"When we got to the border, the customs officer said, ‘Where are you ladies going?’ and we said, ‘the Grand Ole Opry.’” That’s country music superstar Terri Clark describing her move to Nashville in the mid 1990s.

Hamilton’s Red Hill Business Parks welcomed the latest addition with the groundbreaking ceremony for IKEA Canada’s future Customer Distribution Centre (CDC) and Collection point. The new 483,285-square-foot facility at 212 Glover Road is part of IKEA’s ambitious $400 million investment to make accessing IKEA products more affordable and convenient for consumers.

The new Hamilton CDC will play a crucial role in IKEA’s fulfilment network, ensuring products are readily available and delivery times are short. The facility will feature a collection point where customers can pick up their IKEA orders, catering to the needs of those living in the Greater Hamilton Area. While immediate takeaway of IKEA products or food won’t be available, the CDC will make it convenient for customers to pick up their purchases.

“This expansion is a testament to our commitment to becoming more accessible, affordable, and sustainable for our customers,” said Selwyn Crittendon, CEO & Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA Canada. “The groundbreaking of our new Customer Distribution Centre and Collection point in Hamilton marks a major milestone in our journey to enhance the omnichannel shopping experience and better serve the needs and dreams of Canadians. We are grateful for the exceptional support of the City of Hamilton and the local community in bringing this vision to life.”

Job Creation and Community Support

The IKEA Hamilton CDC is expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs, including roles in warehouse operations, delivery, kitchen installation, design services, B2B, and third-party assembly. IKEA has HR programs that support individuals from racialized, Indigenous, and 2SLGBTQ+ communities and promote gender balance in the workforce.

Sustainability

The Hamilton CDC will strive for Net Zero Carbon national certification, LEED Gold certification, and net positive energy annually, contributing to IKEA’s zero emission transportation targets. Globally, IKEA is accelerating its climate actions with goals to halve emissions across its value chain by 2030, achieve net zero emissions by 2050, and ensure over 90 per cent of home deliveries are made by zero-emissions vehicles by 2028.

“I would like to thank IKEA for their commitment to Hamilton and its residents,” said Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath. “When this net-zero distribution facility is completed, it will be built to some of the Canada Green Building Council’s highest environmental standards. And in offering an additional pick-up point for merchandise, this site will further reduce the distance that Hamiltonians need to travel to access goods from IKEA.”

The new IKEA Hamilton CDC and Collection point is anticipated to open in the summer of 2027.

The Northern Health Region in Manitoba says it’s investigating allegations made by a mother from Norway House Cree Nation that health care workers at the Thompson General Hospital gave her wrong information about the health of her unborn child.

Kaitlyn Albert, 18, alleged a physician and ultrasound technician acted with physical aggression and didn’t allow her partner, Ethan Coates, to enter the room.

Albert said following the appointment, she received a call from the hospital and said she was told her baby wasn’t breathing.

After returning to the hospital, the couple learned the baby was alive. Albert’s family said the incident was deeply traumatic.

“No mother should ever be made to feel like a burden or abused just for asking for help. No family should have to grieve for a child who is still alive because of racism and neglect,” Albert said. “No Indigenous woman should have to fight to be treated with respect in a hospital.”

Her mother, Lyn Albert, recounted the moment her daughter told her.

“She was heartbroken and in shock. She told me ‘Mom, they said my baby isn’t breathing’,” Lyn said. “I cannot describe the pain I felt.”

Demanding accountability

Following the incident, the family connected with Dr. Barry Lavallee, the CEO of Keewatinohk Inniniw Minoayawin (KIM)–a health organization that advocates for northern First Nations.

KIM organized a news conference in Winnipeg on March 14 to call for accountability and sound the alarm on First Nations-specific racial discrimination in healthcare.

“This is not just ‘I need an apology letter’. This requires our community to invest a lot of time and think about the future of that baby,” Lavallee said. “We need leaders.”

Norway House Cree Nation Councillor Deon Clarke called on the province’s health minister to ensure a complete investigation is done.

“We need to see an end to this type of racism that happens in our hospitals, our healthcare systems. We need to see change in these systems,” Clarke said. “Too many times our people have been traumatized. They’re afraid to enter these facilities because they’re scared to be mistreated.”

In a statement sent to APTN News on Tuesday, a spokesperson from the Northern Health Region confirmed an investigation is taking place.

“The Northern Health Region is actively investigating to ensure the best possible care for the patient,” said spokesperson Darcie Thomson. Thomson would not comment directly about Albert’s case because of privacy laws.

In a statement to APTN, Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said they “take this issue very seriously” and have asked the Northern Health Region “to reach out from Patient Experience so we can learn from this incident and prevent it from happening again.”

“We are working to ensure health care workers have the tools they need to provide safe, dignified, and quality care for all Manitobans. That includes supporting anti-racism training and education for health care workers across the province,” the statement reads. “Reconciliation means building a health care system that Indigenous Peoples can trust.”

Toward First Nations-led healthcare

When asked about changes to be made, Lavallee said that ending the discrimination experienced by First Nations people in healthcare requires First Nations people leading and delivering that care.

“Give us the resources and money, and we’ll take over,” Lavallee said. “We’re not going to waste the last thirty years around cultural competency, cultural safety, all those kind of things because it doesn’t work. This is structural violence against First Nations people.”

Clarke said his community has been working to expand First Nations-led healthcare in the north–but they need the province to get on board.

“We leaders, community members and health leaders have been meeting together on how we want to see change in the north. We want to see better healthcare, we want to see our children giving birth in our brand-new health centre in the north,” Clarke said. “We have the space but we need the investment from the government.”

 ‘It’s about every Indigenous mother’

Kaitlyn is now a mother to a healthy baby. She said she hoped sharing her story will drive change.

“This isn’t just about me. It’s about every Indigenous mother who has been ignored, disrespected, or treated unfairly. This has to stop,” she said. “We deserve care, we deserve to be safe, we deserve respect. I’m speaking out because no one should ever have to go through this again.”

The post Manitoba health region investigating treatment of Norway House Cree Nation mother appeared first on APTN News.

There are unanswered questions about how scrapping the consumer carbon tax will affect B.C.'s finances and climate goals.

This week in Shootin’ the Breeze:

Students, MHHS raise over $11,000 for alumnus battling brain cancer

Pincher Creek Chamber reflects on a year of growth, challenges and change

Public health alert issued after confirmed measles case in Taber area

A Century of Rolling Stones – Part 1 – Pincher Creek Curling Club history

Northback announces record-breaking fundraising total for Australia Day

Pincher Creek supports diabetes research with improved donation drop-off at Eco Centre

CNP council defers land rezoning bylaw for multistorey apartment development amid public opposition

Cougar warning issued for Waterton Village and surrounding trails

Thunder coaches charity game raises $1,040 for Crowsnest Pass Food Bank

It’s high time for Pi(e)!

Municipality of Crowsnest Pass urges respectful conduct in public hearings

My Little Corner – Seemingly in the blink of an eye

Obituaries

• Glen Mumey
• Jim C. Beer

Mailbox – Opinions, letters, news releases

• Eat Cake

Crowsnest Pass Music Festival celebrates 100 years

Skaters of the Week – Kadence, Victoria, Kenzie and Anya

U9 Huskies battle hard in banner game

Alberta’s Land Trust Grant Program invests $5M into conservation projects

Campaign invites participants to ‘give and hour for Earth’

Town of Pincher Creek Announcements

• Town hall gym fitness programs
• Arena programming
• Development permits
• Request for expression of interest

MD of Pincher Creek Memos

• Utility open house
• Public meeting notice
• Upcoming meetings
• Employment opportunities

Events and Opportunities:

• Beat the Heat with Blinds and More
• Job opportunities at Heritage Acres
• Festival Friends in Concert
• Vision Credit Union AGM
• Crowsnest Pass Music Festival Grand Concert
• Pincher Creek Humane Society AGM
• Whispering Winds Village – Accommodation information and testimonial
• Empress Theatre – Stage Fright – the Def Leppard Experience
• S.A.L.E. – Fort Macleod Auction Calendar
• Pincher Creek Humane Society Pet of the Week
• Share memories, stories, photos or book a congratulatory ad in two upcoming special features celebrating 100 years of the Crowsnest Pass Music Festival and the Pincher Creek Curling Club
• Nominate a volunteer hero for Direct Energy’s Volunteer Citizen of the Year award
• Rate of Last Resort information
• Registration open house for Red Deer Polytecnic
• Government of Alberta budget for southern Alberta
• Classified ads: auctions, buildings for sale, coming events, feed and seed, for sale, health, services

Ascent Dental – Bookings and Kids Club

At Your Service:

• Avalanche Contracting
• Eden’s Funeral Home
• Fitzpatrick Trucking
• Fort Macleod Glass
• GrayRock Contracting
• Last Stop Delivery
• Pincher Creek Denture Clinic
• R Roy Davidson Law Office
• Rocky Mountain Bobcat Service
• Rural View Real Estate
• Sorge Trucking
• South West Waste Management

Coffee Break

• Sudoku
• Crossword

Shootin’ the Breeze subscribers receive a weekly link to the current issue by email.

The post News and events: Pincher Creek & Crowsnest Pass | March 19, 2025 appeared first on Shootin' the Breeze.

A southwest resident was recently convicted and sentenced on several charges stemming from an armed break-and-enter after more than two years in and out of court.

Joseph Denis, from the Town of Kyle, was convicted on Wednesday, March 12 in the Court of King's Bench in Swift Current on one count of break-and-enter with a firearm, one count of intent to commit an indictable offence while masked, one count of theft while armed, and one count of possession of a loaded prohibited firearm.

The 52-year-old was credited with 450 days and will spend the next four years incarcerated, as of last Wednesday. 

A lifetime firearms prohibition was also imposed on Denis, along with an order to provide a DNA sample and a $400 surcharge that was paid on the day of the sentencing.

He was initially arrested on February 22, 2023, after Swift Current Rural RCMP received a report of a break-and-enter with weapons at a residence located on Standard Street in Pennant.

An Everbridge advisory was put out to notify the community while a combined team of law enforcement located and arrested Denis along with Kyle's Ashley Decoste, who was 37 years old at the time.

During the process, RCMP seized stolen property, a Mossberg Model 88 shotgun, a knife, and disguises that were used in the robbery.

This week, people have the chance to honour and thank social workers for all they do. 

Social Work Week honours the work being done to help students, families, seniors, groups and communities to enhance their wellbeing. The theme honouring that this year is 'social work is everywhere'.

A presentation was made at Monday's Swift Current city council meeting, where afterwards the city officially proclaimed March 16 to the 22 as Social Work Week. Kimberly Duguette, a student support team member with the Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre, and Jennifer Stad, a social worker at The Meadows, spoke at that presentation. 

"The aim of social work is to help people or communities develop skills to overcome problems and struggles," said Duguette. "The duties of social work vary depending on your setting, so services can be provided in a team or a group setting, but also one-to-one. It could be public or private practice or communities."

Social workers can be found working in justice, disabilities, child protection, schools, hospitals, primary health clinics, long-term care, victim services, family support, counselling, and more. 

In Swift Current, social workers can be found in the Chinook School Division. The health authority also employs social workers at the Cypress Regional Hospital for mental health, acute care, palliative care, home care, and addictions social work. 

The EI Wood building has social workers. The Ministry of Social Services has social workers. Fresh Start, The Centre, the RCMP, child protective services, and even income assistance have social workers. 

"They're kind of everywhere," said Stad.

In total, there are currently 64 registered social workers operating in southwest Saskatchewan. Stad predicted that the number is probably a little higher in reality, as they don't need to be licensed bodies to practice social work. 

To honour Social Work Week, Métis elder Barb Parchman will meet with the Swift Current branch of the Saskatchewan Association of Social Workers to teach them about Métis traditions and finger weaving. 

A 44-year-old man is dead after the vehicle he was driving crashed off a highway north of Winnipeg and ended up in a ditch.

Two national pharmacy associations have released a new report targeting the complex issue of drug shortages and what can be done to address the issue.

It’s called A Path Forward: Collaborative Solutions to Strengthen Canada’s Drug Supply.

Angelique Berg, CEO of the Canadian Association for Pharmacy Distribution Management says drug shortages have been “increasing in volume and increasing in profile.”

What they have found, according to Berg, is that those involved in the supply chain are working in silos and didn’t realize that changes in one area would have an impact on others.

Photo via ParlVu

Berg says the biggest factor in drug shortages is economics.

She says there is a controlled market in Canada where they all seek to have the lowest prices, but with operational expenses continuing to rise, they are operating on “extremely thin margins.”

Another variable, Berg explains, is how lean the supply chain has become.

She says they have “squeezed all the fat out” to the point where they struggle to keep up if there is a disruption is supply.

When Western University engineering student Jeffrey Martinovic isn't studying or playing intramural sports, you can find him crafting complex word puzzles.

Nova Scotia's 55 MLAs are not only getting a salary bump, they'll also agree to increase their constituency budgets and make future increases automatic when inflation drives up costs.

Canola farmers on the Prairies are bracing for impact as China prepares to impose hefty tariffs on the industry.

China is expected to enact a 100 per cent levy on Canadian canola oil and meal starting Thursday.

The tariffs are a response to Canada’s 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles and 25 per cent tax on aluminum and steel products.

In response, governments in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba want action from Ottawa to support farmers.

The federal government says China’s tariffs are unjustified, but it has not announced any concrete plans to help canola farmers.

A sweeping majority of Canada’s canola production occurs across the three Prairie provinces.

The post Prairie canola producers brace for 100% tariffs from China appeared first on CityNews Winnipeg.

Saskatchewan Highway Patrol, Conservation Officers, and the RCMP confiscated a haul of contraband near Swift Current on March 12. 

The three branches were working together on a check stop near Swift Current. After checking a semi-truck, one of 30 contacts made, they discovered 400 illicit cigarettes.

In all, six tickets were issued to the driver of the semi-truck. 

The officers also performed three patrols of southern reservoirs, checking in on late-season anglers. No results from these checks have been published. 

As she battles Stage 4 appendiceal cancer, William Osler Health System's chief clinical officer spoke on Metro Morning about her experience as a patient in Brampton's health-care system — and her "fight" to create a dedicated cancer centre.

Manitobans who’ve changed their buying habits to support Canadian businesses and farmers will have to decide whether they will purchase vegetables from the U.S. or Mexico as locally grown produce runs out ahead of the spring growing season. 

Canada will play Ukraine and the Ivory Coast in June at Toronto's BMO Field in a new four-team men's soccer tournament called the Canadian Shield. New Zealand is the other team taking part in the event, which consists of doubleheaders June 7 and June 10.

The Government of the Northwest Territories is changing its carbon tax so that consumers will no longer pay. The change will be mean lower prices at the pump and on bills for propane heating. The territory will also end its offset payments effective July 1.