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Brandonmeat packer thriving on its own

BRANDON — Canada Packers has strengthened its business and laid the foundation for future growth during its first year as an independent company, its president says.

The Brandon-based pork producer, separated from Maple Leaf Foods in October 2025, established its own leadership, strategy, systems, culture and identity while continuing operations across its hog production farms and regional hog barns in southern and eastern Manitoba.

The company’s first year was focused on building a successful standalone business while continuing to serve customers, communities and shareholders, president Dennis Organ said.

“Market conditions over the past year have been more challenging than we anticipated when we became a separate entity,” he said in an email. “Despite that, we continued to execute against our priorities, including increasing processing volumes, maintaining disciplined operations and strengthening the business.”

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Transit driver stabbed with syringe by passenger

A Winnipeg Transit driver is recovering in hospital after a passenger stabbed him in the leg with a syringe while riding the bus early Wednesday, the Amalgamated Transit Union says.

The union said the incident occurred shortly before 1 a.m. while the operator was stopped in the northbound lanes of Isabel Street, near William Avenue. A female passenger reached around the driver’s safety shield and stabbed the driver twice before getting off the bus.

The driver was taken to the Seven Oaks Hospital in stable condition, where he is undergoing treatment and further testing, union president James Van Gerwin said in an interview.

“We spoke to the member. He is doing OK, but he is still in the hospital and he is scared — as anybody would be,” Van Gerwin said.

Wet weather heats up feed grain availability

Other than those in another rain cloud, it’s hard to find the silver linings attached to this year’s soggy harvest.

A showery September continued to cause delays and more deterioration in both quality and yield. Plus, the costs of mitigating post-harvest losses to spoilage are rising as the delays push further into fall. It takes more heat and time to artificially dry down grain as temperatures cool.

Crops harvested in August before the weather turned warm and damp came off with good quality and average yields. But farmers in some areas, such as southwest Manitoba, had only started when the rains came. Now they are plagued with standing water and sprouting swaths of grain that might not even make feed quality.

Suffice to say crop insurance adjusters are going to be busy this fall.