Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - February 13, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2025 A2 ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM NEWS VOL 154 NO 80 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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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 Chrétien’s words remain convincing for Canadian unity D ID you know any Canadian cit- izen can ask for one of the flags that fly above Parliament Hill? It’s true. There are five flags that fly above the buildings that make up Parliament Hill. (Only four right now because of renovations.) The one that flies from the pole on top of the Centre Block’s Peace Tower is changed every weekday, while the other flags are changed weekly. Once retired from service, they are sent to eager citizens who have requested a flag through an online application. Two notes of caution. The flags are big (the Peace Tower flag is 2.3 metres by 7.5 metres), and the wait list is currently more than 100 years. I’ve always thought the century-long wait list was a unique expression of our national pride. If not for love of your country, why else would you sign up to get something that will only become available to your children’s grandchildren? Those of you who don’t know about the free flags might also not know we celebrate National Flag of Canada Day every Feb. 15 to commemorate the inauguration of the current flag in 1965. It’s not a statutory holiday, so it’s an important date in the calendar overlooked by many Canadians. But not this year. This year’s Flag Day could very well see an expression of national pride usually reserved for top-level interna- tional hockey. This year, an unusually high number of Flag Day celebrations are being planned for Saturday, and Canadian flags are reportedly flying off the shelves in unprecedented numbers. The five living former prime minis- ters — Joe Clark, Kim Campbell, Jean Chrétien, Paul Martin and Stephen Harper — have called on Canadians to celebrate Flag Day and “show the flag as never before.” The “call to wave flags” is only one element in the sudden eruption of nationalistic fervour in Canada right now driven by the clear and present danger posed by U.S. President Donald Trump. Wielding annexation and tariff threats such as nunchucks, Trump has thrown much of the world — including most of America’s closest economic and military allies — into chaos. Of course, it seems unlikely Trump’s histrionics are really about trade defi- cits or manifest destiny. Increasingly, it appears that Trump threatens and disparages other countries simply for the pure joy of basking in the rage he elicits. In hockey parlance, Trump is a rat. If the late Bob Probert (arguably hock- ey’s most-feared pugilist) and Brad Marchand (the game’s hall-of-fame provocateur) had a son, he’d be Donald Trump. If only Trump could skate. Some of us witnessed an eruption of national pride like this before: in 1995, when Quebec came within 50,000 votes of separating from the rest of the country. As the Free Press national reporter in Ottawa, I covered the Quebec ref- erendum campaign first-hand and got to see not only the passion of separat- ists, but also the surprising passion of non-Quebecers who pleaded with the province to stay. I was in Montreal on Oct. 27, 1995, when the No forces held the Unity Rally. More than 100,000 people, many from other regions of Canada, flooded downtown Montreal. It was hard not to tear up a little bit when you heard or- dinary people talk so openly about how their Canada must include Quebec. For me, the real highlight of the ref- erendum campaign — other than being trapped in a post-result riot in down- town Montreal, where police fought for hours with angry péquistes throwing bricks and bottles — was the nationally televised speech delivered by Chrétien two days earlier. Although the threat to national unity then was different than the Trump threat now, Chrétien’s words still echo as one of the best, and most passionate, arguments for why Canada is worth fighting for. In these hyper-partisan times, there might be some who are unwilling to accept Chrétien as a legitimate defender of the country. Those people did not hear, or do not remember, this landmark speech. “The end of Canada would be noth- ing less than the end of a dream. The end of a country that has made us the envy of the world. Canada is not just any country. It is unique. It is the best country in the world. “Perhaps it is something we have come to take for granted. But we should never, never let that happen. Once more, today it’s up to each of us to restate our love for Canada. To say we don’t want to lose it. “What we have built together in Canada is something very great and very noble. A country whose values of tolerance, understanding, generosity have made us what we are: a society where our No. 1 priority is the respect and dignity of all our citizens. “Other countries invest in weapons, we invest in the well-being of our citi- zens. Other countries tolerate poverty and despair, we work hard to ensure a basic level of decency for everyone. Other countries resort to violence to settle differences, we work out our problems through compromise and mutual respect. “This is what we have accom- plished.” Amen, and pass the Okanagan Valley cabernet sauvignon. dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca DAN LETT OPINION As forecast, Trump on Monday signed executive orders to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, starting March 12. His administration has said the tariff could be stacked on other levies of Canadian goods. A sweeping 25 per cent tariff could come in March or later. Already, Diemo has experienced a slowdown in orders, Friesen said. He cited a “perfect storm” of election-inspired uncertainty and a general downturn in manufac- turing — especially agricultural — due to high interest rates and low commodity prices. That slowdown has persisted amid the tariff threats, Friesen said. Diemo Machine Works has cut its production by 25 per cent, leading to layoffs. It now employs roughly 100 people. “This feels significantly more uncertain than (2018),” Friesen said, noting this time, Diemo could be struck by both countries. “Because we’re exporting into the States, we really wouldn’t want to pay reciprocal tariffs on steel.” Derek Hird, owner of tire manufacturer Evo- lution Wheel, echoed that stance. His Winnipeg business exports most of its goods to, and imports steel from, America. “Canadian steel is not an option we’re seriously evaluating,” Hird said, recalling Canadian steel producers raised prices in 2018 as U.S. tariffs unfurled. He’s been scouting U.S. locations in case a trade war erupts. “Right now, we’re in … an evaluating and holding pattern,” Hird said Wednesday. “We don’t necessarily want to make an investment without knowing that we need to and what the (Canadian) government’s response might be.” Moving south is an increasingly common topic among manufacturers Andrew Firth knows. The chief executive of Yakta, which makes zero-turn lawn mowers in the Rural Municipality of Wood- lands, shared concern Canadian companies may leave if tariffs are implemented without govern- ment support. “At the end of the day, we’ve got to remain prof- itable,” Firth said. “To do that, we have to look at everything.” Many U.S. departments have been “very aggres- sive” with incentives to draw manufacturers, Firth relayed. He doesn’t want to leave Canada; there are 240 Canadian employees between Yakta and its sister company Arrowquip, a farm equipment creator. Even so, Firth is hoping for updates from Canadian governments about U.S. negotiations and action plans. Uncertainty remains the biggest challenge, Hird underscored. He expects Evolution Wheel’s costs to rise “exponentially” if Canada places tariffs of its own. Export levies on Canadian products Americans rely upon — such as hydroelectricity or potash for fertilizer — may be a better path if needed, Hird suggested. No tariffs at all is the best route, said Terry Shaw, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters regional vice-president for the Prairies. If U.S. tar- iffs are imposed, the national association will advo- cate for retaliatory tariffs to pressure America. “We are not competing economies, we collabo- rate,” Shaw stressed. “We build things together.” Several Manitoba manufacturers shared the same sentiment. Diemo Machine Works, for in- stance, has two-decade-long relationships with U.S. partners. “We have found that our American customers are very enjoyable to work with, and they appre- ciate the service we provide,” Friesen said. “We definitely like working with the Americans.” The Manitoba government struck its U.S. Trade Council last month. The goal of the council, in part, is to highlight the potential impacts of tariffs on local businesses and their resulting decisions, said member Chuck Davidson. “I think a lot of companies are still holding out hope that we can come to … an understanding that tariffs are not going to be beneficial to either side of the border,” said Davidson, president of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. Some manufacturers increased production in recent weeks to ship larger orders ahead of tariffs, he noted. “We’ve been doing a lot of work,” Economic De- velopment Minister Jamie Moses said when asked what Manitoba is doing to maintain its manufactur- ing sector. Manitoba’s elected officials have met with coun- terparts across Canada and in the United States to discuss trade, tariffs and internal trade barriers, Moses outlined. The U.S. Trade Council involves a “broad cross-section” of industry, he added. Manitoba exports roughly $200 million worth of steel to the U.S., according to CME data. It imports about $195 million. — with files from The Canadian Press gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com Schmidt noted that one of the highlights of her job is the opportunity she has to travel to all corners of the province. In the Winnipeg School Division, the larg- est of its kind in the province with upwards of 30,000 students, superintendent Matt Henderson said administration is current- ly focused on the potential fallout of U.S. tariffs on vendors’ prices. WSD administration is preparing a re- port on the subject for the board of trustees ahead of its March 3 regular meeting. The Trump administration recently provided both the Canadian and Mexican governments with a month-long extension before sweeping tariffs take effect. The U.S. government is threatening to add 25 per cent duties on all goods import- ed from both countries as of March 4, cit- ing concerns about its neighbours’ border security. Additional worldwide tariffs on steel and aluminum are anticipated to begin March 12. Winnipeg’s Louis Riel School Division has yet to issue any specific guidance to schools regarding travel to Manitoba’s southern neighbour, North Dakota, or any other states. However, superintendent Christian Mi- chalik said LRSD recently put out a notice to community members to reaffirm its values, including a commitment to anti-rac- ist and anti-oppressive practices. “While events in the United States may have us feeling uneasy if not outraged, it is essential to recognize that attacks on diver- sity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are not confined by borders,” read an excerpt of a mass email sent to families and staff members Tuesday on behalf of Michalik, the LRSD board of trustees and union lead- ers representing employees in the division. The memo states the division encompass- ing St. Boniface and St. Vital must remain steadfast in continuing its actions related to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility to support student learning and well-being. LRSD will continue to challenge preju- dice, celebrate diversity and teach students “to advocate for fairness and human digni- ty,” it states. Days into his second term, Trump ordered that diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across the U.S. government be shut down. He has also hinted at wanting to transform Canada into the 51st American state. Adrian Alleyne of the River East Transcona School Division noted one student trip is scheduled for Minneapolis in June but senior administrators are discuss- ing next steps surrounding potential travel to the U.S. Jackie Scott, a spokesperson for Pembina Trails School Division, said there was no information to share on the subject. The St. James-Assiniboia School Division is monitoring the situation and “reserves the right to cancel any trip following an emergent situation or negative travel advi- sory from Global Affairs Canada,” Jordana Buckwold, assistant superintendent of education, said in a statement Wednesday. maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca TARIFFS ● FROM A1 TRIPS ● FROM A1 MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS “Right now, we’re in… an evaluating and holding pattern,” Derek Hird, owner of Evolution Wheel, said Wednesday. Court information breaks down child porn case timeline BRANDON — The foster parent charged with creating pornography that involved dependent children is alleged to have produced the material in the last six months. Court information obtained by the Brandon Sun shows the charge laid against the man dates the alleged offences as taking place between Aug. 18, 2024, to Jan. 16, 2025. Seven extra charges were alleged in the same time frame that include distributing child porn, touching children under the age of 16 for a sexual purpose and sexual assault. The man is set to appear in court next week. A Manitoba courts representative told the Sun the accused has no prior convictions in the prov- incial courts, dating back to at least 2001. The first time the recent charges appeared in court was earlier this month, and include charges of possession of child porn that go back to June 2024, and an alleged assault sometime between December 2023 and February 2025. Brandon Police Service Chief Tyler Bates said last week police are likely to lay more charges. Investigators, he said, will probably identify additional crimes as they collect statements and examine a number of different electronic devices seized through a search warrant. Bates pointed to the example that the accused was already charged with additional crimes after his arrest last week while jailed at the Brandon Correctional Centre. Police are working to determine whether more children were harmed. — Brandon Sun ;