measles directives, documents reveal
Public health officials are up against brazen rebellion as they tackle a recent resurgence in measles. Newly released government documents shed light on the challenges related to limiting the spread of the highly infectious disease in Manitoba. Southern Health-Santé Sud has advised that area households are ignoring public health directives, as per a series of May briefings obtained by the Free Press via a freedom of information request. 'Some affected families are allowing their unimmunized, asymptomatic children who are household contacts to cases to attend school,' they each state. Seven public schools — elementary buildings in Gretna, Dugald, Plum Coulee, Grunthal (Green Valley School) and Schanzenfeld (both Prairie Dale and Southwood schools), as well as Lorette Collegiate, a Grades 9-12 school just south of Winnipeg — were exposure sites in the spring. Three others were alerted about measles activity due to overlapping school bus routes. A Winnipeg-based home school was also affected by a positive case. Unvaccinated close contacts are supposed to isolate for up to 21 days. Bioethicist Arthur Schafer said vaccine hesitancy was 'aggravated' by COVID-19 pandemic-related backlash against public health mandates and misinformation lumping all shots together. 'Whatever they think of the COVID vaccine, the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine is proven safe and effective and it really is a moral obligation of parents to protect our children and to protect the community,' said the founding director of the University of Manitoba's Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics. The rate of children who have received the MMR vaccine, which has proven to be about 97 per cent effective, is trending downwards in Manitoba. The latest available uptake data shows 65 per cent of seven-year-olds had MMR coverage in 2023. That figure was 74 per cent in 2020, the same as it was a decade ago. Schafer noted the few individuals who do contract the virus despite being immunized almost always have milder symptoms and are less infectious. As far as he is concerned, the province is overdue for launching a public health campaign that touts the effectiveness of the MMR vaccine. A total of 165 confirmed patients with measles — for which there is no cure — have been identified in Manitoba since the start of 2025. There were 10 additional 'probable' cases at the end of July. Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said it's troubling whenever residents ignore public health guidance, providing evidence that more work is required on the part of the province. 'We are in an era of misinformation and disinformation and we have to work really hard to make sure that people have accurate, science-based information to make the most informed health decisions for themselves and their families,' Asagwara said. The public service informed the minister's office in a June 2 measles update that it had identified an event in southern Manitoba with 'high potential' to be a super-spreader situation. 'Public Health is monitoring but does not anticipate significant co-operation from the group on contacts of the case,' the internal briefing said. Asagwara, a former nurse, said public health officials are already doing outreach to build trust with families and distributing educational materials on vaccines. Letters outlining the current outbreak and tips to protect families have been written in English, French and Low German. In the wake of reports that close contacts were flouting isolation requirements, Southern Health-Santé Sud drafted a reminder to improve compliance in the region. The followup advised recipients about the severity of measles, particularly for high-risk patients, and urged them to protect their communities. Most patients recover from measles within several weeks, but an infection can lead to an ear infection, pneumonia, seizures, brain damage or death. The disease is particularly deadly for children. Wednesdays A weekly dispatch from the head of the Free Press newsroom. Manitoba's largest hospital began actively screening visitors for measles, which typically presents as a red, blotchy rash, earlier this summer. Signage has also been posted across the Health Sciences Centre campus. The extra step is taking place via intercom and at reception desks inside the women's and children's hospitals, neonatal intensive care unit and outpatient clinics, among other sites. Asked about those changes, which went into effect on July 7, a spokesperson for Doctors Manitoba said they should be treated as 'a wake-up call for Manitobans.' – With files from Malak Abas Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie 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
02-08-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
La Barrière Park unveils new cricket pitches
All coaches, athletes and fans of one of the fastest growing sports in Manitoba were winners on Saturday at the unveiling of the province's 'epicentre of cricket.' La Barrière Park is now home to three regulation-sized cricket pitches, practice cages and shade structures. 'Sports like cricket bring so many people together. If you come to watch the play here you'll (hear many accents),' said Bhavana Bonde, a cricket enthusiast and landscape architect from Architecture49, the Winnipeg-based firm tasked with designing the project. MAGGIE MACINTOSH / FREE PRESS From left: Cricketers Milan Dave, 25, of Winnipeg, and Heaven Brar, a 32-year-old from Calgary, competed in a weekend tournament at La Barriere Park. Bonde said the park is being frequented by cricketers who are South Indian, Punjabi, Australian, Carribean Islanders and New Zealanders, among others. The community of local cricketers is far more organized and larger now than it was when she first moved to Canada from India more than 25 years ago. The Manitoba Cricket Association's registration has quadrupled over the last four years. Its 2025 roster includes 72 competitive teams, up from 18. Equipped with bats, balls and matching uniforms, competitors from across the Prairies descended on La Barrière Park, a 323-acre site just south of the Perimeter Highway, for a long-weekend tournament. The competition served as the backdrop for a ribbon-cutting ceremony that was interrupted, perhaps fittingly, when a cricket ball went astray. The City of Winnipeg and MCA co-hosted the grand opening; while the park is outside city limits, local councillors footed the majority of the $1.5-million construction project that began in 2018. Audience members were told a recent surge in newcomers from countries where cricket is a national sport is primarily driving its growth in Manitoba. At the same time, Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West) argued the ball-and-bat game is as much a part of Manitoba history as hockey. The North-West Cricket Club was founded in Manitoba in 1864, several years before Louis Riel is credited for launching the Red River Rebellion. Riel and other Métis leaders constructed a successful barrier — the namesake for the new cricket venue — in 1869 to protect their land from the government of the day. 'Cricket has been played in Manitoba now for over 150 years. Over 150 years!' Lukes told the grand opening of what she called 'the epicentre of cricket in Manitoba.' Multiple city councillors spoke about fielding complaints from residents about cricketers transforming parking lots into cricket pitches due to the lack of designated facilities for athletes. MAGGIE MACINTOSH / FREE PRESS La Barrière Park is now home to three regulation-sized cricket pitches, practice cages and shade structures. MCA president Paramjit Shahi said his goal is to develop a fourth pitch on the grounds of La Barrière Park and install an irrigation system, bleachers and floodlights. 'This is just a start,' Shahi said, adding he wants to bring in lighting so athletes can compete into the early hours of the morning. As is, it remains the biggest outdoor cricket facility in western Canada, he noted. Weekday Mornings A quick glance at the news for the upcoming day. There are currently outdoor fields in Assiniboine Park, the Maples and Waverley West. They host approximately 400 formal games every year, combined. MCA is actively lobbying politicians to support the development of a pitch in Portage la Prairie. Players from Winkler and Brandon currently drive to Winnipeg to play, Shahi said. 'This is one of the reasons I'm staying in Winnipeg,' said Milan Dave, a cricketer who is originally from India, gesturing to the new field he competed on Saturday. 'I've made so many friends — the (cricket) community is really good.' Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie 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
31-07-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Home care, transit update, nursing numbers, Samberg signs, advertising tech
Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter The Wrap Weekday Evenings Today's must-read stories and a roundup of the day's headlines, delivered every evening. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Home care, transit update, nursing numbers, Samberg signs, advertising tech Plus: Read to the end for a faithful friend who follows every fare Good evening. Here's a look at what our newsroom has been working on today: 'One commendation for every 100 complaints' Malak Abas: Transit overhaul's first month a bumpy ride Cut to late-night service main issue as councillors take riders' concerns, complaints to one of citywide bus system transformation's architects Read More 'Bickering about the numbers' Carol Sanders: Nurses union got wrong information from province: health minister 'Still much, much more work to do,' but number of net new hires at least 732, Asagwara says Read More 'There's no downside to it' Aaron Epp: Winnipeg-based TV ad delivery firm Taiv switches on at home A small gong sits in the middle of Taiv Inc.'s headquarters in Winnipeg's Exchange District office. Whenever there's an achievement to celebrate at the advertising technology company, staff pick up a mallet and strike it. Read More One last thing... The Associated Press: A rickshaw driver and his dog are winning hearts in Nepal's Kathmandu In the heart of Kathmandu's tourist hub, Thamel, Babu Tamang's rickshaw comes with an added twist: a wagging tale and tufts of orange and white fur that delight his passengers. Read More
Winnipeg Free Press
31-07-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Richardson Wealth agrees to move under iA Financial umbrella for $597M
Richardson Financial Group Limited is selling its wealth management arm to Quebec-based iA Financial Corp. Industry titan iA Financial said it'll purchase RF Capital Group — known as Richardson Wealth — for $597 million. By doing so, it'll add Richardson Wealth's more than $40 billion in assets under administration to its umbrella. Richardson Financial Group announced Monday its intention to vote in favour of the deal. The Winnipeg-based company holds approximately 44 per cent of RF Capital's shares. Public shareholders hold the latter 56 per cent. A vote will occur before year end, according to Dave Brown, chief executive of Richardson Capital Limited, Richardson Financial Group's private equity division. Regulatory approval is also needed. 'This is a very good home for our business,' Brown said. The Quebec firm will continue to operate Richardson Wealth as a standalone company, allowing teams to run their practices independently, Brown added. The Richardson family launched its wealth management subsidiary in 2003. Since then, the branch has grown to more than 900 employees and 23 offices across Canada. According to iA Financial, it has agreed to pay $20 per RF Capital share in cash — 107 per cent more than the closing price of $9.65 on July 25. The transaction includes a $370 million valuation for RF Capital's fully diluted equity and $227 million in financial obligations, including revolving debt and preferred shares. The Quebec business approached RF Capital; the latter company was not up for sale, Brown said. '(iA Financial) brings significant size, and they bring access for our investment advisors to a whole series of products that we wouldn't have had,' Brown said. 'It will be a very good marriage.' The transaction will bring iA Wealth's advisory network assets under administration to about $175 billion, the company's executive vice-president of wealth management said in a news release. The Richardson family is known for its role in Western Canada's grain industry. It established James Richardson & Sons in 1857 and has expanded across sectors including food processing, energy and real estate. 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.
