Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - April 30, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba Learn more at wpgfdn.org What is a community foundation? Community foundations are a source of support for local charities. Gifts to a foundation are pooled and invested and a portion of the interest earned is granted to support our community needs now and forever. WITH EVERY STORY manitobamuseum.ca P OLITICAL and business leaders in Manitoba congratulated Prime Minister Mark Carney for his election win then put his government on notice to keep its promises and boost the economy. “If there’s going to be a Team Canada approach, we have to make sure First Nations are at the table,” Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said Tuesday after congratulating Carney. First Nations need to be involved in negotiating international trade and “na- tion-building” projects that Carney has promised, said the chief who was born and raised in Pinaymootang First Na- tion. One of the promises the new prime minister made on the campaign trail was to double the Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program from $5 billion to $10 billion to make it easier for more communities to have a greater share in the benefits of major resource, trans- portation and trade projects. Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham said having a Liberal government return to office is an opportunity to make prog- ress on developing housing in the city, and the massive upgrade to the north end sewage treatment plant. The mayor said Carney has commit- ted to maintaining the housing acceler- ator fund agreement that’s been “very important to the City of Winnipeg to in- centivize some key developments of resi- dential units where we need residential housing.” Gillingham also congratulated Winni- peg South Liberal Terry Duguid on his re-election, saying the MP worked close- ly with the city on funding for the $3-bil- lion sewage plant upgrade. “We’re looking forward to continuing our conversation and efforts to find a funding mechanism and sources for that project.” Gillingham said he wants Carney to get rid of U.S. tariffs or reduce them to protect jobs and to promote interprovin- cial trade that presents opportunities for Winnipeg. “We’re at the centre, geographically, of our nation,” Gillingham said. “So much trade does and will continue to flow east to west through Winnipeg as we move product to market across our nation — it’s running right through our city. We continue as a city and as a province to play a key role in Canada’s economy.” The federal government needs to get the provinces to the table and agree to remove trade barriers, echoed Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce president Loren Remillard. “In today’s day and age it seems really counterproductive, as we’re struggling internationally with relations and some of the economic challenges associated with that, that we have these artificial barriers to our own economic well-being within Canada,” Remillard said. “These are the things that are within our own control.” Remillard said increased productivity in the business community and public sector is needed to navigate the trade waters, noting the use of artificial intelli- gence would be key. The provincial director of the Can- adian Federation of Independent Busi- ness agreed removing trade barriers is crucial to Canada’s economy. “Manitoba’s small businesses are looking to the new government to follow through on its campaign promises, par- ticularly around dropping the increase in the capital gains inclusion rate, re- moving the consumer carbon tax and knocking down interprovincial trade barriers,” said Brianna Solberg. “So far, only three provinces — Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Prince Edward Is- land — have introduced legislation to remove internal trade barriers on a re- ciprocal basis,” she said. That’s set the stage for a freer trade zone among those three provinces. “Manitoba’s inaction on this means local businesses and workers will miss out on improved access to new Canadian markets,” Solberg said. Premier Wab Kinew was not avail- able for an interview Tuesday but took to social media to congratulate Carney, posting a photo of the two of them in the premier’s office. “We look forward to building up this country with you.” Kinew later posted a goodbye to NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who announced he would step down after his party’s poor election showing. “Tough day for New Democrats across the country. Thank you, Jagmeet Singh, for your years of service and for stand- ing up for working people. You led with the values we both share: fairness, jus- tice, and compassion,” Kinew wrote. Newly elected Manitoba Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan was also unavailable for an interview but issued a statement congratulating Car- ney and all who ran for office, while thanking those who took the time to vote. He said his focus is on holding Kinew and the NDP to account and ensuring access to quality and timely health care, making communities safer, life more affordable and Manitoba’s economy stronger. — with files from Joyanne Pursaga and Gabrielle Piché carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca A3 WEDNESDAY APRIL 30, 2025 ● ASSOCIATE EDITOR, NEWS: STACEY THIDRICKSON 204-697-7292 ● CITY.DESK@FREEPRESS.MB.CA ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM VOTE CANADA 2025 CAROL SANDERS Interprovincial trade, housing, sewage plant upgrade among top issues for local leaders, biz community Congrats, Carney — now keep your promises “What strategic voting resulted in is 12 extra Conservative seats,” Gazan said, referring to the national total. “The NDP didn’t lose seats mainly to the Liberals. The NDP lost seats to the very party that many people were trying to keep out.” The New Democrats had 11 per cent of the popular vote in Manito- ba — down from 23 per cent in the 2021 election — with some polls left to report preliminary results. Tory (46.3 per cent) and Liberal (40.8 per cent) support climbed. Gazan edged Liberal Rahul Walia by 4.2 percentage points in Winnipeg Cen- tre. Her vote share fell by almost 11 percentage points compared with 2021. She attributed her win to a “solid” ground game and her work with com- munity organizations in two earlier terms. “I think the community chose to vote for and re-elect somebody that they knew, and somebody, I’ve heard at the door, that they trust to have their back,” she said. Liberal support surged in Elm- wood-Transcona, where the NDP’s Dance lost to Tory candidate Colin Reynolds by 7.1 percentage points in a rematch of a September byelection, which she won by 4.2 percentage points to become a first-time MP. Liberal candidate Ian MacIntyre scored 22.4 per cent of Monday’s vote, up from 4.8 per cent in the byelection. “By the Liberal number going up and my number coming down, I think that’s where it is,” Dance said. “I think if we had been strategically voting in the riding, people would have strategically voted towards the NDP because the NDP has historically held the seat here, if it was ‘anybody but Conservatives.’” Reynolds did not respond to a request for comment, mirroring his strategy throughout the campaign and last year’s byelection. Dance felt positive about her campaign. She said it was “extremely draining” to compete in two elections in less than a year. After taking time off, she expects to return to work in the non-profit sector. “I’m grateful for the opportunity that I had, even though it was a short time,” she said. Conservative incumbent Raquel Dan- cho, re-elected in Kildonan-St. Paul, said it’s “early days” for a vote analy- sis, but her door-knocking suggested she had “overwhelming” support from tradespeople and young families. “I would say, anecdotally, it certainly looks like some of the demographic that has voted NDP in the past, or would be expected to vote NDP, came our way,” she said. Dancho had 47.5 per cent of the riding’s vote, up almost six percentage points from 2021. She defeated Liberal candidate Thomas Naaykens by less than three percentage points and New Democrat Emily Clark by 40 points, as NDP support plummeted in the riding. Elmwood-Transcona was a “big upset” that poll aggregators did not predict, Dancho said. “That may be an indication that, certainly, there’s been a massive de- mographic shift between parties, and that the Conservative party is, in fact, representing many working Canadians, and it’s great to see,” Dancho said. Liberal candidate Rebecca Char- trand had a 15.9-point lead over Ashton, the MP for Churchill-Keewatinook Aski since 2008, with most polls reporting. Ashton defeated Chartrand by three percentage points in 2015. Chartrand said voters wanted change. “People in the North have felt forgot- ten in some regards,” she said. “What I consistently heard is this riding needs to be a huge part of the strategy as we start to re-envision what Canada looks like economically.” Ginette Lavack, who kept St. Boni- face-St. Vital for the Liberals, will be another new face in Ottawa, taking over from Dan Vandal, who did not seek re-election. “I’m very excited to get to work,” she said. Lavack received almost 60 per cent of the riding’s vote, up from Vandal’s share of 43.8 per cent in 2021. “It doesn’t surprise me the numbers overall would be up by comparison to 2021 because (Monday’s) turnout was significantly higher,” she said. Liberal incumbents were relieved after opinion polls a few months ago suggested the Tories were set for a big win in the next election. The Grits’ comeback was triggered by a leadership change — swapping prime minister Justin Trudeau for Mark Carney — and Trump’s rhetoric. One should never give up hope in politics, said Kevin Lamoureux, who was re-elected in Winnipeg North, the riding he has held since 2010. “We’ve won more seats than we had in the previous Parliament,” he said. “People recognized Mark Carney as the best person to be able to deal with Canada’s economy and Donald Trump.” Lamoureux believes a lot of the “pro- gressive vote,” including the NDP vote, unified behind the Liberals. The NDP could be relied upon again to prop up a Liberal minority govern- ment, as it did under Trudeau. “I’m hoping the NDP will see the merit of working closely with the gov- ernment, but also I think it’s important that we work with members of all political parties who are prepared to put Canada first,” Lamoureux said. Dancho had nothing but praise for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who lost his Ottawa-area seat while guiding the party to its highest project- ed vote share since 1988. She declined to say if she thinks he should stay on as leader. “Pierre Poilievre is the hardest-work- ing person I’ve ever met in my life. He inspired millions of people with a message of hope and change,” she said. Holding the Liberals to a minority and gaining seats were positive out- comes for the Conservatives, she said. University of Winnipeg political sci- ence Prof. Malcolm Bird said eventual riding-by-riding analyses will help determine where NDP support went. “I think more of it went to Mr. Poil- ievre than people think,” he said. Bird said it’s not the end of the NDP, but it’s time for the party to rethink its tactics and behaviour. “I do think that this is an inflection point or milestone or something where they need to consider what they’re doing, who they are and who is their leader,” he said. chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca NDP ● FROM A1 MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Conservative Kildonan-St. Paul incumbent Raquel Dancho was re-elected, defeating Liberal Thomas Naaykens by less than three percentage points. RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS Ginette Lavack kept the St. Boniface-St. Vital riding for the Liberals. AARON EPP / FREE PRESS NDP MP Leah Gazan, greeting supporters at her headquarters after being declared the win- ner in Winnipeg Centre Monday, edged Liberal Rahul Walia by 4.2 percentage points. ;