Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - November 7, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba Under the authority of The City of Winnipeg Charter, the Community Committee listed below will conduct PUBLIC HEARINGS for the purpose of allowing interested persons to make submissions, ask questions or register objections in respect of the application(s) listed below. Information or documents concerning the applications and a description of the procedure to be followed at the public hearings are available for inspection by calling 204-986-2636 to make an appointment at Unit 15-30 Fort Street, or by visiting the City Clerk’s Department, Susan A. Thompson Building, 510 Main Street between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday, excluding holidays; or on-line at http://www.winnipeg.ca CITY CENTRE COMMUNITY COMMITTEE PUBLIC HEARING Date: Monday, November 24, 2025 Time: 10:30 A.M. Location: City Hall To participate in the hearing, register online at winnipeg.ca/publichearings or by phoning 204-986-8270 by 12:00 noon the business day preceding the meeting. You may also participate in the process by submitting your comments in writing. THIS HEARING CAN BE VIEWED ON LINE AT: https://winnipeg.ca/council/video.asp FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2025 A4 ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM NEWS I TOP NEWS Poilievre risks driving more Tory MPs into Carney’s arms I T would be surprising if Nova Scotia MP Chris d’Entremont were the last Conservative to cross the floor to join Prime Minis- ter Mark Carney’s minority Liberal government. D’Entremont’s defection this week — leaving Pierre Poilievre’s Conser- vatives to sit with the Liberals — sent shockwaves throughout Ottawa. It’s not often you see a sitting MP jump ship from the official Opposition to the gov- erning party, especially one with such a different political stripe. But it’s not hard to understand why it happened. When Carney and d’Entremont walked side by side into Wednesday’s Liberal caucus meeting on Parliament Hill this week, they were greeted like heroes returning home. Liberal MPs erupted in thunderous applause and cheers. Some even began chanting d’Entremont’s name. The optics were powerful: a moder- ate Conservative joining a government that, at least in tone, is positioning itself as the pragmatic centre of Cana- dian politics. For the Liberals, it’s a major win. For the Conservatives — or more precisely, for Poilievre — it should be a major warning. D’Entremont’s decision highlights something Poilievre still hasn’t figured out: you can’t win power in Canada by running a political operation modelled after the hard-right, grievance-driven style of the U.S. Republican party. It may get you clicks and applause from the base, but it doesn’t translate into enough seats to form government — and it risks alienating both voters and members of your own caucus who don’t want to be part of that approach. Poilievre has spent the past few years doubling down on the same Trump-like populist politics that have repeatedly failed to connect with mainstream Canadians. The anger, the endless attacks, the rage farming and the social media theatrics may ener- gize his core supporters, but it turns off the broad middle of the electorate that decides elections in this country. That’s the danger for him now. There are still a number of moderate, pragmatic Conservatives in caucus — particularly in Atlantic Canada and Ontario — who have never been comfortable with Poilievre’s drift toward the far right. They see a leader more focused on fighting culture wars than proposing practical solutions to the issues most Canadians care about: affordability, health care, housing and the economy. For MPs like that, the temptation to join a centrist Liberal government — that could be in power for several more years — may start to look appealing, especially when the alternative is sitting in opposition under a leader who seems more interested in being a social media celebrity than a serious prime minister-in-waiting. The Liberals now hold 170 seats in the House of Commons — just two short of a majority. If they can con- vince two more MPs to cross the floor, Carney would have a majority — albeit a razor-thin one — capable of gov- erning for the next 3½ years without worrying about confidence votes. That kind of stability would be a gift for any governing party, and you can be sure the Liberals are working the phones to see if anyone else might be ready to make the jump, maybe even by sweetening the pot with the promise of a cabinet post or a parliamentary secretary position. Crossing the floor is never easy, and it’s still relatively rare in Canadian politics. But it does happen, usually when MPs feel their party has strayed too far from their own principles or when they see a government more closely aligned with their constituents’ interests. If Poilievre keeps refusing to mod- erate his tone and broaden his party’s appeal, don’t be shocked if we see a few more follow d’Entremont’s lead. Politics is, after all, the art of power and influence — and for some Conser- vatives, there may be more of both to be found on the other side of the aisle right now. If that happens, Poilievre will have no one to blame but himself. Crossing the floor is not something MPs do lightly. It often comes with political risk — accusations of betray- al, angry constituents and strained personal relationships with former colleagues. But, it also happens when MPs feel their party no longer reflects their values or their constituents’ best interests. It’s happened many times in the past. In 2018, for example, former Liberal cabinet minister Leona Alleslev crossed the floor to join the Conservatives, citing frustration with then-prime minister Justin Trudeau’s leadership. Vancouver MP David Emerson left the Liberals in 2006 to join then-prime minister Stephen Harper’s cabinet two weeks after a general election. In 2005, then-MP Belinda Stronach made headlines when she left Stephen Harper’s Conservatives to join prime minister Paul Martin’s Liberals — a move that saved Martin’s minority government from collapse. History shows that while rare, these defections can have a major political impact. And with the Liberals now within striking distance of a majority, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Poilievre’s brand of politics might win him applause from the fringe, but it won’t win him government. And it may soon start costing him more than just votes. It could cost him his own MPs. tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca TOM BRODBECK OPINION JUSTIN TANG / THE CANADIAN PRESS Prime Minister Mark Carney with Chris d’Entremont: the Nova Scotia MP may not be the last Tory to cross the floor. Overall, for the 12-month period be- tween August 2024 and July this year, violent crime is down 2.2 per cent and non-violent crimes fell by 0.9 per cent. Still, violent and non-violent crimes are up over the five-year average, 11.7 per cent and three per cent, respectively. Shoplifting continues to climb, espe- cially thefts under $5,000, up 12.6 per cent over the last period and 50.6 per cent above the five-year average. “It’s real,” said John Graham, the Retail Council of Canada’s director for the Prairies. But he believes the surge in retail crime that began during the pandemic has plateaued, crediting better co-ordination between police and the province. “We got to a point where there was extreme frustration with the lack of re- sponse from the Winnipeg Police Ser- vice, in particular,” Graham said. “Out of that, though, came some really good work, with the formation of the retail crime task force that got the right peo- ple at the table, and getting the right strategies, including a well-funded police service that can focus on — in part, at least — retail crime.” Graham praised police Chief Gene Bowers for taking the issue more seriously than his predecessor, Danny Smyth, who he said once viewed retail theft as “little Billy taking a chocolate bar.” “Now, it’s so widely understood that retail crime is more than that, and its impacts on the community and retail employees and customers. It’s being taken far more seriously.” The impact runs deeper than many realize, said Loren Remillard, presi- dent and CEO of The Winnipeg Cham- ber of Commerce. “This isn’t just about retail theft and violence, but the fight for our neigh- bourhoods,” he said, citing research showing definitively that consumers will patronize businesses they feel are safer. “If you walk into a business, even if it’s not covered in plywood, but the business to the right of it is, or the left, or maybe both, how comfortable do you feel? It impacts your business. “Imagine Osborne Village if there were no businesses left in it. How vi- brant would that community be? How safe would people feel walking there late at night?” Late last month, First Row Collect- ibles on Main Street in the city’s Seven Oaks neighbourhood was robbed for the second time this year. The most recent break-in happened overnight on Oct. 22, when a man smashed a window at the 1835 Main St. store, grabbed collectible wrestling figurines and fled into the night. Owner Curtis Howson believes the culprits aren’t collectors — they’re acting out of desperation. “It’s not like a guy is waking up at 2:30 in the morning and saying, ‘I got to get myself a Hulk Hogan action figure,’” Howson said. “No. Somebody said there was a little bit of money in this, and if they got it, they’d get some money and that money is traded in for something they need or want.” Much of the retail crime in the city is tied to the ongoing methamphet- amine crisis, he said. H OWSON didn’t lose much mer- chandise in the latest incident; the suspect, who was arrested the following week, made off with several wrestling and Karate Kid action figures and a book autographed by Kiss bassist Gene Simmons. He posted the footage of the break-in on the store’s Facebook page. The bigger problem, Howson said, is the damage to his storefront. The shattered window is now covered with plywood, forcing him to hang a sign reminding customers he’s still open. In February, thieves stole about $5,000 worth of Howson’s goods during an overnight robbery. “That one really hurt,” he said. Despite the loss, Howson said he was “lucky” — as the thieves rummaged through the shop, they knocked over a showcase containing valuable col- lectible cards, hiding them under the debris. “It’s disheartening,” he said. “I’m pouring my time and my heart and all my effort into creating this business, and people are violating it by coming in at nighttime and taking it.” Remillard said the numbers that appear to have levelled off are of little comfort to businesses such as First Row that have been victimized multi- ple times. “What I’m hearing from our mem- bers is that, while the situation may not be getting worse, the situation remains problematic for far too many from all across the city.” He acknowledged the social factors driving crime, but said they shouldn’t overshadow the role of profit-driven theft. The chamber is calling for a compre- hensive review of Canada’s criminal justice and corrections system, beyond bail reform. “We have to take a look at how we as a society have agreed to live together and the consequences of contraven- tion of laws that we’ve agreed upon,” Remillard said. “Society has changed considerably. But has our criminal justice system?” Howson said he doesn’t blame police; he understands the strain officers are under and the broader issues facing the city. Security cameras, once considered a reliable deterrent, no longer seem to make much difference. Both robberies at his store were captured on video. “When people are that deep into addiction, they are going to get it regardless,” he said, adding that he’s contemplated getting metal shutters or impenetrable glass — costly options. Howson believes mandatory detox could make a difference when individ- uals are arrested. Still, he admits it’s complicated. He doesn’t want to keep getting robbed, but he also understands the desperate circumstances driving the crime. Bill 48 — allowing the detention of people under the influence of meth and other substances for up to 72 hours — an expansion of the existing 24-hour legislation based on alcohol intoxica- tion — passed Wednesday, paving the way for a 20-bed 72-hour detox facility in Point Douglas to open before the end of the month, the province said Thursday. scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca CRIME ● FROM A1 SUPPLED First Row Collectibles lost a number of wrestling figurines during an Oct. 22 break-in. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Winnipeg police Chief Gene Bowers has been credited with taking a more serious approach to retail crime than his predecessor. ;