Manitoba Minute: Issue 77

Manitoba Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Manitoba politics.

📅 This Week In Manitoba: 📅

• Premier Wab Kinew says he remains confident in federal support for upgrading the Port of Churchill, even though it was not included in the first set of “nation-building” projects announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney. Ottawa has committed to considering the project in future rounds but emphasized that the proposal requires further development. Kinew stressed that Manitoba will take a collaborative approach by working with Indigenous governments, contrasting this with the federal process around Bill C-5 that drew criticism for limited consultation. The port, owned by a partnership of northern First Nations and communities, is the only rail-linked deepwater port with Arctic Ocean access in North America. Federal plans envision major upgrades including improved rail lines, an all-weather road, energy corridors, and ice-breaking capacity, with Indigenous equity ownership prioritized. Critics, including Manitoba’s Official Opposition, argue the delay shows the province is falling behind while others move ahead with major projects. Kinew, however, framed Manitoba’s potential role as historic, saying an upgrade could strengthen trade with Europe and help counter US economic pressures. 
  
  
• Manitoba has committed $20 million to help establish a permanent home for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba. The new facility, located on the former Southwood Golf and Country Club lands, will safeguard sacred objects, residential school records, and survivor testimonies. Designed as an international learning lodge, it will host ceremonies, exhibits, research, and education while supporting the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action. Leaders say the centre will provide survivors and their families with a lasting place for truth-telling and healing. Since 2015, the centre has operated out of a temporary university space, but this funding - alongside federal and community contributions - brings the permanent vision much closer. Officials emphasize that the project will serve both as a place of remembrance and as a global model for reconciliation and human rights education. While over 90% of the funding is secured, construction timelines are still to be determined.
  
  
• A new Angus Reid Institute poll shows Premier Wab Kinew continues to hold the highest approval rating of any premier in Canada at 61%. However, his popularity has slipped from a peak of 68% in June, marking the first significant decline since he took office in 2023. The share of Manitobans who strongly approve of his leadership has also dropped, falling by 12 points to 22%. Analysts note the dip may be tied to controversy over the delayed Spruce Woods byelection and questions about more than $300 million in spending announced for the region beforehand. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston ranked second with 53% approval, followed by New Brunswick’s Susan Holt at 52% and Newfoundland and Labrador’s John Hogan just behind. At the other end of the spectrum, Ontario’s Doug Ford and British Columbia’s David Eby are tied for the second-lowest approval at 41%. Quebec Premier François Legault ranks last at 22%, a record low that puts his party at risk ahead of the province’s 2026 election.
  
  
• The federal government has launched the Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program in Manitoba, aimed at helping low- and middle-income households cut energy bills and emissions. The $30 million in federal funding, matched by the province, will cover free retrofits for about 7,000 homes through Efficiency Manitoba. Upgrades could include insulation, heat pumps, windows, and solar panels, all provided without upfront costs under a direct-installation model. Manitoba is the first province to implement the program, though Ottawa hopes other provinces will follow. Nearly 40% of households in the province qualify, and tenants, Indigenous governments, and Indigenous organizations will also benefit. Officials say the initiative builds on Manitoba’s earlier Affordable Home Energy Program and complements federal efforts like the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Program. 
  
  
• The Manitoba government is committing more than $946,000 in new yearly funding to strengthen supports for people living with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). This investment raises the province’s annual FASD spending to $5.6 million and is part of its broader five-year strategy. The funding will expand family support, counselling, cultural programming, and education, while extending services to more rural and northern communities. Specific initiatives include broadening the Key Worker Program to Thompson and Selkirk, expanding youth and adult supports, and enhancing Indigenous-led services like the Mothering Project. Additional resources will go toward mentoring programs and Visions and Voices, which allows individuals with FASD to share their lived experiences. The province estimates that 138 more families or individuals will benefit, and wait times will be reduced. A new community grant program of up to $2,000 per project is also being introduced, with seven initiatives receiving support this year. To mark FASD Awareness Day, the Manitoba Legislative Building was illuminated in red.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

Premier Wab Kinew said Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine will remain in cabinet despite reposting a controversial Instagram message criticizing US conservative activist Charlie Kirk the day after he was fatally shot.

Fontaine shared a post labeling Kirk as “racist, xenophobic, transphobic, Islamophobic” before removing it and issuing an apology, her second in two months. Kinew emphasized the importance of dialogue and empathy, saying he does not support cancel culture and still has confidence in Fontaine.

This incident follows a prior misstep when Fontaine swore into a hot mic about an ASL interpreter on stage.

What do you think? Should she be fired?

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

This week's sponsor is you! We don't have big corporate backers, so if you like what you're reading, please consider making a donation or signing up as a monthly member.

Having said that, if you are a local business and are interested in being a sponsor, send us an email and we'll talk!