Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - November 17, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba THE GIFT FOR GARDEN LOVERS! Reserve tickets now assiniboinepark.ca A fresh floral celebration of the natural wonders of the world brought to life by Winnipeg’s talented floral designers. WORLD PREMIERE! JANUARY 15-25, 2026 St. Andrew’s Society of Winnipeg 154th Celebration of St. Andrew’s Day Saturday, November 22 standrewssocietywinnipeg.com For tickets and more information: Guest Speaker John J. Devine, LVO, OBE Head of the Scottish Government in Canada Centro Caboto Centre A gala evening of Scottish entertainment and fare SERVING MANITOBA SINCE 1872 PROUDLY CANADIAN MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2025 Kinew, Carney announce Churchill port funding GABRIELLE PICHÉ NEW cash for the Port of Churchill, and a commitment to further the proj- ect, came from the province Sunday as Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Premier Wab Kinew. They issued a joint announcement hours before the Grey Cup, which Car- ney visited Winnipeg to watch. Manitoba has slated another $51 mil- lion for Hudson Bay rail line upgrades and a new critical minerals storage facility at the northern port. The prov- ince’s total project investment sits at $87.5 million. Some federal funding will flow to the Arctic Research Foundation for a fea- sibility study on the use of icebreakers, ice tugs and research vessels at the port. Ottawa announced $175 million for the Port of Churchill Plus project last March. Carney and Kinew, in their state- ment, said they aim to release a strate- gy and project plan next spring. “Strong commitments from Mani- toba and Canada give us the tools to continue modernizing our operations and preparing for a broader range of global trade opportunities,” Chris Avery, president of Arctic Gateway Group, said in a statement. Arctic Gateway Group owns the Port of Churchill and the Hudson Bay Railway. It’s made up of 41 Indigenous and northern communities. Kinew has previously said the deep-water port will “Trump-proof” Canada. Politicians have touted the Arctic access point as a route to Eu- rope and other markets. The project was referred to Ottawa’s Major Projects Office last September. Work has involved establishing project building blocks and creating a project charter, Carney and Kinew’s statement reads. A Manitoba Crown-Indigenous Cor- poration board is being created; once made, the entity will be a full partner in the project development. “This strong collaboration highlights the Port of Churchill Plus as a priority and will help move it from consid- eration to implementation,” the joint Carney–Kinew statement reads. “Significant progress has been made to date and this will only continue to pick up speed.” Cannabis industry ‘a very compliant group’ THE provincial body that oversees the cannabis industry issued 97 “verbal cautions” and 28 warning letters to Manitoba retailers in the past two fiscal years over regulatory breaches found by inspectors. In six cases, officials from the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Author- ity of Manitoba met with weed-store management to discuss regulatory concerns that were found. The regulator has, however, issued just three compliance orders — bind- ing directives that carry the weight of the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Con- trol Act that must be addressed, but can be appealed — to retailers in the seven years since the federal govern- ment legalized recreational cannabis in 2018. One of the three orders, ironically, was about the improper sale of liquor at an event in a cannabis store. In that case, the licensee, Cannabudz Inc., was ordered to pay a $2,542 fine for selling booze at Atomic Flower, a Portage Avenue shop, during the 2022 evening affair. “The cannabis industry for us, they have a very high compliance rate,” said Amanda Creasy, head of pub- lic affairs at the LGCA, which also regulates the sale of alcohol and the gambling and horse racing industries. “Of all of our industries, they actu- ally probably have the highest compli- ance rate.” Creasy tied the Manitoba industry’s general regulatory fastidiousness to the fact its product was long illegal. ERIK PINDERA Taxi ride with Victoria pair (including city’s mayor) a shining Canadian moment Marianne, Martha and the Grey Cup spirit T HIS is a story about how the CFL has a way of bringing Can- adians together, truly together, in a way few other things can. It was 90 minutes before kickoff at the 112th Grey Cup. Outside the Kenaston-area hotel, two women stood waiting for a cab, which took a long time to come. I’d arrived there to find I’d missed the latest shuttle to Princess Auto Stadium, and I was in a state of panic. I turned to the women, who were clearly decked out in football gear. If you’re going to the game, I pleaded, can I hop in your cab? I don’t have any cash to help with the fare. “Of course,” the two women re- plied, their voices warm with Grey Cup spirit. “Come with us!” That’s how I met Marianne and Martha, longtime football fans who’d flown in from Victoria, B.C. Al- though Sunday night was relatively mild for mid-November in Winnipeg, their West Coast acclimatization found the Prairie chill challenging; they laughed as they showed off the many layers of warm clothing they’d piled on for the event. Over these layers, Marianne wore a B.C. Lions hat, from her beloved home-province team, and a green Saskatchewan jersey — that one be- cause she’d lost a bet, she explained. Besides, if her Lions aren’t compet- ing for the Cup, she likes to support the Western Canadian squad. As the cab headed to the stadium, the pair asked me about Winnipeg. They’d planned an extra two days here to explore the city; they’d already been to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, which they thought was brilliant, and were hoping to see other top local sights, including the Royal Canadian Mint and city hall. Premier, PM to release project plan in spring ● CHURCHILL, CONTINUED ON A2 ● CANNABIS, CONTINUED ON A2 ● GREY CUP, CONTINUED ON A2 WEATHER MAINLY SUNNY. HIGH 1 — LOW -5 TOP NEWS HAMMER ATTACKER BACK IN PRISON / A3 OPINION MELISSA MARTIN DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris hoists the Grey Cup after defeating the Montreal Alouettes at Princess Auto Stadium Sunday. See Grey Cup coverage on C1,2. ● GAME COVERAGE ON C1, C2 ;