Friday Lunch on the Sixth Floor of the old Grand Exchange

Minister of Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade, Peter Bjornson, the Hon. Maxime Bernier, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism) and Graham Starmer, President of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce announce 14 new BizPaL locations across the province. READ MORE

Towards a North American Security Perimeter

Towards a North American Security Perimeter

CTV News has obtained a draft copy of the Canada-U.S. deal which reveals that both nations, “intend to pursue a perimeter approach to security, working together within, at, and away from the borders of our two countries in a way that supports economic competitiveness, job creation and prosperity, and in a partnership to enhance our security and accelerate the legitimate flow of people and goods between our two countries.” The proposed agreement covers shared border management issues, such as an integrated cargo security strategy, a joint approach to port and border security and screening, as well as cross-border sharing of information between law enforcement agencies. CTV also reported that according to, “the Canada-U.S. deal dubbed Beyond the Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Competitiveness, implementation would be handled by a newly created Beyond the Border Working Group.” A common security perimeter could force Canada to harmonize its immigration and refugee policies with the U.S. which would further undermine its sovereignty. It might also allow the U.S. to execute control of Canada in the advent of a terrorist attack or any other perceived threat to North America.

REPLAY: Manitoba connects with Minnesota on power deal - Winnipeg Free Press

REPLAY: Manitoba connects with Minnesota on power deal - Winnipeg Free Press

WINNIPEG — A combined power deal between Minnesota and Wisconsin will kick off the construction of a new dam in northern Manitoba.
The deal is worth $4 billion and will see hydro sell 475 megawatts southwards starting in 2015.
To meet that demand Hydro will have to build the $5.6-billion Keeyask Generation Station on the lower Nelson River 175 km northeast of Thompson.
"This is the largest dollar sale of exports that we’ve had in the history of Manitoba Hydro in absolute dollar terms," Premier Greg Selinger said today at a news conference at Hydro’s downtown headquarters. "We like to think of it as Manitoba’s oil, but more sustainable and certainly greener as well."
Selinger also said Hydro continues to work on another export power sales to Wisconsin.
If that 500-megawatt deal happens, it would lead to the construction of the Conawapa Generating Station.
The new agreements still need regulatory approval.
Last year Hydro signed a deal worth $3 billion to sell between 375 and 500 megawatts to Xcel Energy of Minneapolis for 10 years starting in 2015.
The Minnesota Power deal comes as Manitoba’s Public Utilities Board weighs the risks of Hydro spending $20 billion over the next decade to build the Keeyask and Conawapa stations on the upper Nelson River and the Bipole III transmission line.
The two facilities would add another 1,930 megawatts of electricity to Hydro’s system to use in the growing domestic market and to export to Minnesota and also Wisconsin. Hydro’s new $1.3 billion Wuskwatim project on the Burntwood River is to generate 200 megawatts starting next year.
The new deal also calls for the inclusion of a "wind storage" provision that allows Minnesota Power to transmit electric energy northward from its wind farms in North Dakota when wind production is high or electric loads are low.

Manitoba Introduces Tenant Protection Package | Manitoba Chambers of Commerce

Manitoba Introduces Tenant Protection Package | Manitoba Chambers of Commerce
TOO LITTLE TOO LATE!!
New tenant rights, such as tenure rights, would be introduced to protect tenants who are evicted for renovations in cases where units are re-rented after conversion to condominiums. The province is also working with students and universities to develop more rights for students living in residences.

Condominium ownership has become the choice for many Manitobans, but the unmanaged conversion of apartments to condos can hurt renters, said the ministers, adding the province will propose new protections to better manage conversions including enabling municipalities to control condo conversions when vacancies are low. Notice to tenants about condo conversions would be doubled to six months from three months. No condo conversions would be allowed when people were evicted without cause in the previous year and no conversions would be allowed for four years after a rehabilitation exemption is approved.

Along with these measures, the province is increasing, as of Dec. 1, 2011, direct cash help to low_income earners paying the rent under RentAid (formerly the Manitoba Shelter Benefit). The benefit will increase to $720 from $600 a year for those on EIA. For low-income Manitobans, there will also be an increase to RentAid. For example a low-income senior getting $1,320 a year will now get $1,452 a year and a working family of four getting $1,464 a year will now get $1,632 a year. Under Budget 2011, the Education Property Tax Credit will increase by $50 per year and up to $150 for seniors.

The province will improve tenant-landlord relations this year by scheduling eviction hearings for troublemakers faster, speeding-up appeals by the Residential Tenancies Commission and encouraging landlords to allow pets. An independent advisor service will be expanded to help landlords of smaller properties. Late payment and NSF cheques fees would be increased, increased costs will be awarded on claims for compensation and landlord fees for above-guideline rent-increase applications would be reduced for smaller buildings, said the ministers.

Manitoba’s rent regulation regime has ensured some of Canada’s most affordable rents, said Mackintosh. The average annual rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Winnipeg is now almost $1,400 cheaper than in Saskatoon where there is no regulation, he said.

The minister noted a recent study of rent regulation in Manitoba by Dr. Hugh Grant of the University of Winnipeg has concluded that it has prevented “unwarranted increases, or gouging that might be expected in a period of excess demand.”

A copy of Grant’s report is available at www.manitoba.ca/fs/cca/pubs/rental_report.pdf.

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