Business – Brandon Sun

Premier of Manitoba Wab Kinew arrives for a First Ministers' Meeting in Ottawa, on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Northern trade corridor top of mind as Manitoba premier plans meeting with PM

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 6:27 PM CDT

WINNIPEG - Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew is planning to go to Ottawa next week for a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Kinew says it's part of a plan the two men have to meet roughly every three months, primarily to discuss the possibility of a northern trade corridor through the Port of Churchill on Hudson Bay.

The project recently made a list of projects being considered as “transformative” by the federal government.

Studies are underway to gauge private-sector interest and examine the use of icebreakers to extend the port's short shipping season.

Advertise With Us

Weather

Apr. 11, 12 PM: 9°c Cloudy with wind Apr. 11, 6 PM: 12°c Cloudy with wind

Brandon MB

-1°C, Clear

Full Forecast

Cash for canvas: Annual Calgary Stampede tarp auction sets record of $6.1M in bids

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Cash for canvas: Annual Calgary Stampede tarp auction sets record of $6.1M in bids

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Yesterday at 11:33 AM CDT

CALGARY - If you go by the Stampede chuckwagons, it appears Calgary’s economy is racing along nicely.

The Calgary Stampede canvas auction saw a record $6.1 million collected from sponsors, which is about $2 million higher than the year before.

The money secured partnerships for 27 drivers at this year’s Rangeland Derby during the Stampede, which begins July 3.

The top bid was $550,000 by Bar L5 Ranch for driver Rae Croteau Jr.

Read

Yesterday at 11:33 AM CDT

Drivers cross the finish line during chuckwagon racing action at the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alta., Saturday, July 8, 2023.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Jury reaches no verdict on first day deliberating at Live Nation ticket monopoly trial

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Jury reaches no verdict on first day deliberating at Live Nation ticket monopoly trial

The Associated Press 2 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 3:26 PM CDT

NEW YORK (AP) — A jury finished its first day of deliberations Friday without reaching a verdict in an antitrust case pitting 34 states against the concert giant Live Nation Entertainment.

The states argue in the civil case that the company and its ticketing arm, Ticketmaster, are monopolizing the industry and driving up prices to see live music.

Live Nation contends there is more competition than ever and the company plays fair amid a U.S. booming concert business.

Soon after starting deliberations, the jury in Manhattan federal court told the judge it wanted to review certain testimony given at the five-week trial. It later asked to see additional trial testimony, including from music industry experts. Deliberations resume Monday.

Read

Updated: Yesterday at 3:26 PM CDT

Michael Rapino, left, chief executive officer and president of Live Nation Entertainment Inc., arrives at Manhattan Federal court, Thursday, March 19, 2026 in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

Talk back: Tech deal promotes conversations between journalists and those who follow their stories

David Bauder, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Talk back: Tech deal promotes conversations between journalists and those who follow their stories

David Bauder, The Associated Press 4 minute read Yesterday at 7:02 AM CDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Environmentalist Christine Holland closely follows journalist Tiffany Higgins' stories from the Amazon River region, frequently sending her comments and questions. This week, Higgins responded to one message about her piece on the Brazilian arts community by sending Holland a lengthy personal video.

They've turned the usual one-way conversation between a journalist and consumer into a two-way one, and a deal announced Friday indicates that is much more likely to be happening in the future.

The New York-based news company Noosphere signed a multiyear licensing agreement with British broadcaster Sky News to make available its technology that facilitates such connections through an app. Sky immediately announced that it would begin experimenting with its usage for its defense and security experts, promising “a dedicated experience expressly designed for highly engaged audiences.”

The organizing principle of the whole thing: Give audiences access — not only to the news but to those who report it.

Read

Yesterday at 7:02 AM CDT

FILE - Jane Ferguson, founder of Noosphere, is photographed in the site's office, in New York, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

China’s K-pop worries: The reasons why a ban on Korean entertainment has lasted a decade

Ken Moritsugu And Juwon Park, The Associated Press 7 minute read Preview

China’s K-pop worries: The reasons why a ban on Korean entertainment has lasted a decade

Ken Moritsugu And Juwon Park, The Associated Press 7 minute read Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026

BEIJING (AP) — As mega K-pop group BTS returns to the stage after a hiatus of more than three years, one major market is conspicuously missing from its 12-month world tour: China.

The omission of one of the group's biggest fan bases comes as no surprise. In fact, just the opposite would have been huge news. China has blocked most South Korean entertainment since 2016 under an unofficial ban that also restricts movies and the country's popular TV dramas. For some Chinese, that means flying to Seoul to see their favorite groups perform — as many were expected to do for three shows opening the tour this week and weekend.

China has long used trade restrictions in geopolitical disputes. The trigger for the entertainment ban was a South Korean decision to allow the United States to deploy an anti-missile system on its soil. What sets the ban apart is how long it has lasted, something analysts attribute to government concern about the massive popularity of Korean music and videos. China is a robust defender of its own cultural products.

Rumblings that the ban could be eased — an expectation South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has publicly voiced as he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping seek to improve ties — have thrust it back into the news.

Read

Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026

Tian Xin, a BTS fan from Gansu province, China, poses for a photo with handheld fans featuring BTS member Jung Kook, ahead of BTS's comeback concert near Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, March 21, 2026. (AP Photo/ Juwon Park)

Dave Chappelle helps keep Ohio radio station rooted in hometown with restored building

Jonathan Landrum Jr., The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Dave Chappelle helps keep Ohio radio station rooted in hometown with restored building

Jonathan Landrum Jr., The Associated Press 4 minute read Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026

YELLOW SPRINGS, Ohio (AP) — Comedian Dave Chappelle stood on the front lawn of a newly restored 19th-century schoolhouse Thursday, joining neighbors and local officials as a small-town radio station secured its future in the community he calls home.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony marked two historic moments: Chappelle's restoration of the Union Schoolhouse and WYSO's relocation of its new broadcast facility inside it, bringing together distinct efforts to keep the station rooted in Yellow Springs at a time when local media outlets face mounting challenges.

“It’s like our lifeblood in the community,” Chappelle told The Associated Press about the station, recalling how its possible departure to nearby Dayton would have been “a crushing blow” for Yellow Springs.

More than 200 people gathered outside the former Union Schoolhouse, where Chappelle attended along with his wife, mother, station leaders and village officials, including Yellow Springs Mayor Steve McQueen and Dayton Mayor Shenise Turner-Sloss, to celebrate the opening the schoolhouse and the 68-year-old station into its next chapter.

Read

Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026

Comedian Dave Chappelle, center, takes part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new studio for WYSO Public Radio at a building in Yellow Springs, Ohio, on Thursday, April 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Jonathan Landrum)

Federal judge finds Pentagon is violating court order to restore access to reporters

Michael Kunzelman And David Bauder, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Federal judge finds Pentagon is violating court order to restore access to reporters

Michael Kunzelman And David Bauder, The Associated Press 4 minute read Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday ruled that the Defense Department is violating his earlier order to restore access to the Pentagon for reporters, a setback in the administration's efforts to impede the work of journalists.

U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman sided with The New York Times for the second time in a month. He had earlier said the Pentagon's new credential policy violated journalists’ constitutional rights to free speech and due process. On Thursday, he said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's team had tried to evade his March 20 ruling by putting in new rules that expel all reporters from the building unless guided by escorts.

“The department simply cannot reinstate an unlawful policy under the guise of taking ‘new’ action and expect the court to look the other way,” Friedman wrote.

Friedman had ordered Pentagon officials to reinstate the press credentials of seven Times reporters and stressed that his decision applies to “all regulated parties.” The Pentagon building serves as the headquarters for U.S. military operations.

Read

Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026

The Pentagon is seen from an airplane, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Learn more about Advertising solutions

Live Nation antitrust trial nears end as lawyer for 34 states labels the concerts giant a monopolist

Larry Neumeister, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Live Nation antitrust trial nears end as lawyer for 34 states labels the concerts giant a monopolist

Larry Neumeister, The Associated Press 3 minute read Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026

NEW YORK (AP) — A lawyer for 34 states suing Live Nation Entertainment tried to convince a jury Thursday during an antitrust trial ’s closing arguments that the company and its ticketing arm, Ticketmaster, are monopolizing the industry and driving up concert prices.

But a lawyer for Live Nation insisted in Manhattan federal court that there is more competition than ever and the company plays fair amid a booming concert business across America.

The attorney, David Marriott, said the states failed to prove that Live Nation had acted as a monopolist.

“They can’t, and they didn’t,” he said.

Read

Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026

Michael Rapino, chief executive officer of Live Nation Entertainment, leaves Manhattan federal court in New York, on Thursday, March 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

Average national asking rents fall to $2,008 after largest drop in five years: report

Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026

A new report says March featured the largest drop for average asking rents in Canada in nearly five years.

The latest monthly analysis from Rentals.ca and Urbanation, which is based on asking rents across the former’s listings network, said prices reached an average of $2,008, down 5.3 per cent from March 2025.

It marked the 18th consecutive month of year-over-year declines. Meanwhile, prices also fell 1.1 per cent on a month-over-month basis from February.

“The Canadian rental market downturn has deepened, with rents in March falling at their fastest pace since COVID,” said Urbanation president Shaun Hildebrand in a press release.

Official says construction of light-rail station to Montreal airport is on track

Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Official says construction of light-rail station to Montreal airport is on track

Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 8, 2026

MONTREAL -

Officials at Montreal-Trudeau International airport say a new $600-million light-rail station is still on track to be delivered next year.

Project director Steeve Bouffard says the REM station is about 80 per cent complete and remains on budget and on schedule despite challenges remaining to complete it.

Workers are concentrating on the walls and electrical system, as well as a signature architectural feature that will resemble an iceberg.

Read

Wednesday, Apr. 8, 2026

Construction workers are seen on the tracks on the platform level for the Reseau express metropolitain (REM) electric light rail system at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

Former commercial pilot Shaheer Cassim admits guilt in B.C. plane hijacking

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Former commercial pilot Shaheer Cassim admits guilt in B.C. plane hijacking

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 8, 2026

RICHMOND - Federal prosecutors say a British Columbia man has pleaded guilty to two terrorism offences after he stole a small plane on Vancouver Island last July, triggering a security incident at Vancouver airport that spurred Norad to scramble fighter jets.

The Public Prosecution Services of Canada says Shaheer Cassim pleaded guilty in a Richmond, B.C., court on Tuesday of charges of hijacking an aircraft and interfering with the operation of Vancouver International Airport.

The service says the charges "also constitute terrorist activities," according to Canada's Criminal Code, and Cassim is due back in court at the end of May to schedule a sentencing hearing.

Cassim posted on social media the day before the hijacking that he was a "messenger of Allah" sent to save humanity from climate change, and police said at the time that the accused had an "ideological motive"

Read

Wednesday, Apr. 8, 2026

A worker moves luggage trolleys outside Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Tax cuts not the only way to help Canadians as gas prices rise: economists

Craig Lord, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Tax cuts not the only way to help Canadians as gas prices rise: economists

Craig Lord, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 8, 2026

OTTAWA - The federal Conservatives are calling on Ottawa to return some of the revenue from higher gasoline prices to give Canadians a break at the pumps — but some economists say cutting gas taxes isn't the only way to deliver relief.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday the federal government is looking at ways to support Canadians as oil prices rise due to the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Oil prices have surged since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. The Canadian Automobile Association gas price tracker said on Wednesday prices across Canada averaged more than $1.82 per litre, up from about $1.32 a year ago and $1.52 on March 7.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre wrote a letter to Carney on Tuesday calling on the Liberals to suspend the federal fuel excise tax and the GST on gas and diesel, and to permanently eliminate the clean fuel standard and industrial carbon tax.

Read

Wednesday, Apr. 8, 2026

A person pumps gas in Montreal on Thursday, April 2, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

Deloitte sees Canada’s oilpatch as ripe for deals once turmoil blows over

Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Deloitte sees Canada’s oilpatch as ripe for deals once turmoil blows over

Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 8, 2026

CALGARY - It might be a busy market for mergers and acquisitions in Canada's oilpatch later this year, provided the geopolitical mayhem eases enough for buyers and sellers to find common ground on price, says a partner at consulting firm Deloitte.

In a report published Wednesday, Deloitte said deal activity seemed to be on the upswing heading into this year after a decade-long lull. But with the U.S.-Israel war on Iran shaking global oil markets, the outlook now is much more hazy.

"It's really hard for a deal to get done" with the US$115-a-barrel price West Texas Intermediate was hovering around earlier this week, said Andrew Botterill, partner for energy, resources and industrials at Deloitte Canada.

"Buyers and sellers are just too far apart."

Read

Wednesday, Apr. 8, 2026

Wudang, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker, fills up at an LNG Canada facility, in an aerial view, in Kitimat, B.C., on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

Union claims airlines are ‘flying the plane’ in Ottawa’s unpaid work probe

Craig Lord, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Union claims airlines are ‘flying the plane’ in Ottawa’s unpaid work probe

Craig Lord, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 8, 2026

OTTAWA - The Canadian Union of Public Employees says the federal government's probe into allegations of unpaid work in the airline sector is not taking workers' arguments seriously.

Ottawa launched an investigation of the sector in August 2025, when negotiations between Air Canada and the union representing its flight attendants boiled over into a strike that saw planes grounded as workers took to the picket lines.

Central to that work stoppage were allegations from the union that flight attendants are regularly subjected to unpaid work when aircraft are grounded.

In response, Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu asked her department to look into whether workers in the sector were being paid below a standard set by the federal minimum wage.

Read

Wednesday, Apr. 8, 2026

Unionized employees and supporters take part in a rally for Air Canada flight attendants on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew mentions possible gas-tax cut in question period

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew mentions possible gas-tax cut in question period

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Tuesday, Apr. 7, 2026

WINNIPEG - Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has told the legislature his government might cut the provincial fuel tax, but it's not clear how seriously he is considering it.

Kinew recently said his temporary, one-year suspension of the provincial fuel tax in 2024 was the most important thing ever done by a provincial government in Manitoba.

The comment was met with criticism from some who said governments have made other, more significant achievements in the province's history.

The NDP government brought back the fuel tax in 2025 at a reduced rate, and is facing calls from some people to cut the fuel tax again now that gas prices are rising sharply.

Read

Tuesday, Apr. 7, 2026

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew speaks with reporters before the First Ministers Meeting in Ottawa, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Federal government puts out $412.9 million to renew the Pacific Salmon Initiative

Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Federal government puts out $412.9 million to renew the Pacific Salmon Initiative

Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Tuesday, Apr. 7, 2026

The federal government is spending $412.9 million over five years to renew the Pacific Salmon Strategy in a plan to protect and rebuild wild populations.

Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson made the announcement in North Vancouver Tuesday, saying in a statement that the first five years of the initiative has shown what is possible when partners work together to restore habitat, expand hatchery programs, improve management and find new ways to protect vulnerable stocks.

"But the challenges facing wild Pacific salmon are far from over," Thompson said in the statement. "Through the renewed (salmon strategy), our government is committing to the next chapter of this work — one grounded in science, guided by Indigenous leadership, and driven by the shared responsibility to protect salmon for generations to come."

British Columbia's conservation groups say the funding announcement is welcome, but the money must be spent properly for "boots on the ground" to assess risks, especially those associated with potentially high-polluting major projects.

Read

Tuesday, Apr. 7, 2026

April 11, 2026

Notification Settings