Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - February 12, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba Heart disease is the number 1 killer of Canadian women. It doesn’t have to be. February is Heart Month. You make a difference for women like Patti by supporting women’s heart health research at St. B. Give today at bealifeline.ca SATURDAY Mar 29 CANADA LIFE CENTRE TICKETMASTER.CA SERVING MANITOBA SINCE 1872. FOREVER WITH YOUR SUPPORT. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2025 WEATHER SUNNY. HIGH -20 — LOW -30 SPORTS BOMBERS MAKE NOISE IN FREE AGENCY / D1 Premiers in D.C. to deliver anti-tariff message KELLY GERALDINE MALONE WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump’s planned 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports would be stacked on top of other levies on Canadian goods, says a White House official who confirmed the plan Tuesday on background. The news comes as Prime Minis- ter Justin Trudeau cautioned U.S. Vice-President JD Vance against Trump’s promised steel and alumi- num levies, while Canadian premiers picked up the Team Canada mantle in Washington to push against Trump’s tariff threats. Trudeau and Vance are in Paris for a global summit on artificial intelli- gence. A senior government official said Trudeau spoke with the vice-pres- ident about the impact steel tariffs would have in Ohio, which Vance rep- resented previously in the U.S. Senate. The president signed executive orders Monday to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum im- ports into the United States, including Canadian products, starting March 12. Trump previously threatened 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs on Canadian imports, with a lower 10 per cent levy on Canadian energy, and says those tariffs could still proceed in early March. Trudeau called the tariffs “unac- ceptable” Tuesday and said he was working with international partners to deliver a “firm and clear” response. Tuesday’s news from a White House official that these two classes of tariff would stack on top of each other would mean a total 50 per cent tariff on Canadian steel and aluminum, if those planned measures proceed. On Monday, federal Finance Min- ister Dominic LeBlanc spoke with Trump’s newly confirmed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The “con- versation focused on our common objective — building a strong North American economy that benefits citizens and industries on both sides of our shared border,” LeBlanc said in a social media post. Monday’s tariff threat marks another development in Trump’s larger plans to reshape global trade and American foreign policy through tariffs. Ontario Premier Doug Ford appealed directly to American business leaders in the United States capital Tuesday, asking them to reach out to Republican lawmakers and the president himself on Canada’s behalf. Police HQ inquiry may not hear from key players T HE Manitoba government will spend $2 million on a public inquiry to get to the bottom of the Winnipeg police HQ construction project — which was $79 million over budget and plagued by delays — but there is no guarantee the key players will testify. “We’re fulfilling our commitments made in the last election and answer- ing the city’s call to launch a full public inquiry,” Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said at a news conference Tuesday. “This inquiry will get to the heart of the issue and determine what steps need to be taken so that the City of Winnipeg can construct future proj- ects in a cost-effective, efficient and ethical manner.” Garth Smorang, the lawyer hired to lead the inquiry, must “consider the dealings of previous elected officials, including the mayor, and senior em- ployees of the City of Winnipeg, includ- ing the chief administrative officer” that occurred in respect of large-scale publicly funded construction projects, as per the Feb. 5 order in council that sets out the parameters of the inquiry. Smorang has until Jan. 1, 2027, to issue his report. “If there are hearings, they will be public and if there are witnesses, they will be called under subpoena,” said Smorang, who didn’t know whether he has the power to subpoena witnesses who don’t live in Manitoba. Sam Katz, who was mayor at the time of the HQ project, as well as Phil Sheegl, who was the city’s chief ad- ministrative officer during the project, have lived in Arizona. “I don’t know whether a Manito- ba-issued subpoena could be served on someone in, let’s call it, the state of Arizona,” Smorang said. “I expect to have the assistance of Crown counsel from the department of justice … and I may require experts as well.” The project, which involved convert- ing the former Canada Post office and warehouse on Graham Avenue into police headquarters, was $79 million over budget and tainted by fraud and bribery allegations. It opened in 2016 after being approved by city council in 2011 with a budget of $135 million. CAROL SANDERS Israeli PM threatens to resume Gaza fighting JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Min- ister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tues- day threatened to withdraw from the ceasefire in Gaza and directed troops to prepare to resume fighting Hamas if the militant group does not release more hostages on Saturday. Hamas said Monday — and reiterat- ed Tuesday — that it planned to delay the release of three more hostages after accusing Israel of failing to meet the terms of the ceasefire, including by not allowing an agreed-upon num- ber of tents and other aid into Gaza. Amid the mounting tensions, U.S. President Donald Trump emboldened Israel to call for the release of even more remaining hostages on Saturday. After meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the White House on Tuesday, Trump predicted Hamas would not release all the remaining hostages as he had demanded. “I don’t think they’re going to make the deadline, personally,” the pres- ident said of Hamas. “They want to play tough guy. We’ll see how tough they are.” Since the ceasefire took effect, Hamas has released 21 hostages in a series of five exchanges for more than 730 Palestinian prisoners. A second phase calls for the return of all remaining hostages and an indefinite extension of the truce. However, Trump’s statements about both the pending releases and plans for post-war Gaza have destabilized its fragile architecture. JOSEF FEDERMAN AND SAM METZ RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS RAISING THE ROOF Site staff set up the last of the Festival du Voyageur’s four large concert tents Tuesday in preparation for Friday’s opening day / C1 Troops ready if Hamas fails to release more hostages ● TARIFFS, CONTINUED ON A2 ● GAZA, CONTINUED ON A2 ● INQUIRY, CONTINUED ON A3 Probe of fiasco powerless to compel testimony from out-of-province witnesses ;