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A speech short on specifics
By Deveryn Ross 5 minute read PreviewA speech short on specifics
By Deveryn Ross 5 minute read Yesterday at 10:35 PM CDTDuring the years I worked for the Manitoba government, I had a hand in writing several of the premier’s “state of the province” speeches. There would be a speech each December for a Winnipeg audience, followed by a different speech to be delivered in Brandon each spring.
In almost every case, the content and themes of the speeches would be different, in that they focused somewhat on issues relevant to the communities where the speech was being delivered. An additional factor that impacted the content of those speeches was the reality that the Winnipeg speech was delivered when the provincial budget process was just beginning, while the Brandon speech was usually given after the new provincial budget had been tabled.
Despite the uniqueness of each “SOTP speech,” they would each contain two key components: a summary of where the province currently stood on a range of important issues (the provincial economy in particular), along with a glimpse of the government’s plans for the future. In simple terms, the objective was to give each audience a clear sense of where we are and a positive, perhaps even hopeful, vision of where we are going.
Those two components can be seen in the “state of the city” speech delivered this week by Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett to a Brandon Chamber of Commerce audience. During his presentation, he claimed that Brandon has added more than 400 new housing units and recorded approximately $150 million in construction activity this year, including $80 million in residential development. He emphasized that the city’s housing efforts require a mix of solutions, but added that the strong demand for entry-level and workforce housing means that “We can’t go fast enough.”
ReadBrandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett delivers a keynote address during the Brandon Chamber of Commerce’s State of the City luncheon at the Keystone Centre’s UCT Pavilion on Thursday. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)
New era of book clubs reshaping how we read
By Joanna Pozzulo 5 minute read PreviewNew era of book clubs reshaping how we read
By Joanna Pozzulo 5 minute read Yesterday at 10:37 PM CDTReading is experiencing a resurgence among Gen Z and millennials, many of whom are actively seeking alternatives to “doomscrolling” and the mental fatigue associated with constant social media use.
In North America, an estimated 57 to 61 per cent of Gen Z and millennials identify as readers, averaging 3.5 to 4.5 books per year, with a preference for physical books. Younger readers are also more likely to purchase books in a bookstore and be active library users, which is notable in an era dominated by digital media.
Although reading is often viewed as a solitary activity, it can also foster meaningful connections with others. Participation in a reading community can reduce social isolation, alleviate loneliness and increase a sense of belonging and connectedness — something younger generations report struggling with.
Book clubs can serve as a natural extension for those seeking the benefits of reading and community. Among younger adults, interest in book clubs is growing: about 21 per cent of Gen Z and 29 per cent of millennials report belonging to one, but they’re putting their own spin on them.
ReadAt a March 2024 meeting of the Silent Book Club’s Minneapolis chapter, two dozen people gathered at Cream & Amber in Hopkins, Minn., to quietly read books of their own choosing. (Tribune News Service files)
Kids must be protected from online dangers
4 minute read PreviewKids must be protected from online dangers
4 minute read Yesterday at 10:35 PM CDTAfter delegates to last weekend’s Liberal Party national convention passed a resolution calling on the federal government to ban social media use for children under the age of 16, it was reported earlier this week that the government is very seriously considering the implementation of such a ban.
Federal Culture Minister Marc Miller told reporters on Wednesday that the federal government plans to introduce an online harms bill and is consulting with an expert advisory group on what specific measures should be included in the legislation. He emphasized that a ban could be an important tool, but that it would only be part of the solution to the problem.
“I do think it could be an important layer,” he said, “but it has to be seen as that and not as the answer to everything. Online harms don’t end as soon as you turn 15, or 16 or 17.”
Justice Minister Sean Fraser echoed Miller’s words, saying that a ban is one of several options the government is considering, “but we want to make sure that we have the full benefit of the deep policy advice from people whose full-time job it is to understand the consequences.”
ReadFederal Culture Minister Marc Miller has said the Liberal government is seriously considering an age restriction on social media access. (File)
Poilievre might want to take a political science course
By Tom Brodbeck 5 minute read PreviewPoilievre might want to take a political science course
By Tom Brodbeck 5 minute read Yesterday at 10:33 PM CDTIf you’re going to accuse a government of subverting democracy, it helps to understand how that democracy works.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and other critics are claiming the Liberals’ new majority (gained this week following wins in three byelections) is the result of “dirty backroom deals” — as though something improper or illegitimate has taken place.
It’s a compelling bit of political theatre. But it’s also wrong.
The core of the argument — that Canadians “didn’t vote for a majority government” in 2025 — is deeply flawed and reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of Canada’s parliamentary system.
ReadConservative Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks during question period on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday. (The Canadian Press)
A lethal situation that demands a response
4 minute read PreviewA lethal situation that demands a response
4 minute read Thursday, Apr. 16, 2026According to Health Canada data, opioid-related deaths across the country fell by a startling 26 per cent during the 12-month period ending in September 2025. That followed a 17 per cent drop from 2023 to 2024. The general trend in Canada mirrors what has happened in the United States, where overdose fatalities fell by approximately 17 per cent nationally between 2023 to 2024.
The steep decline in overdose deaths is good news, but scientists and policy-makers in both nations are struggling to identify the precise reasons why it is happening. For example, why did fewer deaths occur in some jurisdictions, but not others? Why were deaths down in the western half of Canada in 2024, yet higher in the eastern half?
Some experts suggest the overall decline is due to the greater availability of naloxone medication in many provinces, along with the increased presence of addiction and harm reduction services. Others speculate that users may be becoming more educated and careful in their usage of the drugs, reducing their risk of death. It is also possible that law enforcement’s stepped-up war on fentanyl has caused shortages of that drug, resulting in it being mixed with other less-lethal drugs, thus resulting in fewer deaths.
Each of those factors may have contributed to the overall drop in overdose-related deaths, but some experts also suggest that fatalities are down because many of the opioid drug users who were at the greatest risk of dying from overdoses have already died.
ReadFentanyl is displayed following arrests made in January 2024. Recent overdoses in Winnipeg are concerning and the option of calling a public health emergency should be considered. (Submitted)
Investing in Brandon’s future
4 minute read PreviewInvesting in Brandon’s future
4 minute read Thursday, Apr. 16, 2026As the MLA for Brandon East, I encourage Westman families to ignore the false claims of the opposition that Manitoba’s Budget 2026 has nothing for Brandon. Since 2023, the Manitoba government has reversed the cuts of the previous Progressive Conservative government and for the third year in a row is making historic investments in Westman.
The previous government never fulfilled its commitment to build new schools. Budget 2026, on the other hand, contains $118 million to build four schools, including a new school in southwest Brandon. There is also funding for a new Division Scolaire Franco-Manitobaine school in Brandon.
The new minor injury clinic in Brandon that our government opened has seen 12,648 visits between September 2024 and January of this year, but that’s just the beginning.
In 2026, we are continuing to reverse the PC cuts that devastated the health-care system. Budget 2026 includes $16.5 million for upgrades to the Brandon Regional Health Centre. This will expand critical care capacity through the addition of 30 new medicine beds, five enhanced critical care spaces and construction of a neonatal intensive care unit. Let’s not forget that the budget also includes $44.1 million for the Neepawa Regional Health Centre, ensuring that Westman families have more options for urgent care. We are backing up our plan with action.
ReadBrandon East NDP MLA and Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Glen Simard says that this year’s provincial budget continues a trend of the NDP government “making historic investments in Westman.” (Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun files)
Canada urgently requires civilian defence strategy
By William Michael Carter 5 minute read PreviewCanada urgently requires civilian defence strategy
By William Michael Carter 5 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 15, 2026On April 9, 1917, my great-grandfather, A. Harold Carter, was a 16-year-old underage Canadian Expeditionary Force soldier from the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles, 8th Brigade, 3rd Division.
At 5:30 a.m., he went over the trench at Vimy Ridge. He was a scrawny, five-foot-four kid from London, Ont., who defied his mother and signed up two years earlier at age 14. He survived.
Almost 109 years after the war that was to end all wars, Canada must once again consider training its citizens, as it did my great-grandfather, for a potential global conflict.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first mandate letter in May 2025, a month after his election, clearly prioritized Canada’s industrial, military and civilian global sovereignty as a key pillar of his new government.
ReadPrime Minister Mark Carney meets with members of the Canadian Rangers in Iqaluit, Nunavut, in 2025. There are roughly 5,000 Canadian Rangers, part of the Canadian Armed Forces, who provide a paramilitary presence in the North and in other remote areas. (The Canadian Press)
Manitobans deserve some answers on nurse practitioners
4 minute read PreviewManitobans deserve some answers on nurse practitioners
4 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 15, 2026With every region of Canada suffering from a doctor shortage, nurse practitioners are viewed by many as part of the solution to the problem. They are a category of nurses who have additional education and nursing experience, which enables them to autonomously diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, prescribe medications and perform certain medical procedures.
They can play an important role in ensuring patients don’t fall through the gaps, and that is why the federal government directed in January of last year that Canada’s provincial and territorial health plans start covering the services of NPs, pharmacists and midwives who provide primary care to patients. Mark Holland, who was the federal health minister at the time, explained that he was “deeply concerned” about patients being charged for public health care, adding “That certainly isn’t in the spirit of the Canada Health Act, and this interpretation letter shuts that down.”
He set an April 1, 2026 deadline for the direction to be implemented and warned the provinces and territories that it would be enforced via deductions from federal health transfer payments if patients continued to be charged for medically necessary care. That deadline has now passed, however, and the CBC reported on Tuesday that Manitoba’s nurse practitioners are still not being paid via the province’s health plan.
The report quotes Ashley Carruthers, CEO of the Nurse Practitioner Association of Manitoba, who says “It is unfortunate that the government does not value nurse practitioners to see or know that they have that ability to know where those gaps are and the services that they can provide for their patients.”
ReadUzoma Asagwara
Iran war brings cascade of losses
By Kawser Ahmed 6 minute read PreviewIran war brings cascade of losses
By Kawser Ahmed 6 minute read Tuesday, Apr. 14, 2026Every ceasefire is haunted by the same question: will it live up to the promise of peace? The United States and Iran could apparently only focus on their disagreements during peace talks in Islamabad, with negotiations led by U.S. Vice-President JD Vance failing to result in a deal.
Experts speculated that Iran’s 10-point peace proposals and the U.S. 15-point plan were too far apart to lead to consensus.
This is perhaps unsurprising. Between 1945 and 2009, a survey of peace treaties suggests that fewer than half of all countries that experienced armed conflict managed to avoid falling back into violence.
DIM PROSPECTS FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE
ReadSmoke rises behind palm trees and a McDonald's "Golden Arches" logo from the site of an Israeli airstrike near the Lebanese city of Tyre on Tuesday. Peace scholar Kawser Ahmed describes the current conflict in the Middle East as one of the most disheartening moments he's ever witnessed. (Tribune News Service)
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