The winners of the 2025 Tourism Excellence Awards were announced at the annual Tourism Excellence Awards Gala hosted by Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador.

The awards celebrate the achievements and dedication of individuals and businesses that contribute to the growth, sustainability, and excellence of the tourism industry in the province.

There were 11 different awards.

Good morning. A billion-dollar federal program intended to help Indigenous businesses grow has instead become a breeding ground for shell companies, critics say, despite Ottawa being warned decades ago. More on that below, plus the G7 meetings and American products take a hit. But first:

Today’s headlines

• Canadian officials project calm after tariff meeting in Washington
• Justin Trudeau bids farewell on his last day in office, and Mark Carney begins to pull together a new cabinet
• Ontario has twice as many measles cases than it did in the entire decade between 2013 and 2023. Here’s what you need to know about the virus.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin backs ceasefire deal, but says he wants to negotiate further

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One suspect charged with an alleged robbery in Waasis on Sunday opted to forgo a bail hearing Thursday, and the other was remanded after a bail hearing.

Justin Edward Wayne Blosser, 49 of Hiawatha Avenue at Welamukotuk (Oromocto) First Nation, and Brandon Jason Dean Canning, 39, of Morehouse Road in Haneytown, appeared in Fredericton provincial court in separate proceedings Thursday remotely from a custodial facility.

Both were scheduled to go through bail hearings.

Each was charged earlier this week with using a handgun to rob Douglas Brown of a gold chain and oxycodone pills. The charges allege events in Waasis on Sunday.

Read more

Montreal police are asking the public for help locating a man, 76, with Alzheimer's disease who was last seen in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough.

On Monday, the City of St. John’s will observe St. Patrick’s Day. As a result, City offices and facilities will be closed.

Garbage and recycling will be collected as scheduled and Robin Hood Bay is open for commercial users.

All parking by-laws are still in effect including paid parking regulations.

The Loop at Bannerman Park will be open, weather permitting and public washrooms will be open at Bannerman Park, Bowring Park, Kenny’s Pond and Quidi Vidi Lake.

Despite the growing concern about Canadian-U.S. relations and tariffs and how this affects Canadian markets, the International Peace Garden continues to stand for what's important and that's peace between our two countries.

Peace Garden CEO Tim Chapman says they welcome guests from both sides of the border as the Garden truly stands in the center of the two countries, with the Canada/U.S. border running right through the center of the Garden.

"We continue to talk to visitors from both sides and our free Senior Wednesdays continue to draw Canadians and Americans which is really nice to see," shares Chapman. "Really at the end of the day the Garden will continue to stand for what it's always stood for, for peace and cooperation between our two nations."

Chapman says he continues to look at the current political scene as an opportunity to share more of the Peace Garden's history which is really quite fascinating as the Garden was built over 90 years ago, in 1932.

"As the staff and I continue to dig into the history more this spring we continue to find just incredible examples of really great Canadians and Americans through the 94 years of the Peace Garden who really worked tirelessly to not only make the Peace Garden happen, but to advocate through the decades and really show those great examples of why Americans and Canadians are such good friends, and are able to hopefully weather any political storms that come our way."

Two of those great examples is William Udall who settled in Boissevain in the 1890's and was publisher and editor of the Boissevain Recorder from 1905 to 1945.  Udall wrote a series of letters that advocated for the establishing of the Peace Garden.

And on the American side, Judge John Storman out of Rolla, N Dakota who was invited by the Brandon Chamber of Commerce in the 1950's to share about the unique opportunity that communities on both sides of the border have to support the growth and support of the Peace Garden.

"Maybe it's not exactly like what we're going through now but clearly they are examples of different trade disputes and things that could have really torn the relationship apart," shares Chapman. "But it was people like WV, Udall and Judge John Stormon, who and many, many others across Canada and the US, who really helped to solidify and keep the development of the Garden going."

"I think the Garden at the time when they named those [lakes] just thought, you know, let's continue to build on this back-and-forth relationship that we have and symbolize it with the naming of those lakes, even though they geographically fell on the opposite side of the line from those gentlemen and where they were from," adds Chapman.

Please listen to more with Tim Chapman below as he shares on the John Storman and William Udall stories.

Free Senior Wednesdays continue at the Peace Garden until the end of April.  Please hear more about their programming on Wednesdays below.

The Deloraine-Winchester Heritage Society is working on another project to bring local history to life, this being in partnership with the Deloraine area Bell family to allow the 140+-year-old bank vault more accessible to the public as a heritage site.

But first, a bit of history ....

The first Land Titles Office in the Turtle Mountain area was a solitary tent that was set up at the edge of the Turtle Mountains in August of 1880. This was soon followed by a two-story building, situated beside the Boundary Commission Trail and on the bank of Turtlehead Creek (formerly known as Whitewater Creek).

The establishment of the Land Titles Office ushered in a new settlement built about 2 kms north where the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was predicted to pass through.  John Cavers and AP Stuart opened a general store and post office in March of 1882 at this site, newly named Deloraine by John Cavers after his hometown in Scotland. 

Shortly after, AP Stuart and his brother built a bank, and with that a bank vault to store valuables such as homestead deeds. The bank vault was constructed by George Rickard, a pioneer and stonemason from the area who used native granite fieldstone, reinforced by mortar and iron rods.   Needless to say, he did a good job as the vault has been standing strong amidst Manitoba winters for 143 years!

In 1883 the population of the village was a total of 50 people, 32 of whom were engaged in businesses or professions of some sort, including an agricultural implement store, a blacksmith shop, a mill, a hotel, a doctor's office, a barrister at law office and three members of the clergy.  A schoolhouse opened in 1884.

However, in 1886 the CPR constructors favored the flat prairie landscape several miles to the north and the town of Deloraine was completely bypassed, much to the shock of these early pioneers.  But that didn't stop them.

In the winter of 1886-1887 the buildings were placed on skids and hauled over the snow to their new townsite five miles to the northwest, to the current location of Deloraine in order to be positioned alongside the rail line.  

The only remaining evidence to show there ever was a town at that site (now known as Old Deloraine) is the sturdily built fieldstone bank vault which stands in a pasture owned by Deloraine area famers, Dean and Pat Bell.  The Dell family has been on this land for 5 generations!

...there are only 3 stone vaults left in Manitoba and this gives a glimpse into pioneer life of the late 1800s...

The Bell family and the Deloraine-Winchester Historical Society are partnering to bring greater attention to this heritage site, and to raise funds to build a shelter over the 143-year-old stone vault.  It's important to note there are only 3 stone vaults left in Manitoba.

"The Bell family have sold their cattle, and the fence has been taken down, and so the Bell family would like to see more common knowledge about the site," shares Historical Society member Jan McClelland.  "There are a lot of people who don't know it's there and they don't understand that it's actually right in the farmyard, or they're reluctant to go and see it because it's in the farmyard!"

Raising awareness and raising a roof for the vault is the two-fold goal for the heritage society

"The vault has stood there for close to 150 years and it has had some maintenance through the years, but it will last a lot longer if the roof of the vault can be protected from the elements," she explains. "So, we would not only want to build a shelter over the vault, but we also want to have a picnic area there where people can have an old-fashioned picnic."

The site also gives opportunity to share the rich history of Old Deloraine and would include a map of where the original buildings once stood as accurately as they can. 

"We also want people to be cognizant of what the land was prior to European settlement," adds McClelland. "So, we can incorporate some of the early history before that as well."

(photo submitted by the Deloraine-Winchester Historical Society)

Premier Andrew Furey’s comments that Tony Wakeham is proposing “Trump-style leadership” are a deflection from the real issues at hand, according to the PC leader.

Furey made some scathing comments about Wakeham during a formal dinner Wednesday night.

In particular, Furey called out Wakeham for what he calls “childish memes” and “Trump-style attacks on the media.”

Furey speaking to those attending the annual dinner fundraiser at the Delta Hotel in St. John’s. (VOCM News)

Wakeham says he was disappointed to hear what he calls “personal attacks” and “name-calling” from the premier.

With Furey’s time in the Premier’s Office ticking down, Wakeham believes he is trying to “deflect attention from the Liberal track record.”

When asked what he would say to people throughout the province who may share the same concerns as Furey, Wakeham said the party’s track record speaks for itself.

He says they are continuing to hold government to account, and what Furey said is a “political spin.” Wake explains that the party has put out “thousands” of social media posts over the last year, and there were errors in two of them. He argues that he took accountability for that, and “when I hear the premier of the province being more worried about our social media than people getting the health care they deserve, I would think his focus is in the wrong place.”

Assiniboine College has been named one of Manitoba's Top Employers, being recognized for their comprehensive benefits and supportive work environment.

"Key highlights include our defined benefit pension plan, investment in employee education and development, top-up benefits for maternity and parental leave, on-site child-care, and family friendly leave benefits," says Julie Muller, Director, Human Resources at Assiniboine College.

Muller says this recognition speaks to the dedication towards a healthy work environment for our employees, and there for their students. 

"It demonstrates that we are dedicated to creating a work environment that supports a thriving and sustainable workforce," she explains. "This dedication helps attract and retain top talent. By having a healthy and engaged workforce, staff are skilled & equipped to provide exceptional learning experiences for our students."

Muller shares more on the valuable contributions Assiniboine offers their employees:

Beyond the traditional pay and benefits, the college offers:

• significant professional development support, including $3,500 annually for tuition assistance
• an employee recognition program that recognizes staff for going above and beyond what is expected of them, Stellar performance, contributing to our principles of continued success, and long-term service awards.
• opportunities for staff to network and engage with each other at our staff gatherings, alumni or MICA events, indigenous celebrations, other cultural celebrations, etc…
• opportunities to participate in various college committees, Cougar sports events, and many other activities that support our students
• generous vacation benefits
• employee and family assistance program
• defined benefit pension plan

 To explore employment opportunities at Assiniboine College, you can visit career opportunities page.

"This page tells potential candidates why they should apply to work with us and lists the various positions that are available across different disciplines and campuses," adds Muller.

"Assiniboine College has been transforming lives and strengthening Manitoba through applied education and research for over 60 years," she says. "The college offers more than 75 unique certificate, diploma, and advanced credential programs across a variety of disciplines, including culinary arts and hospitality, business, agriculture and environment, health and human services, trades, and technology. Our commitment to excellence in education is reflected in the quality of our programs, the success of our students, and the dedication of our staff."

People can now be arrested and charged for participating in unauthorized street parties in Waterloo this weekend. This is due to an injunction granted to the City of Waterloo to help prevent unsanctioned street parties during the St. Patrick's Day weekend.

Steinbach businesses that rely on exports to the United States are facing new challenges as a result of the ever-changing tariff landscape.

Tracy Gromniski, President of the Steinbach Chamber of Commerce, says that while there is no Steinbach Chamber representative on Premier Wab Kinew’s newly formed U.S. Trade Council, the local Chamber is in close communication with those at the table.

“We do not currently have a representative on that advisory committee, but we do have close colleagues that are reaching out to us and we’re reaching out to them,” Gromniski says. “We’re escalating our concerns and asking the questions to seek answers because there’s a lot of uncertainty.”

Many businesses in Steinbach export a significant portion of their goods to the U.S., and tariffs ranging from 25 to 50 per cent are expected to impact pricing and competitiveness.

“There’s potential of massive impact to these businesses,” Gromniski says. “Their ability to send product into the U.S. or the reduction in orders coming in from the U.S. could reduce their competitiveness in the U.S. market.”

While businesses have learned lessons in diversification from past economic challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, Gromniski notes that Steinbach businesses were not necessarily prepared for the sudden and level of trade disruption now occurring between Canada and the U.S.

“The stability of those trade agreements has been removed, and that makes it a lot more challenging for businesses to plan and forecast,” she says.

Gromniski also highlights the positive momentum behind removing interprovincial trade barriers, something she believes will help local businesses find new markets within Canada.

“The loosening of interprovincial trade between the provinces will hopefully help reduce the need to rely on exports outside of the country,” she adds. “Now we have businesses that may be able to access markets within Canada not previously available.”

Despite the challenges, Gromniski says Steinbach’s business community remains strong and supportive of one another. Local businesses and shoppers have embraced initiatives like buying local, something that gained traction during the pandemic and continues to thrive today.

“Our big-box stores carry a lot of local products, which isn’t always the case in other areas,” she notes. “It is a culture in Steinbach to support local.”

She also points to the success of Chamber-hosted networking events, which bring businesses together to share advice and build connections. Gromniski says the Chamber Mixer events continue to increase in popularity as business owners appreciate making connections and learning from each other.

“I don’t think there is a single business in Steinbach that wouldn’t step up and help another business if they could,” Gromniski says. “As a community, our businesses just want to see each other thrive.”

A new initiative has been launched to address labour trafficking in Manitoba’s trucking industry, an issue that advocacy groups say has been occurring in plain sight.

The initiative, announced on Manitoba Human Trafficking Awareness Day (March 13), is being led by The Joy Smith Foundation in partnership with the Manitoba Trucking Association and Winnipeg Crime Stoppers. The goal is to raise awareness about labour trafficking in the trucking industry and provide resources for recognizing and reporting suspected cases.

“Unfortunately, labour trafficking is a serious concern in our industry.” The Manitoba Trucking Association

Labour trafficking in the trucking industry

Labour trafficking occurs when individuals are forced to work under exploitative conditions, often with little or no pay, and in some cases, without the necessary training or qualifications for the job.

According to the Manitoba Trucking Association, the trucking industry has seen cases where new drivers have been subjected to unfair treatment, highlighting the sector’s vulnerabilities to labour exploitation.

“Unfortunately, labour trafficking is a serious concern in our industry,” the Manitoba Trucking Association said in a statement. “Many new drivers are forced into unsafe working conditions without proper training or necessary skills. Those who condone these practices compromise human rights, labour standards, and safety.”

Raising awareness and reporting trafficking

The initiative will focus on educating trucking professionals, company leaders, and the public about recognizing the signs of labour trafficking. It will also provide guidance on how to report suspicious activity safely and anonymously. Winnipeg Crime Stoppers, a partner in the initiative, will offer cash rewards for tips leading to the arrest of human traffickers.

“By collaborating our efforts, we strengthen our shared commitment to protecting vulnerable individuals and making our communities safer,” said a spokesperson for Winnipeg Crime Stoppers.

A broader issue

While the initiative focuses on trucking, labour trafficking occurs in multiple industries across Canada. It often targets vulnerable individuals, including newcomers seeking employment. The initiative builds on prior efforts, such as The Joy Smith Foundation’s 2023 campaign against sex trafficking, and aims to shed light on a form of human trafficking that experts say often goes unnoticed.

“Labour trafficking has been hidden in plain sight for too long,” said Joy Smith, a former Member of Parliament and founder of the Joy Smith Foundation. “We’re taking a crucial first step in exposing this crime, but real change requires everyone to be involved.”

The campaign will include resources to help the public and industry professionals identify and report suspected cases of labour trafficking. Winnipeg Crime Stoppers is offering cash rewards for tips leading to the arrest of traffickers, while the Manitoba Trucking Association has pledged to work with the foundation to combat exploitative practices within the industry.

It's been decades of preparing, talking and building. But now, a highly anticipated building now stands tall, wide and bold in Steinbach's core.

The city's mayor, Earl Funk, says, he couldn't be more excited as the final touches are put on the Southeast Event Centre (SEC), and starts getting used — including for the first Steinbach Piston's game on Friday night.

"I was there on Monday, and the Pistons were practicing. Wow, that was just so exciting to see someone playing in that big event centre," he says.

"The amount of work that's getting done is just phenomenal, and how wonderful the building on the inside looks. It's actually breathtaking. It's majestic, and I do believe it'll be the diamond of the southeast area."

Funk says the vision for the SEC started in the late 1980s as a conversation on what could be done to facilitate growth in the community.

Land was gradually purchased as a part of that vision.

"It really fast-forwarded toward the end, somewhere around 2014 to probably 2019 or 2020, and we bought a lot of lots. Probably one to two a year because they came up a little faster," he says.

When the mayor first walked into the SEC's arena, which more than 2,000 people can fill, he was taken aback.

"I saw how big it was, and I turned to a council member and I said, 'What have we done?' I'm beyond that now. We have done something amazing," Funk says.

It's the largest project the City of Steinbach has taken on, both dollar wise and size wise. Financially, he says it's about six times bigger than the next largest project — the water treatment plant on Park Road.

With such magnitude, comes sizeable community impact.

"We're looking at bringing in some big events," Funk says, noting the people that come to those will contribute to the local economy through, not just ticket sales, but also eating local food, staying for night, and more.

All considered, Funk says the events hosted at the SEC "could have an economic impact in the millions of dollars... Those are big numbers and will have a hug effect on the businesses locally."

But it's about something much deeper than just numbers, he says.

"What we want to do, is we want to see the Southeast use this as a place to meet. We want to bring the Southeast together. We didn't just build this for Steinbach, we built it for the region," he says.

The building itself includes many local contributions, such as steel, drywall, wooden beams, concrete, electrician work, and more.

It takes him back to when his father would work on buildings, and point out the work he did with his crew members to Funk. He hopes families can have that same sense of pride in the work they have put into the SEC.

"Dads will take their sons and daughters to this event centre and they will say, 'I wired that,' 'I put that refrigeration in,' 'I worked on those stairs,' 'I poured concrete for that,'" the mayor says.

"I would expect that there would be local ownership in the building."

There might be snow on the ground, but soon gardens will be blooming. For those getting antsy, a Manitoba garden centre has some advice on how to get started planting indoors right now.

Snowfall warnings remain in place for The Pas and Flin Flon, with up to 20 centimetres expected by Saturday. In the south, there is a risk of freezing rain Friday evening in the Red River Valley and the Whiteshell, with a transition to snow by Saturday morning.

When Muhammad Khan landed in Brandon at the start of 2025, he wasn't sure what to expect. The physician had moved to Manitoba's second-biggest city from the United Kingdom sight unseen, aiming to start a new practice and a new life with his wife and young daughter. Now he's seeing up to 30 patients a day at his new clinic.

The offer usually arrives just minutes into the meeting: Does he want to make a deal that would effectively turn his business into a shell company?

The person across the table chooses their words carefully, but David Carrière-Acco knows exactly what they’re proposing. If he agrees to team up on a bid for a government contract, his company will get a cut – without having to do any of the work.

As property values go up, the Government of Saskatchewan is decreasing the Education Property Tax mill rates in the 2025-26 Budget.

"Because it is a re-assessment year property values have increased," said Government Relations Minister Eric Schmalz. "The mill rate needs to be adjusted in order to compensate for that. We've allowed for a reduction in the mill rate which will save ratepayers $100 million dollars annually."

The government tied this move to their affords to keep the cost of living down.

"The government of Saskatchewan is focused on affordability for everyone across the province," Schmalz said. "This of course played into that decision."

He added they structured the cuts so the government would stay revenue neutral despite the property value increases.

The Education Property Tax mill rate drops from 1.42 to 1.07 for agricultural properties, from 4.54 to 4.27 for residential and 6.86 to 6.37 for commercial.

Newfoundland and Labrador has seen a surge in cases of influenza in recent weeks.

According to the province’s respiratory activity dashboard, between February 23 and March 1, two people died from influenza and there were 51 more in hospital—including seven in critical care.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald and Acting Health Minister John Haggie (VOCM News)

While Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald admits that they have been seeing a spike in cases, they’re hoping the situation will soon start to improve.

She says they are crossing their fingers that the number of cases has peaked. She notes that it is not unusual to see cases of influenza this time of year as other jurisdictions are also seeing a spike. Fitzgerald reminds that it is not too late to get a flu shot. Appointments for vaccines can be booked online, through your primary care provider, or at your local pharmacy.

The Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce, together with Innovation PEI and Stingray Radio, is presenting the first-ever PEI Business Summit April 9th at the Delta Prince Edward in Charlottetown.  The PEI Business Summit will bring business leaders, innovators, and decision-makers together to shape the future of business in PEI.  Guest speakers will include national pollster and public opinion expert Nik Nanos; technology expert Amber Mac; and leadership consultant Steve Jones, President of Stingray Radio, the largest operator of radio stations in Canada, including Ocean 100 and HOT 105.5.  

The U.S. and Israel have reached out to officials of three East African governments to discuss using their territories as potential destinations for resettling Palestinians uprooted from the Gaza Strip under President Donald Trump's proposed postwar plan, American and Israeli officials say. 

The Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission has decided on no changes this week in gasoline prices, regular or premium.  IRAC did approve decreases overnight in furnace oil and diesel prices.  The price of furnace oil decreased by 7.5 cents per litre and the price of diesel went down by 1.5 cents per litre.  Prices for diesel now range from $1.89 to $1.90 per litre. The maximum price for furnace oil is $1.23 per litre. 

Ontario’s leader expressed some optimism coming out of a meeting with one of U-S President Donald Trump’s cabinet members directing Washington’s trade policy.

Premier Doug Ford said conversations with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick were “extremely positive” and that the “temperature has come down” amid recent retaliation in the current trade war.

Ford backed down from a 25 per cent surcharge on electricity to three U-S states after Lutnick called him and offered a meeting Thursday. 

The politicians are expected to have another meeting next week.

As Mark Carney prepares to be officially sworn in as prime minister today, the questions about who will be included in his cabinet are still swirling.

Sources say some portfolios could be combined to reflect their departments.

Former privy council clerk Michael Wernick said in a recent interview he expects several ministers will be “double-hatting” or carrying more than one portfolio for the time being.

In any case, it seems certain that the new cabinet will be smaller than Justin Trudeau’s last cabinet — which featured 37 members, including himself.   Carney is to be sworn-in during a ceremony at Rideau Hall today at 11am eastern time.

Provincial cabinet minister Lisa Dempster has officially ruled out taking a stab at the Liberal leadership, but is still contemplating a federal run.

Dempster, who is the MHA for Cartwright – L’Anse au Clair, hinted last week that she was considering the options for her political future.

Speaking with reporters outside the House of Assembly, Dempster said she has not yet made a decision on whether she will run federally, only to say that she is still contemplating it and speaking with family and friends.

The Canadian Coast Guard Ship Ann Harvey will be icebreaking in the area of Botwood today.

During icebreaking operations, it can be dangerous to venture onto the ice. Broken and fragmented ice tracks and ridging left behind by passing icebreakers or commercial vessels may not freeze over immediately. This can result in hazardous conditions for ice users. In addition, newly fallen snow will obscure ship tracks. Unsafe ice conditions can persist long after icebreakers have left the area.

Depending on conditions, the ice can be pushed instead of broken and ice can crack or break far away from the location where the icebreaker is working.