Opinion

Opinion

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks during a news conference in Calgary, Alta., Friday, May 22, 2026.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Judges shouldn’t be easy pickings for premiers

4 minute read 12:29 AM CDT

Complaining about judges is like shooting fish in a barrel.

Politicians can trash judicial decisions and the judges who make them until the cows come home, knowing that, except for carefully-worded responses from bar associations and the like, there won’t be much in the way of a response.

Take Alberta Premier Danielle Smith: faced with a court decision saying that her government failed to properly consult with Indigenous groups about a separation referendum in Alberta, she simply announced “the ruling is incorrect in law and anti-democratic.”

Thank you for your insightful legal analysis, Premier Smith.

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Opinion

The Manitoba Progressive Conservative party has blocked Wally Daudrich from running to represent it in Turtle Mountain. Thomas Rempel-Ong suggests that, given Daudrich’s notorious comment about setting polar bears on homeless people, maybe the party simply felt it could do better. (Alex Lambert/The Brandon Sun files)

A PC member’s take on Daudrich’s disqualification

By Thomas Rempel-Ong 5 minute read Preview

A PC member’s take on Daudrich’s disqualification

By Thomas Rempel-Ong 5 minute read 12:26 AM CDT

Those who pay attention to Manitoba politics will no doubt be aware of a little dust-up happening within the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba. In short, the party has decided to prevent Wally Daudrich from seeking the party’s nomination in the constituency of Turtle Mountain, close to where he lives.

Many supporters of Daudrich have taken to social media to criticize the decision. After all, he has spent months campaigning for this nomination and has sold countless memberships, thereby bringing more members to the PC Party. A common question within these complaints is, “Why is the party blocking Daudrich from becoming a PC Party candidate in a seat he is likely to win?”

Well, allow me to speculate on what, to me, is an obvious issue for Daudrich, the PC Party of Manitoba, and conservative politics in Manitoba more generally.

In February 2025, I attended one of Daudrich’s “meet and greet” events to hear from him during the PC Party leadership race.

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12:26 AM CDT

Opinion

The aftermath of the 1917 Halifax ship explosion is shown in a file photo. The disaster is the subject of “The Great Halifax Explosion” by John U. Bacon, one of the summer reading books recommended by Zack Gross. (National Archives of Canada)

Some serious summer reading

By Zack Gross 4 minute read Preview

Some serious summer reading

By Zack Gross 4 minute read 12:28 AM CDT

Addiction is a serious issue here at home and around the world. In my case, thankfully, my addictions are to chocolate, coffee, ice cream and reading. I will admit that my doctor suggests that I go easier on the first three! Over the years, in this column, I’ve taken one early summer column to suggest some summer reading. People do read less, we are told, these days, although the publishing industry is booming. And for some people, summer is the time to get away from school and work and do some reading, while for others, summer is gardening, hiking and swimming time, and winter is when the reading gets done.

I’m going to suggest some more serious reading this time, although I’m happy to admit that I also read spy novels, murder mysteries and general fiction. In our household, we’ve read all the Louise Penny “Three Pines” mysteries and political dramas, all the quirky Anthony Horowitz murder stories, all the Tony & Ann Hillerman Navajo mysteries set in the American Southwest, and all the No. Ladies Detective Agency novels set in Botwsana by Alexander McCall Smith.

Here are three books that I’ve read in the past year that are historical, or historical fiction and connect in many ways to today’s headlines. For the person who is dedicated to “Canada First” and therefore reading about our country’s history and place in the world, I’d recommend “The Great Halifax Explosion” by John U. Bacon, which came out in 2017, a hundred years after that tragic event. En route to support allied troops fighting in the First World War, highly dangerous materials heading to Europe entered Halifax harbour on the Mont-Blanc.

This book is a page-turning account of the accidental and irresponsible factors that led up to a ship carrying six million pounds of explosives unleashing their fury and, as a fellow south of us likes to say, obliterating that city and its people. It is also a story of how the remaining population and those who came to aid them dealt with the situation in heroic ways. As a bonus, it tells us a lot about the experiences of Maritime Canadians fighting in Europe and about the history of Canadian-American relations up to that time.

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12:28 AM CDT

Opinion

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks during a news conference in Calgary on May 22. David McLaughlin points to Brexit as he warns Alberta about the economic drawbacks of separation. (The Canadian Press files)

Alberta separation no guarantee of success

By David McLaughlin 5 minute read Preview

Alberta separation no guarantee of success

By David McLaughlin 5 minute read Yesterday at 11:56 PM CDT

Alberta beware.

Ten years ago this month, the United Kingdom held its Brexit referendum. It voted by the narrowest of margins — 51.9 per cent to 48.1 per cent — to leave the European Union. The decade since has seen an economically stagnant Britain, struggling to regain lost financial ground. It has fallen behind its competitors in growth, trade and productivity.

The siren call of “freedom” proved sufficient for the Leave campaign to prevail. It has not proved sufficient to make Britain and its citizens richer and better off. Four different studies show the numbers and impacts. It’s not pretty.

The Office for Budget Responsibility, an independent government agency in the U.K., akin to Canada’s Parliamentary Budget Office, has conducted regular, updated analysis of Brexit’s impact on the British economy.

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Yesterday at 11:56 PM CDT

Opinion

The Neelin High School Journalism Team has published 33 columns and one letter to the editor this year. Graduating team members reflect on their time in high school. (Submitted)

Seniors reflect on high school transformations

6 minute read Preview

Seniors reflect on high school transformations

6 minute read Yesterday at 11:54 PM CDT

It’s been a year, and another wave of seniors are graduating, departing into the vast unknown that is adulthood. At the end of every school year, the graduating members of the journalism team come together to jointly reflect upon their high school journey. However, it’s a time for everyone, not just grads, to reflect upon how their high school experience has shaped their lives and perspectives. The following are the graduating Neelin Journalism Team members’ reflections.

GEORGIA FENG:

Whoever said that high school would go by fast must have never suffered through chemistry. While I’m only half joking, these past four long years will probably be one of the most influential times of my life, especially because of how hard it was. I started out partially regretting that I hadn’t chosen a different school, and I constantly worried about how inadequate my life was going to turn out because of it. I felt so confined in this new lifestyle because it didn’t live up to how high school was depicted in all the movies that I watched growing up. As classes got harder and harder as the years went on, I kept focusing on what was lacking and forgot to take the time to appreciate the value of what I did have. Now as I think back on my high school career, I realize how much I have grown as a person because of everything that I experienced and I’m incredibly grateful for all the friends and teachers that I’m so lucky to have met.

For me, the most important thing that I’ve gotten out of high school is my appreciation for thinking. In elementary school, my range of possibilities was so small, and I thought that everything had to go a certain way or else it wasn’t worth doing. Once I got to high school and I met so many amazing teachers and peers that have challenged my beliefs and provoked me to think deeply, I questioned how I was able to live so long being so close-minded. While living in our current society, where critical thinking is constantly being pushed to the side through the easy access to artificial intelligence, I realize how thankful I am to have expanded my perspective and learned to love thinking for myself. Forming our own opinions and living through different challenges is what makes us all unique, so even if my high school life wasn’t the picture-perfect version I had envisioned, I wouldn’t have wanted it to go any other way.

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Yesterday at 11:54 PM CDT

Opinion

Chamber could provide city with vision, energy

4 minute read Saturday, Jun. 13, 2026

The Brandon Chamber of Commerce, originally known as the Brandon Board of Trade, has existed since 1983. The Brandon Sun was a founding member then and, more than a century later, continues to be a member today.

Given that longstanding relationship, we welcome the appointment of IntriTech Digital Marketing CEO Emilio Brown as the chamber’s new president. He replaces outgoing president Jennifer Ludwig, who will remain as the president of Super Thrifty Drugs Canada.

Brown’s appointment is a positive reflection of the growing diversity and inclusiveness of Brandon’s business community, and of our city generally. He emigrated from Jamaica to Canada in 2014, founded his company in 2017 and serves as co-chair of the Westman Jamaican Community.

That background lends extra credibility to his commitment to foster an inclusive business community, which is reflected in his view that “When we bring more perspectives to the table, we make better decisions, we uncover opportunities that we may otherwise miss, we strengthen our collaboration, we build solutions that better reflect the realities that we are facing here in Brandon.”

Opinion

Emelio Brown, partner and CEO of IntriTech Marketing, speaks to Brandon’s business community at the Clarion Hotel, following his installation as president of the Brandon Chamber of Commerce on Thursday. (Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sunfn files)

Chamber could provide city with vision, energy

4 minute read Preview

Chamber could provide city with vision, energy

4 minute read Friday, Jun. 12, 2026

The Brandon Chamber of Commerce, originally known as the Brandon Board of Trade, has existed since 1883. The Brandon Sun was a founding member then and, more than a century later, continues to be a member today.

Given that longstanding relationship, we welcome the appointment of IntriTech Digital Marketing CEO Emilio Brown as the chamber’s new president. He replaces outgoing president Jennifer Ludwig, president of Super Thrifty Drugs Canada.

Brown’s appointment is a positive reflection of the growing diversity and inclusiveness of Brandon’s business community, and of our city generally. He emigrated from Jamaica to Canada in 2014, founded his company in 2017 and serves as co-chair of the Westman Jamaican Community.

That background lends extra credibility to his commitment to foster an inclusive business community, which is reflected in his view that “when we bring more perspectives to the table, we make better decisions, we uncover opportunities that we may otherwise miss, we strengthen our collaboration, we build solutions that better reflect the realities that we are facing here in Brandon.”

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Friday, Jun. 12, 2026

Opinion

Prime Minister Mark Carney makes a point as he answers a question from media during an event at a grocery store in Ottawa on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

What governments can learn about public grocery stores

By Jenelle Regnier-Davies, Pauline D. Cripps and Sara Edge 5 minute read Preview

What governments can learn about public grocery stores

By Jenelle Regnier-Davies, Pauline D. Cripps and Sara Edge 5 minute read Friday, Jun. 12, 2026

In March 2026, the Toronto city council approved a municipal grocery store pilot in four communities to address issues of food access and high food costs. The proposal is one of several recent responses to the growing push for “publicly owned and operated” grocery store alternatives.

Other notable examples include New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s plans for five municipal grocery stores during his election campaign. The idea has since spread north: NDP Leader Avi Lewis proposed a national strategy to bring public grocery stores to communities across Canada.

Supporters view public grocery stores as a solution to high grocery prices and corporate profiteering. Corporate food retail also contributes to unhealthy food environments and to Canadians’ growing food insecurity.

Critics believe governments will be unable to deliver on public grocery stores. They argue that municipalities have minimal supply-chain connections and experience in the food retail sector. Critics also cite cost concerns, including thin margins and a lack of government buying power. They question whether public stores can make food more affordable without large tax hikes for Canadians.

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Friday, Jun. 12, 2026

Opinion

“There needs to be a re-balancing of governance powers at city hall that corresponds with the law and respects the important role of city councillors,” Deveryn Ross writes. (The Brandon Sun files)

Re-balancing needed at city hall

By Deveryn Ross 5 minute read Preview

Re-balancing needed at city hall

By Deveryn Ross 5 minute read Friday, Jun. 12, 2026

In 2022, the Ontario government passed the “Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act.” The new law granted significant powers to the mayors of Toronto, Ottawa and other designated municipalities in that province, ostensibly for the purpose of speeding up the construction of housing and infrastructure. Last year, the law was expanded to apply to 216 Ontario municipalities, including all of Ontario’s major cities.

The “Strong Mayors” law shifted power away from Ontario city and municipal councils to mayors. For example, mayors in that province are now responsible for proposing the annual budget rather than city staff or the entire council. They also possess the authority to unilaterally hire and dismiss chief administrative officers and municipal department heads (other than police chiefs, fire chiefs, and auditors general).

Those same mayors can introduce and pass specific bylaws related to provincial priorities with the votes of just one-third of councillors. They also have the power to veto municipal bylaws that they believe will interfere with certain provincial priorities — a veto that can only be overridden by a two-thirds “supermajority” vote of councillors.

Unsurprisingly, there has been significant opposition to the Ontario approach. Many critics contend that the new measures are undemocratic, and argue that giving a mayor the power to ignore the will of city council creates an autocracy that undermines local democracy, transparency and public trust.

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Friday, Jun. 12, 2026

Opinion

A maple leaf is revealed in the stands as fans leave the stadium in Toronto following Friday’s FIFA World Cup soccer match between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Niigaan Sinclair writes that while the World Cup is estimated to cost Canadian taxpayers $1.066 billion to host 13 games over 38 days, a $10-million investment in preserving Indigenous languages will “pay off tenfold in building the cultural heritage of this country and saving the identities of Indigenous communities.” (The Canadian Press)

Importance of Indigenous languages outweighs World Cup

By Niigaan Sinclair 4 minute read Preview

Importance of Indigenous languages outweighs World Cup

By Niigaan Sinclair 4 minute read Friday, Jun. 12, 2026

Canada’s parliamentary budget officer says the FIFA World Cup is estimated to cost Canadian taxpayers $1.066 billion to host 13 games over 38 days.

That’s $82 million a game, or $28 million a day.

The majority of the funds will go toward operating the games, staging the venues and paying for security and services, like the RCMP.

About 12 per cent, or $126 million, will go to infrastructure primarily in two buildings: BMO Field in Toronto and BC Place in Vancouver.

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Friday, Jun. 12, 2026

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