Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 17, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2025 A2 ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM NEWS VOL 154 NO 57 Winnipeg Free Press est 1872 / Winnipeg Tribune est 1890 2025 Winnipeg Free Press, a division of FP Canadian Newspapers Limited Partnership. Published six days a week in print and always online at 1355 Mountain Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2X 3B6, PH: 204-697-7000 CEO / MIKE POWER Editor / PAUL SAMYN Associate Editor Enterprise / SCOTT GIBBONS Associate Editor News / STACEY THIDRICKSON Associate Editor Digital News / WENDY SAWATZKY Director Photo and Multimedia / MIKE APORIUS NEWSMEDIA COUNCIL The Winnipeg Free Press is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to determine acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please send them to: editorialconcerns@freepress.mb.ca. 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INSIDE Arts and Life C1 Business B5 Classifieds D7 Comics C5 Diversions C6-7 Horoscope C4 Jumble C6 Miss Lonelyhearts C4 Obituaries D7 Opinion A6-7 Sports D1 Television C4 Weather C8 COLUMNISTS: Tom Brodbeck A3 Dan Lett A4 READER SERVICE ● GENERAL INQUIRIES 204-697-7000 CIRCULATION INQUIRIES MISSING OR INCOMPLETE PAPER? Call or email before 10 a.m. weekdays or 11 a.m. Saturday City: 204-697-7001 Outside Winnipeg: 1-800-542-8900 press 1 6:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday-Friday.; 7 a.m. - noon Saturday; Closed Sunday TO SUBSCRIBE: 204-697-7001 Out of Winnipeg: 1-800-542-8900 The Free Press receives support from the Local Journalism Initiative funded by the Government of Canada Carney a Harvard, Oxford grad with long resumé O TTAWA — Mark Carney is a known commodity in Liberal cir- cles. Party organizers have tried to convince the former central banker to run under the big red banner for the past decade. The international finance globetrot- ter finally put an end to years of breath- less speculation by launching his cam- paign to replace Justin Trudeau at the helm of the Liberal party in Edmonton, Alta. on Jan. 16. Here’s a quick look at his background. Born: March 16, 1965, in Fort Smith, N.W.T. Early Years: Carney was raised Cath- olic in Alberta, attending St. Rose Cath- olic junior high school and St. Francis Xavier high school in Edmonton. He worked as a paper boy for the Edmon- ton Journal when he lived in the city’s west end. He studied economics abroad, ob- taining a bachelor’s degree from Har- vard University, as well as a master’s and a doctorate from Oxford. At Har- vard, he played as a backup goalie for the hockey team. Career history: Carney spent 13 years at the global investment banking firm Goldman Sachs in its London, New York, Tokyo and Toronto offices. He held senior positions at the Bank of Canada and in the Finance depart- ment in Ottawa until he was appoint- ed governor of the Bank of Canada in 2008. After the Liberals parted ways with Michael Ignatieff after the party floun- dered in the 2011 federal election, Car- ney’s name was floated in headlines and news articles as a potential suc- cessor. But he did not publicly express interest in running. The late Conserva- tive finance minister Jim Flaherty an- nounced in fall 2012 that Carney would become the next governor of the Bank of England in 2013. His term ended in March 2020. He is a longtime support- er of carbon pricing to combat climate change. Carney has served as an advisory board chair to the progressive liberal think-tank Canada 2020 and was named the United Nations’ Special Envoy on Climate Change in 2019. Since 2020, he’s been chair of investment firm Brookfield Asset Management. He is also an external member of the board of the payment-processing financial tech company Stripe and he sat on the foundation board of the World Econom- ic Forum. When Carney launched his campaign on Jan. 16, he said he has since resigned from these roles so he will not be in a conflict of interest as he seeks office. Family: He is married to Diana Fox Carney, a climate and finance policy consultant at the Eurasia Group, where she works closely with Gerald Butts, a former top aide to Prime Minister Jus- tin Trudeau. The Carneys have four children — all girls. He is the godfather to Chrystia Freeland’s son. Quote: “I know I’m not the usual sus- pect when it comes to politics, but this is no time for politics as usual.” — The Canadian Press KYLE DUGGAN JASON FRANSON / THE CANADIAN PRESS Mark Carney wasted no time taking shots at Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, calling him a lifelong politician ‘with bad ideas.’ If Carney wins the race, he would become prime minister without having a seat in Parliament — which would make for an awkward situation, though not one without precedent in Canadian politics. And it’s likely a moot point, since this Parliament is nearing the end of its lifespan and an election is widely expected possibly just a few weeks after the leadership election. Carney admitted in his speech Thursday that he’s not an ordinary politician, but also said these are not ordinary times. He said many Canadians are anxious about their precarious economic situa- tions, many young people can’t afford to buy homes and Donald Trump will soon be sworn in as U.S. president, posing a new economic threat. The former central banker said that even though he’s never run for public office before, he’s ready to take on the popular Conservatives in an election. “I know I’m not the usual suspect when it comes to politics, but this is no time for politics as usual. No, it’s not the time for lifelong politicians such as Pierre Poilievre — politicians with bad ideas,” he said. The Conservative party — which has long presented Carney as tight with Trudeau and his inner circle and has attacked him for years — was ready for his announcement. It released a new digital ad branding him as “carbon tax Carney” just hours before the formal announcement, citing his history of supporting carbon pricing policies. “Mark Carney is back from Europe to continue what Justin Trudeau start- ed,” the ad said, arguing he would be- have just like Prime Minister Trudeau in government. Carney briefly nodded to his position on the carbon price when questioned by reporters, saying that if the policy is terminated, it should be replaced with something “that is at least, if not more effective” at fighting climate change. Former finance minister Chrystia Freeland and Liberal House leader Karina Gould are both expected to launch their own leadership bids in the coming days. Leadership candidates have until Jan. 23 to declare they will run in a short race that concludes on March 9. — The Canadian Press “Today, the medical needs in Gaza are absolutely immense,” said Nickerson, who thanked Manitoba and Canada for stepping up to help. “More than 100,000 have been injured and more than 12,000 people are awaiting medical evacuations,” he said. Morris, who is donating her time to care for the 11-year-old apart from her regular duties, said she felt called to help “as a human being.” “The unimaginable challenges this child and their family have faced: the loss, the fear, the uncertainty, are dif- ficult for me to comprehend,” she said. “I’m deeply moved by their courage and their strength.” The boy, who wants to study en- gineering when he’s older, will start treatment in the coming days. Kinew said they can’t divulge information yet about the second child who’s expected to arrive in the weeks ahead. “I want to share that the utmost of care and judiciousness was exercised when the background screening, the biometric identification and security vetting was conducted,” Kinew said. Miller said Kinew called him several months ago to ask how to help get sick children out of Gaza. “It hasn’t been easy. It requires a lot of diplomatic outreach,” said the immigration minister. It also requires governments that are willing to expend “political capital,” said Miller. “We’ve quietly brought some people into Canada, into other provinces, but there are very few leaders who’ve stood up and said, ‘I’m going to put my name behind this,’ and Wab Kinew stands out as one of them,” Miller said. “I wanted to thank the province of Manitoba for working with us, and encourage other provinces to do the same,” he said. The premier said organizations have stepped up to help. The non-profit sector is providing housing and other services while the Manitoba Islamic Association pledged $50,000 to support each of the families and offered support before and after their arrival, Kinew said. They’ll receive interim federal health benefits that will allow them to obtain work and study permits, he said. The mother of the 11-year-old said she wants to be a contributing member of the community, the premier said. carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca “The feedback that really reso- nated with me was … the concern of the public (about) mobility issues on streets where there’s no sidewalks or pathways, because people have to use streets (for all modes of traffic). We will never be able to afford a side- walk or a pathway on every street in the City of Winnipeg,” said Lukes (Waverley West). The councillor said she supports the idea of “floating” cost-saving measures to gauging public feedback, though she did have concerns about this particular proposal from the start. “We could try this pilot project. But, honestly, I really wanted to can- cel it right off the bat,” said Lukes, noting Winnipeggers are passionate about snow clearing. The city hoped the pilot project could avoid one citywide residential snow-clearing operation each year, which typically costs from $2.75 million to $5 million. Potential savings weren’t factored into the 2025 budget, Lukes said. She expects the project will be scrapped when council votes on it. “I don’t think there’ll be a problem with the councillors supporting this motion,” said Lukes. The call to strike the project triggered relief from some residents, including those who represent people with disabilities. “As much as they were calling it a pilot, it felt very much like a budget cut disguised as a pilot … I am glad they are hearing people,” said Me- lissa Graham, executive director of the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities. If the pilot project were to go ahead, Graham feared recent chang- es to improve sidewalk snow clearing would become less effective. “If you can’t cross the street to (reach) the next sidewalk, you effectively can’t use (the sidewalk) anyway. A lot of people in this community stay home, sometimes all winter, because they can’t get around on sidewalks,” she said. “I see this (call to cancel the project) as very good news. I’m glad that they’re getting the message that sidewalk clearing and road clearing isn’t just a perk, it’s something that’s really important to people,” Graham said. David Kron, executive director of the Cerebral Palsy Association of Manitoba, said he was concerned even a temporary policy change would have forced more people to stay home more often. “It doesn’t take a lot of snow build- up to make a street or a sidewalk in- accessible for folks that use a manual or power chair or, like myself … a cane. It doesn’t take much of a barri- er to make somebody have to stay at home during the winter,” said Kron. “If folks can’t get out of their homes, they can’t be part of the community.” A cycling advocate also welcomed the proposed cancellation, since he feared the change would have al- lowed more snow and ruts to build up. “The ruts at 15 cm are just really hard to navigate and it is a safety hazard,” said Mark Cohoe, execu- tive director of Bike Winnipeg. “(If) you’re in that rut and … try to get out of it, there’s a potential of (falling) down.” Cohoe said the change threatened to hinder the city’s effort to get more people to walk and bike. “We’re a winter city. Having that … ability to get out and to feel like we’re going to have that option of moving around, walking, busing and driving through the city, is really critical to life in Winnipeg. We can’t just shut down for four months (or more) of the year,” he said. City council is expected to cast a final vote on the overall budget on Jan. 29. joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca X: @joyanne_pursaga CARNEY ● FROM A1 BOY ● FROM A1 SNOW ● FROM A1 Local aid groups prepare to deliver help in Gaza MANITOBA-based aid groups are hopeful they can deliver more assist- ance to the region as a ceasefire be- tween Israel and Hamas takes effect. “We pray and hope it will come into effect on Sunday,” said Bruce Guen- ther, who directs disaster response for the Mennonite Central Committee. “We also pray and hope that everyone will abide by it.” The organization — the relief, devel- opment and peace arm of Mennonite churches in Canada — has called for a ceasefire for a long time to bring an end to the conflict, which began Oct. 7, 2023. Now, Guenther said, “we await to see it come to fruition.” The ceasefire deal, announced Wednesday, would see some of the hostages held in Gaza released and a pause in fighting with a view to even- tually winding down the 15-month war. It appeared headed for a stalemate Thursday when Israel initially balked at ratification. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced early today a deal had been reached and would be ratified today. Guenther said the main goal of the ceasefire, as far as the committee is concerned, is “unfettered humanitari- an access,” noting the situation in Gaza is “very dire and urgent.” He noted the ability of groups to provide aid is one of the provisions of the ceasefire. “For us, that is a key part of the agreement,” he said. The Mennonite Central Committee has delivered two truckloads of aid to Gaza since the war began, along with buying items locally through partners. This includes a recent purchase of tarps and tents for displaced Gazans. The overall goal is “a just peace for Palestinians and Israelis so that everyone can live in peace, dignity and safety,” Guenther said. To date, the Mennonite Central Com- mittee in North America has received about $5 million in donations for the Gaza emergency, with just over $3.5 million coming from Canadians. Andy Harrington, executive director of Canadian Foodgrains Bank, said the ceasefire is a critical first step toward long-term peace. “We are desperate and very keen to see an announcement about the ceasefire as soon as possible,” he said, adding the immediate need is to get aid into Gaza. The organization, which has 15 church-based aid organizations as members, raised just over $4 million for Gaza. It has sent aid there through the Mennonite Central Committee and Development and Peace-Caritas. A ceasefire will just be the first step in responding to the devastation in Gaza, Harrington said, noting the impact goes beyond the destruction of buildings to the mental trauma inflict- ed on Gazans both young and old. “It’s going to take decades to deal with the consequences of this war,” he said, adding he hopes the international community, including the Canadian government, doesn’t forget the people of Gaza in the future. “We will need to be there in the long term.” Richard Morgan, executive director of the Humanitarian Coalition, says safe humanitarian access is key in the days and months ahead. The coalition, an umbrella group for 12 Canadian aid groups including the foodgrains bank, has raised more than $29 million for Gaza. It calls for the upholding of international humanitar- ian law, along with the release of all unjustly detained people and hostages. “We fervently hope that this latest announcement will lead to a perma- nent and lasting peace and that every person — no matter where they live — realizes the full extent of their human rights and potential,” Morgan said. faith@freepress.mb.ca JOHN LONGHURST ;