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Get into some local listening - we celebrate Manitobans and lean into challenging conversations. Join homegrown host Marcy Markusa for a new episode every Friday that centres around one story from our province. Whether you hail from the oil patch in Virden or the wheat fields of the Red River Valley, if you fly home to Island Lake or you make music in Winnipeg - This is Manitoba is a podcast for you.
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Last week, Mélanie Joly, the federal industry minister, made a trip to Winnipeg after the prime minister announced Canada’s next defence industrial strategy. The $6.6 billion plan sets several targets for the country to achieve over the next decade, including buying and maintaining most of the military's equipment here in Canada. While she was here, Joly spoke about opportunities the new defence industrial strategy holds for the province to shift its economic fortunes and stand at the forefront of Canadian trade talks. Today we unpack her vision for Manitoba’s role in national industry, and Premier Wab Kinew provides an update on how the relationship with Ottawa is developing.
In February, Vale Base Metals announced the partial sale of a nickel mine in Thompson, Man., to three new partners.The new ownership group says it will invest up to $280 million in operations and keep the mine running long-term. The new owners say they plan to double production in the next five years.It's the latest development after years of uncertainty for the mine.This week, we look back at Vale's history in Thompson, why the news has residents feeling hopeful and why Premier Wab Kinew says this is the latest chapter in the growing good news story of northern Manitoba's role in securing a brighter economic future for Manitoba.
Over the last few years, Manitoba's hospitals have seen increased violence against doctors, nurses and other staff.It's a growing trend across the country, but in this province, it has triggered strong reaction from the Manitoba Nurses Union. Last week, union members voted to grey-list St. Boniface Hospital. It’s the third hospital to receive the undesirable classification after Thompson General Hospital in December and Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre in August.With mounting pressure and after a slew of violent incidents, the province introduced several measures to address health-care workers' concerns. One of those measures is a fleet of AI-powered weapon-detection scanners installed at public entrances at HSC.Within an eight-month period in 2025, the technology detected more than 1,500 potential weapons. This week, we look back at the violence and hear from the head of the nurses' union, who says the weapons detectors aren’t enough.
Winnipeg’s housing market broke records last summer, with the average price of a detached home passing $443,000.But as houses across Manitoba became more expensive, the national story was different. In January, the average home price in Toronto and Vancouver hit five-year lows.Today, we’re taking a look at why the local real estate market's been hot, how it compares to other Canadian cities, and whether it signals the end of an era for the concept of a starter home.
Cheaper milk, Crown Royal repartee with Doug Ford and strong words for U.S. President Donald Trump: There was no shortage of hot takes and social media moments from Premier Wab Kinew to kick off the new year.Today, we catch up with the premier on some of the big issues and challenges impacting life in Manitoba:Will interest from a potential investor in the Port of Churchill expansion project help take Kinew’s vision across the finish line?With hundreds of Steinbach residents denied relief funds after flooding last fall, what’s the bar for accessing disaster financial assistance?And could income tax offer a better way for cities to raise money?
Do you know how much your house is worth?Over the last few weeks, the City of Winnipeg mailed out 200,000 proposed property assessment letters for the 2027 tax year.Some residents say they’ve been caught off guard by big increases to the assessed value of their homes, saying they're concerned about potentially higher property taxes.Today, we unpack the high valuations, how the calculation is made and the process for contesting a city assessment, and hear what Winnipeggers think.
Earlier this month, the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives distanced themselves from board member Patrick Allard over social media comments he made after a woman was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.PC Leader Obby Khan denounced Allard's post and said his statements don't reflect the values of the PC Party. He also said Allard will not be a PC candidate in the upcoming election, and the party's board decided to suspend Allard's party membership and his position on the board.Allard condemned the move, saying the party is turning its back on its conservative base.Today, we hear from three different PC voters across the province. They share their thoughts on whether the move to suspend Allard was reasonable, and whether the party reflects their values anymore.
Flooded streets, stranded motorists, boil water advisories and directions to conserve water — Calgarians saw another catastrophic water main break late last month, the second in less than two years.Restrictions have now been lifted, but Calgary’s mayor says it’s a wake-up call, alerting the city that repairs to the aging infrastructure aren't adequate, and it’s time for a long-term solution.But underneath the streets of Winnipeg, there are many pipes of the same age and material as the one that broke in Calgary. So should we be worried? CBC’s Cameron MacLean explains how vulnerable our water system really is.
A proposal to impose a time limit for school drop-off and pickup zones has crossed its first hurdle.The plan came from Winnipeg city Coun. Markus Chambers, who says the "stop, drop and go" program will improve safety around elementary schools. The citywide standards would mean clearer signage, a one-minute time limit for parents and enforcement by the Winnipeg Police Service and Winnipeg Parking Authority.The public reaction to the proposal has been divided, but Chambers' motion has moved on from the Riel community committee to the Winnipeg public works committee for consideration.Today, we hear from parents, Chambers, the public and the principal of École Sage Creek Bonavista, which implemented its own pickup and drop-off plan to reduce traffic chaos before and after school.
In this special co-production episode, we're diving into life on the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border. While the two Prairie provinces have many things in common, there are differences. We speak with residents of Flin Flon about how living on the divide complicates everything from buying a vehicle to emergency response efforts. Then we hear from a woman in Creighton, Sask., who says inter-provincial gaps in health care failed her mother.
Manitoba’s health-care system has been strained for years. The median wait times at Winnipeg hospitals now regularly exceed 3.5 hours, according to data from the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. Waits for diagnostic testing and several key surgeries, including hip and knee operations, also rose this year, provincial data shows.But Premier Wab Kinew says he's confident a fix is just around the corner. In a year-end interview with CBC, Kinew was asked when his government will fix those long waits. He said that will happen in 2026.Provincial affairs reporter Ian Froese joins the show to tell us more about the interview, unpack whether this latest timeline is feasible and explain why health-care professionals say they have their doubts.
It’s been nearly a decade since Sio Silica staked its first claims in southern Manitoba.Initially, the Alberta-based company was searching for sand deposits as a source for the material used to facilitate oil extraction, which could then be sold to the oil and gas industry for fracking.What’s followed has been a long and winding saga for residents of southeastern Manitoba, Sio Silica executives and stakeholders –– and a battleground of political intrigue.CBC’s Bartley Kives joins the pod to take us through the evolution of Sio Silica’s plans, why residents are concerned, and the latest political turmoil that’s unfolded around the proposed resource-extraction project.
Food insecurity is growing in Manitoba. About 60,000 people across the province access food banks every month, according to new data from Manitoba Harvest.That represents a 150 per cent increase since 2020, and there are other notable trends. The latest numbers show that a third of people accessing food banks are employed, and more clients are families with children under the age of 18.This week, we put faces to the numbers in the 2025 Harvest Voices report, speaking to Manitobans about their experiences using the province’s food banks. We hear from Harvest president and CEO Vince Barletta about the latest data, and small business owner Miranda Mirlycourtois explains how she’s using social media to fight the stigma of being a food bank user.
The Winnipeg Parking Authority pitched a plan to city hall that would make it possible for the public to report illegally parked vehicles by submitting photos.It didn’t take long for city council to park the plan. The public works committee voted in favour of temporarily stopping the plan from being pursued further.Both councillors and the public expressed concern, saying it sounded like people were being encouraged to "snitch" on their neighbours, and they worried it would pit Winnipeggers against each other.It isn't the first time the city, or the province, has explored the option of asking Manitobans to report their neighbours for bad behaviour. We chart some of the more notable snitching schemes over the years, we hear from Len Eastoe, a former police officer and founder of Traffic Ticket Experts, about the flaws in this latest plan, and Arthur Schaefer, a University of Manitoba ethics expert, shares his take on why this pitch got people talking for all the wrong reasons.
Violence on public transit is on the rise across the country, a new investigation from CBC News and the Investigative Journalism Foundation found. In Winnipeg, the trend is stark: violent incidents on buses have increased over 280 per cent since 2018. The Amalgamated Transit Union has been sounding the alarm for months now. Despite new measures like protective shields for drivers and safety patrols, union president Chris Scott says much more needs to be done.
This month, the province laid out its plan for Manitoba in the speech from the throne.An end to mandatory overtime for nurses, a new fuel-generating system in Westman, Winnipeg’s first supervised consumption site and cheaper groceries –– we get more details from Premier Wab Kinew on some of the major promises he's made.
In October, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra announced it had reached an operating surplus for the first time in five years.It’s been a struggle for Manitoba arts organizations in the five years since the pandemic, many of whom have seen years of deficits, made programming changes, petitioned governments for more funding and appealed to audiences to come back.And finally, they’re starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel. WSO executive director Angela Birdsell talks about navigating post-pandemic challenges, while Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre artistic director Kelly Thornton explains how the organization is catering to audiences' changing needs.
Next week, a new bylaw goes into effect in Winnipeg that restricts where people can set up encampments. The tent cities have become more common in recent years as the number of people experiencing homelessness has surged. We hear from CBC’s Cameron MacLean, who spoke to people living in the camps, nearby neighbours and city officials to find out what these new rules could mean. Community reporter Jim Agapito checks in with Osborne Village residents about what they think of the new plan. Shauna MacKinnon, professor and chair in the department of urban and inner-city studies at the University of Winnipeg and a member of Manitoba's Right to Housing coalition, weighs in on why the plan is flawed and reflects the growing pressure on governments to deliver on promises that are difficult to keep.
Manitoba’s premier says the province is working on three megaprojects that will bring in a combined $30 billion of economic activity. Wab Kinew says that’s enough to transform the "have-not" province into a wealthy one.While one of those projects, Port of Churchill Plus, has already captured Prime Minister Mark Carney's attention, CBC’s Bartley Kives takes us through what the other two might be.Plus, the prime minister has highlighted the Port of Churchill as a potential nation-building project, but what will it take to make the vision a reality –– and what challenges lie ahead? Feiyue Wang, the director of the University of Manitoba's Churchill Marine Observatory and the Canada Research chair in arctic environmental chemistry, explains.
Advocates say early universal screening for learning disabilities could change lives — but teachers worry it may not be the best use of limited classroom resources. Host Marcy Markusa speaks with Karen Velthuys from the Learning Disabilities Association of Manitoba, Lillian Klausen, president of the Manitoba Teachers Society, and Melanie Rosenfelt, who talks about being diagnosed with two learning disabilities at age 43.
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