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Opinion

To contribute last-minute or not?

It’s RRSP season again — is it worth additions amid other ways to save?

Joel Schlesinger 6 minute read Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026

Canadians have great tools to save tax-deferred or tax-free for the future — and the granddaddy of them all is the registered retirement savings plan.

The calendar now turned to February, RRSPs are on the minds of many, with the March 2 deadline looming for the last contributions for 2025.

Yet in the context of the other ways to save — the tax-free savings account (TFSA) and the newer, first home savings account (FHSA) — the RRSP is not always the most attractive place to park, invest and grow money.

The ideal is to fund all of these savings vehicles, based on need, to their annual maximums.

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MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS

Telpay chief experience officer Paul Vieira is the creator of the Shorty Awards-nominated Double Entry, a six-episode web series the company created to promote itself.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Telpay chief experience officer Paul Vieira is the creator of the Shorty Awards-nominated Double Entry, a six-episode web series the company created to promote itself.

Winnipeg company’s web series in spotlight at international Shorty Awards

Aaron Epp 5 minute read Preview

Winnipeg company’s web series in spotlight at international Shorty Awards

Aaron Epp 5 minute read Yesterday at 8:27 PM CDT

Eight weeks from now, Telpay Inc. might have something in common with Michelle Obama and Conan O’Brien.

The Winnipeg payments company is a finalist at this year’s Shorty Awards, a U.S.-based competition that counts the former U.S. first lady and late night TV mainstay/comedian among its previous winners.

The awards honour innovative work in digital and social media by brands, agencies and organizations. Telpay is a finalist in the “Branded Series” category for its original web series, Double Entry — a six-episode mockumentary in the style of The Office that celebrates bookkeepers and the everyday challenges they face.

The company, which is the largest independent processor of electronic bill payments in Canada, faces stiff competition in the category from global brands such as Amazon, Disney, Nasdaq and Visa.

Read
Yesterday at 8:27 PM CDT

Business

JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS

‘We just thought it was a nice place for us to start,’ says Jossy Nelson, an entrepreneur born in Nigeria who immigrated to Swan River from Ireland to grow her makeup line.
JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS ‘We just thought it was a nice place for us to start,’ says Jossy Nelson, an entrepreneur born in Nigeria who immigrated to Swan River from Ireland to grow her makeup line.

Swan River-based cosmetics brand seeks ‘bigger breakthrough’

Malak Abas 4 minute read Preview

Swan River-based cosmetics brand seeks ‘bigger breakthrough’

Malak Abas 4 minute read Monday, Mar. 30, 2026

A makeup and skincare brand led by a newcomer out of the town of Swan River is looking to expand its reach.

Jossy Nelson describes her business, Adaluxe Cosmetics, as a one-stop shop for those interested in the science of beauty — cruelty-free, paraben-free and inspired by her studies in botany and medical product manufacturing.

The full line, which is meant to include products for every step of any skincare and makeup routine, is available online, or at her storefront in a medical clinic in Swan River, a town about 380 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.

While Nelson, a 43-year-old who was born in Nigeria and came to Manitoba from Ireland in 2023, has found success locally since calling Swan River home, her next step, she hopes, is widespread expansion.

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Monday, Mar. 30, 2026

Business

Supplied

Sébastien Léveillé, Lovo chief executive.
Supplied Sébastien Léveillé, Lovo chief executive.

Nutri Group rebrands as Lovo; Steinbach division renos continue

Aaron Epp 3 minute read Preview

Nutri Group rebrands as Lovo; Steinbach division renos continue

Aaron Epp 3 minute read Saturday, Mar. 28, 2026

A Quebec-based egg grader and processor with a division in Manitoba has launched a new brand identity and is investing millions of dollars into its operation in Steinbach.

Nutri Group will now be known as Lovo. Leadership at the 39-year-old company revealed the new name to stakeholders earlier this week, and they are announcing the change publicly today.

The new name is derived from “love” and “ovo,” the Latin word for egg. It’s meant to be upbeat and focus on “the sunny side of life,” said Sébastien Léveillé, the company’s chief executive. The new brand includes updated packaging Léveillé hopes will catch consumers’ eyes in the supermarket.

“The egg section in grocery stores is pretty beige and there’s (been) no upgrade in this section for years,” he said.

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Saturday, Mar. 28, 2026

Business

Jimmy John’s opens fourth local location

1 minute read Saturday, Mar. 28, 2026

Sandwich shop chain Jimmy John’s has expanded its presence in Winnipeg with the grand opening of its fourth location.

Local franchisees Mark Beyer and Derek Nieroda opened the restaurant at 1857B Grant Ave. earlier this week, the company announced in a release Friday. The duo also own and operate the 1740 Pembina Hwy. location, which opened last summer.

The latest opening has created 15 to 20 new jobs, according to the release.

Started in 1983 in Illinois, the chain offers a variety of sandwiches, including “unwiches,” or lettuce-wrapped handhelds. The company counts more than 2,600 restaurants in the United States.

Opinion

Potential for fertilizer use efficiency spikes alongside prices

Laura Rance 4 minute read Saturday, Mar. 28, 2026

Farmers may have difficulty seeing the opportunity lurking in the fertilizer prices skyrocketing alongside those military drones soaring over the Middle East.

After all, these are times that test the fortitude of any optimist.

Farmers can’t do anything about the sticker price on crop nutrients, but the latest annual Fertilizer Canada survey tracking their use suggests they have more latitude to adjust their purchases.

The current economics around crop fertility may accomplish what environmental and climate change lobbyists have been advocating for years. Farmers may be driven to accept the science and adopt different technologies — both new and old — that improve how efficiently they feed their crops.

Opinion

Freepik

Target sales. Clients attraction accuracy, shopping list, consumerism idea. Retail service customer, shopper with trolley cartoon character. Vector isolated concept metaphor illustration
Freepik Target sales. Clients attraction accuracy, shopping list, consumerism idea. Retail service customer, shopper with trolley cartoon character. Vector isolated concept metaphor illustration

Consume, at what cost?

Joel Schlesinger 6 minute read Preview

Consume, at what cost?

Joel Schlesinger 6 minute read Saturday, Mar. 28, 2026

Consumers are the kings, queens, servants and paupers of the market economy, increasingly relied upon to drive growth.

A recent study points to many struggling to keep up — a sign of growing income inequality post-COVID-19 pandemic.

The report from RBC highlights wealth growing faster for those at the top, while others are experiencing their share declining.

“There’s a lot of questions regarding consumption in the (United) States … with this narrative about the K-shaped economy,” says Rachel Battaglia, an RBC economist and co-author of Affordability: Decoding Canada’s uneven household realities.

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Saturday, Mar. 28, 2026

More Business

Business

Ruth Bonneville / Free Press

Nikola Maharajh in his recently renovated restaurant at 456 Main St. Eight months after being damaged by fire, Commonwealth Kitchen and Bar will have its grand opening April 8.
Ruth Bonneville / Free Press Nikola Maharajh in his recently renovated restaurant at 456 Main St. Eight months after being damaged by fire, Commonwealth Kitchen and Bar will have its grand opening April 8.

Downtown Winnipeg eatery among businesses damaged in 2025 arson spree, one of few to reopen

Malak Abas 5 minute read Preview

Downtown Winnipeg eatery among businesses damaged in 2025 arson spree, one of few to reopen

Malak Abas 5 minute read Tuesday, Mar. 24, 2026

When Commonwealth Kitchen & Bar opened to patrons Friday, eight months after it was one of the first targets of an alleged serial arsonist, it felt like the light at the end of a long, dark tunnel for owner Nikola Maharajh.

“Honestly, it was surreal to see people in the room again,” he told the Free Press on Monday.

“I’ve spent so many hours inside this building with the windows covered, water damage, looking at the room in a space that was pretty painful to see, so to see the room operating again, with people having a fun time, it was a major relief, honestly.”

Commonwealth had been closed since a fire investigated as arson broke out at the property July 10. The 456 Main St. eatery held its first weekend nightlife events Friday and Saturday, and plans to be open on weekend nights leading up to its full grand opening April 8.

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Tuesday, Mar. 24, 2026

Business

Wawanesa expands Ontario, Quebec reach with Everest acquisition

Malak Abas 3 minute read Monday, Mar. 23, 2026

The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company has acquired the Ontario-based Everest Insurance Company of Canada, in a move set to strengthen its reach outside of Manitoba.

Everest’s portfolio focuses on specialty commercial insurance products, including cyber and aviation insurance, and professional liability services. Taking on its niche offerings will add about $305 million in Wawanesa’s annual commercial lines premiums — an increase of about 30 per cent.

“It takes us into a space that we weren’t playing before,” Wawanesa president and CEO Evan Johnston said Monday.

The 50-year-old Everest is primarily based in Ontario and Quebec — two provinces Wawanesa has long had interest in growing in, said Johnston.

Business

SUPPLIED

Jayne Trimble has interviewed a number of Manitobans on The Empower Women Show, including Winnipeg-based clothing designer Miriam Delos Santos (right).
SUPPLIED Jayne Trimble has interviewed a number of Manitobans on The Empower Women Show, including Winnipeg-based clothing designer Miriam Delos Santos (right).

Empower Women Show turns key light on Manitoba

Aaron Epp 3 minute read Preview

Empower Women Show turns key light on Manitoba

Aaron Epp 3 minute read Monday, Mar. 23, 2026

A TV show creator wants to give Winnipeg businesswomen their 15 minutes of fame.

Jayne Trimble will be in Manitoba’s capital next week to film episodes for the third season of The Empower Women Show, which airs on Rogers TV. Trimble produces and hosts the show, which features interviews with women entrepreneurs, professionals and leaders from Ontario to B.C.

“I’ve always had a passion for empowering women,” said Trimble, who divides her time between Saskatchewan and California.

“I wanted to address things like inner healing journeys, the self-esteem journey, entrepreneurship and being a mother, flipping the script on shame, abundance mindset — all of these kinds of things that on my journey have been really important for me.”

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Monday, Mar. 23, 2026

Opinion

JEFF MCINTOSH / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES

David Reid drives a seeding rig as he plants a wheat crop near Cremona, Alta. Wheat is grown on nearly 50,000 farms in Canada, but fertilizer cost issues this season may alter that number.
JEFF MCINTOSH / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES David Reid drives a seeding rig as he plants a wheat crop near Cremona, Alta. Wheat is grown on nearly 50,000 farms in Canada, but fertilizer cost issues this season may alter that number.

No one-size-fits-all answers on farm

Laura Rance 4 minute read Preview

No one-size-fits-all answers on farm

Laura Rance 4 minute read Saturday, Mar. 21, 2026

We all complain about sticker price shock at the grocery store, but when it comes to inflation, farmers have been eating at least some of it on our behalf.

Even before the Middle East firestorm broke out Feb. 28, farming was becoming disproportionately expensive.

Manitoba Agriculture extension economist Darren Bond told a webinar this week that compared to five years ago, farmers’ overall costs of production have risen around 50 per cent — well above the general inflation rate of around 20 per cent. Whether buying new equipment, repairing what they have or acquiring more land, they are often faced with double-digit increases annually.

Can they rent their way out of the bind? A farmer hoping to avoid paying a 46 per cent price increase in the cost of a new sprayer will pay 72 per cent more for a rental than they did in 2020.

Read
Saturday, Mar. 21, 2026

Opinion

Freepik

Of course, leaders cannot rely only on observation. They also need to actively ask employees what is working and what is not.
Freepik Of course, leaders cannot rely only on observation. They also need to actively ask employees what is working and what is not.

Leadership advantage starts with listening

Tory McNally 6 minute read Preview

Leadership advantage starts with listening

Tory McNally 6 minute read Saturday, Mar. 21, 2026

Leadership often involves making decisions with incomplete information, balancing operational demands with the needs of the people doing the work.

One of the most valuable skills a leader can develop is the ability to listen well and notice patterns in how employees are experiencing their work. Many leaders believe they are already doing this, but it is surprisingly easy for important signals to go unnoticed. Employees may be talking among themselves about frustrations, inefficiencies or small problems that slowly grow larger over time.

When leaders take the time to notice trends in employee satisfaction and respond thoughtfully, they make their own jobs easier in the long run.

The first step is simply paying attention to patterns rather than isolated comments.

Read
Saturday, Mar. 21, 2026

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS

Telpay chief experience officer Paul Vieira is the creator of the Shorty Awards-nominated Double Entry, a six-episode web series the company created to promote itself.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Telpay chief experience officer Paul Vieira is the creator of the Shorty Awards-nominated Double Entry, a six-episode web series the company created to promote itself.

Winnipeg company’s web series in spotlight at international Shorty Awards

Aaron Epp 5 minute read Preview

Winnipeg company’s web series in spotlight at international Shorty Awards

Aaron Epp 5 minute read Yesterday at 8:27 PM CDT

Eight weeks from now, Telpay Inc. might have something in common with Michelle Obama and Conan O’Brien.

The Winnipeg payments company is a finalist at this year’s Shorty Awards, a U.S.-based competition that counts the former U.S. first lady and late night TV mainstay/comedian among its previous winners.

The awards honour innovative work in digital and social media by brands, agencies and organizations. Telpay is a finalist in the “Branded Series” category for its original web series, Double Entry — a six-episode mockumentary in the style of The Office that celebrates bookkeepers and the everyday challenges they face.

The company, which is the largest independent processor of electronic bill payments in Canada, faces stiff competition in the category from global brands such as Amazon, Disney, Nasdaq and Visa.

Read
Yesterday at 8:27 PM CDT

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