Opinion

The little-known dangers we live with

Peter Denton 5 minute read Wednesday, Jul. 30, 2025

We have spent 80 years under the shadow of the atomic bomb. The first atomic weapons obliterated Hiroshima and Nagasaki on Aug. 6 and Aug. 9, 1945, at the close of the Second World War.

As with the Holocaust, the generation of atomic witnesses is almost all gone, and the perpetrators have already left the stage. Unlike the Holocaust, however, those atomic victims lack the public memorials and current reminders of a horror that should never be allowed to happen again.

Unfortunately, “Never Again” is hardly the motto of militaries around the world. Ever since 1945, we have lived under the shadow of the same horror being repeated on a larger, even a global, scale.

The Doomsday Clock, kept by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, continues to creep closer to midnight. At its start in 1947, we were seven minutes away from global catastrophe; now, as of Jan. 28, 2025, we are 89 seconds away, one second closer than the year before.

Time for re-election, or for a re-evaluation?

Dave Taylor 5 minute read Preview

Time for re-election, or for a re-evaluation?

Dave Taylor 5 minute read Tuesday, Jul. 29, 2025

His worship, Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham, has committed to seeking another term in office. One of his top priorities is the completion of the upgrade for the North End Water Pollution Control Centre (NEWPCC), which is crucial if Winnipeg wants to increase housing stock.

The plant is 88 years old and has reached capacity, so there is a sense of urgency. Getting this monkey off of city hall’s back will entail the benevolence of the province and federal government who ironically have charged the city for last February’s gigantic sewage spill at the Abinojii bridge. Concurrently, all three levels of government are also in court fighting a $4.8-billion lawsuit by 11 First Nation communities over its role in the pollution of Lake Winnipeg.

Winnipeg’s sewer infrastructure is an absolute mess and, if elected, the mayor will be spending his next term stickhandling around lawsuits, environmental arraignments and the implementation of a woefully inadequate sewer master plan.

During his first term, he was obliged to raise taxes substantially to accommodate infrastructure that had been neglected for decades. His campaign promise of a 3.5 per cent increase soon became 5.95 per cent, and in addition, increases in garbage and sewer rates were levied.

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Tuesday, Jul. 29, 2025

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES

Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham plans to run for re-election to finish a series of major projects.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
                                Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham plans to run for re-election to finish a series of major projects.

Entitlement under Section 6

Editorial 2 minute read Preview

Entitlement under Section 6

Editorial 2 minute read Wednesday, Jul. 23, 2025

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry.

Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.

LIt has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged.

LIt was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.

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Wednesday, Jul. 23, 2025

President Donald Trump speaks to the media, Sunday, July 13, 2025, on arrival to Joint Base Andrews, Md., en route to Washington, after attending the Club World Cup final soccer match in New Jersey. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

President Donald Trump speaks to the media, Sunday, July 13, 2025, on arrival to Joint Base Andrews, Md., en route to Washington, after attending the Club World Cup final soccer match in New Jersey. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

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Not married? Tread carefully on international travel

Maureen Scurfield 4 minute read Tuesday, Jul. 29, 2025

Dear Miss Lonelyhearts: My girlfriend and I are in love, living together — a deeply committed couple who’d like to go travelling. She wants to quickly get married before we do that, “because of less trouble crossing borders.” I think that’s NOT a very romantic reason for getting married!

Now she’s upset and questioning why she’s even “just living” with me! I don’t know what to say. I just don’t want to get married unromantically, for travel’s sake. It’s a feeling deep in my gut. What do you think? — Romantic Canadian Guy, Winnipeg

Dear Romantic Canuck: There are cracks growing in your relationship right now as expressed by your girlfriend, who’s questioning why you’re “just living together.”

Could you do some Canadian exploration together for now, and test out how you travel longer-term as a couple — and then decide on marriage, before you consider leaving the safety of this modern country?

Forget conflicting breakup notes and have final talk

Maureen Scurfield 4 minute read Monday, Jul. 28, 2025

DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS: I received an angry, old-fashioned breakup letter from my boyfriend today with “What I should have sent you” printed on the envelope. It was a nasty followup to a kinder text message he sent me the day before with some of his regrets about the two of us and about himself.

This one listed all my faults — social, political, personal and sexual. I guess he had taken time to really dig around in his strange little mind. He’s definitely not short on cutting remarks.

I don’t know which of the two makes me madder. Should I respond to either?

— Shaking My Head, downtown Winnipeg

Crush of credit

Joel Schlesinger 5 minute read Preview

Crush of credit

Joel Schlesinger 5 minute read Yesterday at 2:02 AM CDT

Credit cards are an invention of the modern age that may have reached a fever pitch of ubiquity.

It’s estimated there are nearly 100 million credit cards active in Canada, and of those, roughly 36 million have rolling balances, based on a recent J.D. Power 2025 Canada Credit Card Satisfaction Study.

It found among cardholders, 36 per cent had balances not paid in full at the end of the month.

The report also notes 58 per cent of credit card customers are now categorized as financially unhealthy, up one percentage point from last year.

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Yesterday at 2:02 AM CDT

October is workplace accessibility month: join the conversation

Tory McNally 6 minute read Preview

October is workplace accessibility month: join the conversation

Tory McNally 6 minute read Yesterday at 2:02 AM CDT

October is Disability Employment Awareness Month in Manitoba — a time to focus on building a province where everyone can participate fully, without barriers. It’s also a great reason to take part in the upcoming Accessibility Awareness Webinar, hosted by the Manitoba Accessibility Office.

The webinar is an opportunity to learn, connect, and stay up to date on Manitoba’s accessibility standards and resources. Whether you work in government, business, education or the non-profit sector, you’ll come away with practical insights about creating spaces, services and workplaces that work for everyone.

DEAM isn’t just a symbolic campaign. It’s a reminder accessibility is a shared responsibility — one that improves life for all Manitobans. The Manitoba Accessibility Office plays a leading role in this work year-round, providing education, guidance, and resources to help organizations meet their obligations under the Accessibility for Manitobans Act.

Manitoba Accessibility Office role

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Yesterday at 2:02 AM CDT

More Opinion

Flab jabs just bumps in the road to the new you

Maureen Scurfield 4 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS: I ate myself up 25 pounds after my breakup last spring, and it all landed around my middle. I was downtown recently and a lady in a store looked at my belly, smiled at me and said, “When is the baby due?” I just walked away from her straight out the doors, crying.

Plain and simple, I do look pregnant, and with skinny legs to boot. I talked to my mother about it and she said she has wanted to talk to me about my weight gain but didn’t want to hurt my feelings.

I just can’t get rid of this big belly myself, plus I’m not good at looking up info online and sticking to some plan because it just doesn’t feel real to me. I also don’t want to join a group with a whole bunch of people who were just pregnant. I’m a young woman and I look like I’m several months gone. Please advise.

— Not Pregnant, Just Flabby, St. James

When the federal Liberal government unveils its latest round of bail law changes next week, you can bet on two things.

First, the government will tout them as bold new measures to make communities safer. And second, before the ink is dry, there will be fresh outrage when another accused offender released on bail commits a violent crime. It’s pretty much a guarantee.

The outcry will come, as it always does, regardless of government’s tinkering around the edges.

Granted, the public is frustrated. But here’s the reality: these latest bail law reforms will do little, if anything, to reduce crime or prevent repeat offending.

Keep hubby’s job-stress worry between you and doc

Maureen Scurfield 5 minute read Friday, Oct. 17, 2025

DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS: I’m wondering if I should tell my husband’s boss, whom we now know socially after a summer of golfing, that he should go easier on my guy at work. He’s working my poor man so hard, and there’s heart disease in my husband’s family.

I wonder if my husband is actually just volunteering to go the extra 100 miles because that’s his character. I just don’t want him to die early of a heart attack like his brother did.

I feel like opening my big mouth and saying something to his boss at an event coming up. Should I?

— Concerned Wife, South End

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