National – Brandon Sun

Progressive Conservative finance critic Lauren Stone says raising taxes for Manitoba’s wealthiest may scare them away. (Mikaela MacKenzie/Winnipeg Free Press files)

Province may target top earners, Kinew hints

By Carol Sanders 5 minute read Saturday, Mar. 7, 2026

WINNIPEG — Premier Wab Kinew’s suggestion that the provincial budget on March 24 may squeeze the “top one per cent” — the richest Manitobans — was met with both positive and negative responses Friday.

Kinew, who dropped the hint in a local radio interview without providing more details, wasn’t made available Friday to clarify who or how, “We’re going to have some help in the budget on the education property tax front, and we might be asking the top one per cent to help us out with that.”

The NDP government is staring down a $1.6-billion deficit while vowing to balance the province’s books in its first term. If the plan is to lean on some of Manitoba’s top earners, how big are those incomes, and will that drive those people away?

To get into Manitoba’s top one per cent of income earners in 2023 required an income of $235,100 or about $244,000 in inflation-adjusted terms, University of Manitoba economics professor Jesse Hajer said Friday.

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23 fishermen rescued when ice shelf broke from Georgian Bay shore: police

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

23 fishermen rescued when ice shelf broke from Georgian Bay shore: police

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 6:31 PM CDT

OWEN SOUND - Police said nearly two-dozen people who were fishing needed to be rescued when they became stranded on an ice shelf that broke from shore in Georgian Bay in southwestern Ontario on Sunday.

They said the ice drifted for about two kilometres and split into several sections, causing some people to become partially submerged in the icy water.

Const. Craig Soldan of the Huron County Ontario Provincial Police said in an interview on Sunday that just before noon, officers received a distress call from several stranded fishermen. He said 23 fishermen had gone out in several different groups earlier in the day, and the ice at that time was attached to shore.

They thought it was safe for fishing but at some point, Soldan said the ice separated from shore and drifted quickly out into the bay that's on Lake Huron.

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Updated: Yesterday at 6:31 PM CDT

Ontario Provincial Police officers and a helicopter are shown in this handout photo. Ontario police say 23 people needed to be rescued when they were stranded on an ice shelf in Georgian Bay. They say the ice drifted for about two kilometres and split into several sections, causing some people to become partially submerged in the icy water. CANADIAN PRESS/Handout-Ontario Provincial Police
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Federal Liberal government has proposed a debate on Iran war, House leader says

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Federal Liberal government has proposed a debate on Iran war, House leader says

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 9:48 PM CDT

OTTAWA - Liberal House leader Steven MacKinnon says Prime Minister Mark Carney's government has proposed to debate the turmoil in the Middle East on Monday evening, following a weekend meeting of ministers that discussed the issue.

Steven MacKinnon, who is also transport minister, said in a Sunday post on X the government has proposed to opposition parties that a debate on the hostilities in Iran and the impact for Canadians abroad be held in the House of Commons.

Media representatives for the NDP and Conservative parties did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday, and Carney's office didn't respond when asked if the prime minister would attend the debate.

The Prime Minister's Office said in a readout late Sunday that Carney convened the Incident Response Group with ministers and senior officials earlier in the day to discuss the ongoing hostilities.

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Updated: Yesterday at 9:48 PM CDT

Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons Steven MacKinnon rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

Damaging winds forecast for much of Alberta and parts of B.C. and Saskatchewan

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Damaging winds forecast for much of Alberta and parts of B.C. and Saskatchewan

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 3:48 PM CDT

EDMONTON - Environment Canada is warning residents in much of Alberta and southern Saskatchewan to secure loose objects and expect damage as strong winds whip through, while leaving thousands of residents in the dark.

The warnings are in place for most areas from the Alberta-U. S. boundary to Fort McMurray and southwestern Saskatchewan with wind speeds between 90 and 110 km/h before they ease off on Sunday evening.

Special weather statements for wind have been posted for southeastern B.C., although a stronger warning is up for the Fraser Valley where gusts could reach 90 km/h.

The weather agency says high-sided vehicles could be pushed around by the wind, and there could be damage to roofs, fences, tress and soft shelters.

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Updated: Yesterday at 3:48 PM CDT

A torn Canadian flag flies in the wind in High Level, Alta., Tuesday, March 8, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

‘Wine tonight?:’ Statistics Canada data shows liquor store sales down another year

Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

‘Wine tonight?:’ Statistics Canada data shows liquor store sales down another year

Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 10:40 PM CDT

Having alcohol in the home felt like an eternal struggle for Andrea Pain.

"I always (had) that dialogue with myself about, 'Am I going to have a glass of wine tonight?" the Burlington, Ont., resident said in a phone interview.

"'No, maybe I shouldn't, but I really want one.' And I would keep going back and forth."

Then, last year, an idea she had drained her mental turmoil.

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Updated: Yesterday at 10:40 PM CDT

Pedestrians pass a Beer Store on Gerrard Street in Toronto’s east end that is scheduled to close this fall, on Tuesday, August 19, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sammy Kogan

Mid-century modern airport lounge in central Newfoundland gets heritage designation

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Mid-century modern airport lounge in central Newfoundland gets heritage designation

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 3:00 PM CDT

GANDER -

The sprawling international lounge inside the Gander airport in central Newfoundland has been officially recognized as a heritage structure.

The Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador says the lounge, built in 1958, is a historic gem because it is a time capsule showcasing mid-century modern architecture and art.

“Officially opened by Queen Elizabeth in 1959, Gander Airport International Lounge was designed to reflect the height of modern luxury in air travel for its time,” the foundation says in its “statement of significance.”

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Updated: Yesterday at 3:00 PM CDT

The international lounge of Gander International Airport, in Gander, N.L., is shown on Friday, Nov. 15, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly

‘A threat to all’: Community leaders call for more support after synagogue shootings

Kathryn Mannie, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 3:25 PM CDT

TORONTO -

Jewish community leaders in Toronto are calling for more support after two Toronto-area synagogues were struck with gunfire this weekend.

Sara Lefton of the United Jewish Appeal Federation of Greater Toronto said the shootings represent "a threat to all," not just Jewish Canadians.

Standing in front of the Shaarei Shomayim synagogue with other Jewish leaders on Sunday, Lefton called on all levels of government to provide rapid funding to secure Toronto’s Jewish communities.

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Montreal police investigate the suspicious death of a man found downtown

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Preview

Montreal police investigate the suspicious death of a man found downtown

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Yesterday at 12:11 PM CDT

MONTREAL - A man died Sunday morning in hospital after a passerby found him lying on Sainte-Catherine Street East in downtown Montreal.

Police spokesperson Johany Charland says the man was discovered lying on the road near Fafard Street around 4:45 a.m. in critical condition.

Charland says the death is considered suspicious.

The causes and circumstances of the death are currently unknown.

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Yesterday at 12:11 PM CDT

A Montreal Police badge is shown during a news conference in Montreal, Monday, Oct. 7, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Ice ‘extremely unsafe,’ Hamilton police say after six end up in water

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Ice ‘extremely unsafe,’ Hamilton police say after six end up in water

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Yesterday at 11:19 AM CDT

HAMILTON - Police in Hamilton are warning of extremely unsafe ice conditions after two youths fell into the city's harbour and four more jumped in to save them.

Police say they were called Saturday after two people fell through the ice near the Pier 7 Boardwalk at the western edge of Lake Ontario.

When officers arrived, a bystander told them there were six people in the water, but all were safely pulled to shore by police.

One youth, who had been submerged briefly, was taken to hospital for assessment, while the others were assessed by paramedics at the scene.

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Yesterday at 11:19 AM CDT

People walk along the semi-frozen water by Sunnyside beach in Toronto, on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sammy Kogan

Prime Minister Carney announces three byelections for April 13

Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Prime Minister Carney announces three byelections for April 13

Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 3:26 PM CDT

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced three byelection for ridings in Ontario and Quebec which could result in the governing Liberals securing a razor-thin majority in the House of Commons.

A statement posted on the prime minister's website on Sunday says the votes will be cast on April 13 in the Toronto-area ridings of Scarborough Southwest and University-Rosedale and in the Montreal-area riding of Terrebonne.

The Supreme Court nullified the Liberal's one-vote federal election win in Terrebonne after the Bloc Québécois candidate challenged the results when a supporter complained she tried to vote by mail using a special ballot that wasn't counted.

Liberal Tatiana Auguste had been the member of Parliament since being declared the winner over Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, the Bloc Québécois candidate, until the Supreme Court invalidated the election last month.

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Updated: Yesterday at 3:26 PM CDT

Former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, centre, then-finance minister Chrystia Freeland, and Bill Blair, the former minister of defence speak at a news conference in Kyiv, Ukraine on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

The Honourable Rechie Valdez is set to lead Canada at the 70th session of the UNCSW

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

The Honourable Rechie Valdez is set to lead Canada at the 70th session of the UNCSW

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Yesterday at 5:00 AM CDT

OTTAWA - Valdez, Canada's Minister for Women and Gender Equality, will highlight Ottawa's commitment to gender equality and share best practices with international partners.

This year's priority theme for the session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women focuses on strengthening access to justice for women and girls through inclusive legal systems and the removal of discriminatory laws and barriers.

Valdez will also address progress on a review theme centred on women's participation in public life and eliminating violence against women and girls.

Canada's delegation includes federal parliamentarians, officials, provincial and territorial representatives, Indigenous leaders and civil society groups.

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Yesterday at 5:00 AM CDT

Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State for Small Business and Tourism Rechie Valdez participates in a family photo following a cabinet swearing in ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

Debate over a foreign spy service for Canada influenced by allies, money: study

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press 7 minute read Preview

Debate over a foreign spy service for Canada influenced by allies, money: study

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press 7 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 3:38 PM CDT

OTTAWA - The decades-long debate over whether Canada should create a CIA-style foreign spy agency has been coloured by pressure from allies, budgetary restraint and internal federal rivalries, a new study reveals.

Much of the discussion about Canada's foreign intelligence aspirations has taken place — fittingly perhaps, given the subject matter — in classified memos and behind closed doors in the halls of government.

"To spy, or not to spy," a new paper by researcher and former Canadian intelligence analyst Alan Barnes, draws on recently released archival records to trace the history of official thinking on the question from 1945 to 2007.

Ottawa's fractious relations with Washington over the last year have prompted fresh conversations about whether Canada should have its own intelligence service that dispatches people abroad to covertly gather political, military and economic information.

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Updated: Yesterday at 3:38 PM CDT

Former RCMP security service head John Starnes, who previously served in Canada's foreign ministry, leaves the Keable Commission hearings in Montreal, Que., Feb. 2, 1972. THE CANADIAN PRESS

Clock change marks progress for some Canadians, but is a pain for others

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Clock change marks progress for some Canadians, but is a pain for others

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Yesterday at 5:00 AM CDT

For some Canadians the twice-a-year changing of clocks is a welcome marker of progress through the seasons, but for many it's just a nuisance that comes with fatigue, confused pets and even safety issues.

Daylight time began at 2 a.m. today in all provinces that observe the practice, and clocks sprung ahead by one hour. Mobile phones make the advance automatically, as long as your phone is set for a region that makes the change.

Saskatchewan and Yukon don't observe a time change, and maintain permanent standard time.

Patricia Lakin-Thomas, a biology professor at York University, says the annual jump to daylight time has been known to increase car accidents, heart attacks and strokes.

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Yesterday at 5:00 AM CDT

A man rides his bike through an alley in the outskirts of Frankfurt, Germany, as the sun rises on Friday, April 4, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Michael Probst

CBSA puts pause on removing inadmissible people to Israel and Lebanon due to war

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Preview

CBSA puts pause on removing inadmissible people to Israel and Lebanon due to war

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Saturday, Mar. 7, 2026

The Canada Border Services Agency says it's putting a pause on removal orders to Lebanon and Israel due to the volatile situation in both countries.

The agency says the temporary halt, known as an Administrative Deferral of Removals, is put on countries that are unsafe due environmental disasters or violence.

The agency says the halt does not apply to individuals who are inadmissible on grounds of criminality, international or human rights violations, organized crime or security.

The Middle East has been in turmoil since the United States and Israel attacked Iran, and as Israel continues trading blows with the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah near the southern suburbs of Beirut.

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Saturday, Mar. 7, 2026

A Canada Border Services Agency patch is seen on the shoulder of a CBSA officer at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing in Niagara Falls, Ont., on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Ride-share drivers in Canada feel the sting at pump amid conflicts in Middle East

Nono Shen, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Ride-share drivers in Canada feel the sting at pump amid conflicts in Middle East

Nono Shen, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Saturday, Mar. 7, 2026

VANCOUVER - Ride-share drivers across Canada say the surging gas prices at the pump, tied to the escalating conflicts in the Middle East, are the final straw for them.

As the war in Iran, led by the U.S. and Israel, enters its second week, thousands of kilometres away from the tensions in Surrey, B.C., Kuljeet Singh is feeling the sting as he sees gas prices surge to $1.70 per litre, compared to about $1.10 per litre six years ago.

Prices jumped sharply over the past week, and that increase is making it even more difficult to make a living behind the wheel.

"My father is old. I have to take him to appointments. That's why I chose the flexible job. But now it's getting harder and harder," said Singh.

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Saturday, Mar. 7, 2026

A gas station north of Newcastle, Ont. display it's gasoline per litre prices as a customer finishes pumping gas on Wednesday, April 1, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Doug Ives

Child dead, 17 injured after school bus tips over in Quebec

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Child dead, 17 injured after school bus tips over in Quebec

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Saturday, Mar. 7, 2026

SAINTE-ROSE-DE-WATFORD, QUÉBEC - A child is dead, and 17 others were injured after a school bus carrying local children overturned Saturday morning in southeastern Quebec.

Provincial police said four people sustained serious injuries, including the bus driver, but none of the injuries were immediately life-threatening. Another 13 sustained minor injuries, police said.

The bus was carrying cadets, according to Samuel Poulin, the minister responsible for the Chaudière-Appalaches region.

Élyse Fortin Turgeon, a local resident who witnessed the crash, described the scene as “a horrible ordeal.” She said she was sitting at her kitchen table when she saw the bus flip and roll down the hill, hitting a large post near her neighbour’s property.

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Saturday, Mar. 7, 2026

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