What kind of country fines its citizens for expressing an opinion about biology? What kind of government inserts itself into everyday language and declares certain words mandatory? Canada is moving closer to that line. This month alone, two human rights tribunal decisions made national news. In Quebec, a Montreal salon was ordered to pay damages after its online booking system offered “men’s” and “women’s” haircut categories. In British Columbia, a former school trustee was o

In the private sector, there is a simple rule. If you do not return your customer’s call, someone else will. In public office, that rule should be even stricter. Taxpayers are not customers by choice. They fund the operation whether they like it or not. The least they deserve is a response. A Winnipeg resident recently wrote to Mayor Scott Gillingham and every member of council with a series of direct questions about zoning authority and municipal oversight. The questions wer

Recently, we asked readers a simple question: What is holding Winnipeg back? The responses were consistent. Business owners, professionals, tradespeople, seniors on fixed incomes and young families all pointed to the same five concerns. Crime and public safety. High taxes and rising fees. Social disorder and visible addiction. A weak economic vision. Political division and short-term thinking at City Hall. These are not abstract complaints. They affect daily life, investment

Kevin Klein has an adult conversation with Pete Hoekstra, Ambassador of the USA to Canada.

Canada faces a troubling moment when the federal government claims to be fighting hate, yet directs its energy toward policing faith instead of confronting the violence already happening on our streets. Bill C-9 was supposed to deal with genuine threats. It was meant to ban public displays of swastikas and terrorist insignia, and create stronger penalties for intimidation. Most of that is already covered by existing law, which tells you this bill is more political show than r

There is a moment, every so often, when a government makes a choice that tells you exactly how it sees itself. Winnipeg just had one of those moments. The city’s leadership is signalling that it believes it can effectively overrule the provincial government, ignore the authority of a provincial board, and do so on the advice of its own public service rather than independent legal counsel. That raises a question residents and businesses deserve to ask out loud. Who does the ci

Inside the Manitoba Legislature, every MLA can be addressed as the Honourable Member for their constituency. It is a long-standing parliamentary courtesy meant to signify integrity, seriousness, and respect for their role. Only cabinet ministers, the Premier, and sometimes the Speaker carry the title The Honourable for life, but all members are expected to uphold the standard that title implies when they take their seats. Yet what Manitobans saw again this week looked nothing

This is the third column in my series examining the City of Winnipeg’s 2026 budget. Today, we need to talk honestly about fire protection—because the numbers, the experiences, and the consequences can no longer be brushed aside with political spin. In a recent conversation with United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg President Nick Kasper, a troubling picture emerged. It’s one the city’s own audits have been warning about for nearly two decades. The city knows the solutions. They’ve

The Premier of Manitoba used his time and government resources this week to film a video promoting a liquor trailer in a Costco parking lot. Not a major investment announcement. Not progress on fast-tracking mining approvals. Not support for Manitoba producers. A liquor trailer. While families struggle with one of the highest inflation jumps in the country, the Premier was busy filming a parking lot promo. Statistics Canada reported Manitoba’s inflation rose 3 percent in Octo

The real reason prices are exploding in Canada is not what you're told Facts matter, especially when families are stretching every dollar and business owners are watching margins shrink by the month. Canadians keep hearing that the jump in prices is because of one person: Donald Trump. That line has been repeated so often it has moved from speculation to accepted truth for many. But it does not stand up to evidence. When you trace the price of the clothes you buy, the electro