Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - February 13, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba FEB 14-23 FÉV SMART FOR YOUR HEART MONTH FREE EDUCATION EVENTS OPEN HOUSE EXERCISE FOR FREE FEB 21-23 SERVING MANITOBA SINCE 1872. FOREVER WITH YOUR SUPPORT. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2025 WEATHER PARTLY SUNNY. HIGH -22 — LOW -30 COMMUNITY REVIEW HÉ HO! TIME FOR FESTIVAL DU VOYAGEUR HSC mortality ratio worst in Canada: data W INNIPEG’S Health Sciences Centre has earned the dismal distinction of being the worst-performing hospital in Canada. The province’s largest hospital has the highest standardized mortality ratio in the country, according to data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information. That, and more, was revealed Wednesday in a report released by the Manitoba Nurses Union that charged “no measurable progress has been ob- served” in some facets of health care since the New Democratic Party took power in the fall of 2023. The 36-page report — dubbed the White Paper — takes aim at the pro- vincial government, which took issue with the document and said it failed to account for ongoing system improve- ments or those already completed. Union president Darlene Jackson stood by the report’s findings, saying the data contained within “cannot be disputed. “I think this is a wake-up call for the public to say to government this is not acceptable,” Jackson told the Free Press. “Things are not rosy in health care, despite what’s been said. We are in a terrible crisis.” Using publicly available information and data obtained through freedom of information requests, the nurs- ing union found the patient load of Winnipeg emergency departments and urgent-care centres has remained relatively consistent over the past five years. Wait times, however, have more than doubled, forcing one in seven patients to leave without receiving treatment, the report said. “These statistics point to deep sys- temic issues that are compromising pa- tient care and safety across Manitoba’s public health-care system,” it said. CIHI’s standardized mortality ratio metric compares the mortality rates of hospitals nationwide, adjusting for factors such as age, sex, diagnoses, among others. TYLER SEARLE Union study also critical of Brandon General, Grace, St. B: NDP blamed for inaction Jobs cut, investments paused as U.S. targets steel, aluminum Manitoba manufacturers roil under tariff threat GABRIELLE PICHÉ UNDER the looming dark cloud of U.S. tariffs, some Manitoba manufacturers have laid off staff, reduced operations, paused growth and planned relocation strategies. Many are also bracing for Canadian retaliation. “Nobody in manufacturing has the 25 per cent margin to cover those tariffs,” said Marty Friesen, a long- time employee with Diemo Machine Works. The Okno-based shop saw its profits shrink in 2018, when Donald Trump, then in his first term as U.S. president, placed tariffs on Canadi- an steel and aluminum. Diemo wasn’t affected by those levies, Friesen explained. However, the Canadian government’s retalia- tory tariffs on U.S. steel hit hard. Diemo Machine Works imports its steel from the south; specific types it requires aren’t found in Canada. It then makes and exports sub-compo- nents for food processing facilities and agricultural manufacturing, among other things, largely to the U.S. About a year ago, leadership at Diemo considered the possibility of tariffs under a second Trump presi- dency “very likely.” “It was pretty easy to see, based on that experience back in 2018, that it was likely that the situation could play itself out again,” Friesen said. “We took our warning.” So Diemo paused new invest- ments. It didn’t purchase the new machining equipment or robotic welding cell it had planned. A SCHOOL division in northwest Winnipeg won’t be sending students to the United States for education-re- lated excursions amid heightened political tensions south of the border and an impending trade war. “We have put a pause on trips to the U.S. for this year and next,” Tony Kreml, superintendent of the Seven Oaks School Division, told the Free Press Wednesday. Kreml said a group of high school- ers from Seven Oaks was scheduled to visit the U.S. for a music trip, but plans have been modified so the teenagers stay in Canada. There are no further trips pending, he said. Since being sworn in Jan. 20, U.S. President Donald Trump has threat- ened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian products and declared his government will only recognize two genders — male and female, among other controversial actions. The U.S. Travel Association has issued a statement warning about how duties could affect Canadian visitation and spending patterns. Canadian tourists generated about $20.5 billion in spending in 2024 with Florida, California, Nevada, New York and Texas topping the list of their most popular destinations, per the national organization. “A 10 per cent reduction in Canadi- an travel could mean two million few- er visits, $2.1 billion in lost spending and 14,000 job losses,” the association said in a news release last week. Asked about her advice to local school leaders, Manitoba’s education minister urged teachers and families to consider spending their money closer to home. “Field trips and school outings are very important for kids and their learning. That being said, we’re certainly in some unprecedented times right now and our government is very focused on supporting our local industries here in Manitoba,” said NDP cabinet minister Tracy Schmidt, who is also a mother of three school-aged children enrolled in public schools in Winnipeg. School division pulls plug on U.S.-bound trips MAGGIE MACINTOSH LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS Pro-Canadian clothing is the hot ticket as anti-American sentiment builds. Kara McDowell adjusts a display at her Taylor Avenue store, T-Shirt Connection. See story on page B5. ● TRIPS, CONTINUED ON A2 ● DATA, CONTINUED ON A4 ● TARIFFS, CONTINUED ON A2 ● MORE COVERAGE ON A3 ;