‘OK Boomer’ rally cry about status, not ageism

Use it twice: a data centre we could support

In June, Premier Wab Kinew rejected a massive AI data centre planned near Île-des-Chênes. The project would have used 500 megawatts of power, which is about the same as the Grand Rapids generating station, and would have run on six natural gas turbines. Kinew said the environmental cost was too high and the long-term benefit for Manitobans was too low.

He made the right call. But simply saying no to data centres is not enough.

Winnipeg is a cold city. Data centres are basically huge electric heaters with computers inside. Almost every watt they use turns into heat, and most facilities pay to release it into the air. In a city that spends half the year paying to stay warm, that’s not just waste; it’s an opportunity. The idea is simple: use the energy twice. First for computing, then for heating our buildings.

The stakes are real. Manitoba Hydro’s new resource plan says peak demand will exceed our capacity as early as 2029 or 2030, and that the province will need about 1,760 additional megawatts of dependable capacity by 2035.

City considers first-come, first-served Transit Plus

The city's much-maligned Transit Plus, which is for people with disabilities, could soon do away with a system that prioritizes jobs and medical trips over recreation and visits with friends, in favour of first-come, first-served bookings.

While the city says the changes could mean Transit Plus users would no longer be guaranteed to get to work or medical appointments, several disability advocates are in favour of the move. They don't believe any trip should take priority over another.

Natalie Pirson has used Transit Plus, and the former Handi Transit system, for more than 20 years. She is pleased with the proposed changes, which will be discussed by the city's public works committee next week. Pirson was quick to point out the city will have to do more than change the booking system.

"I rely on Transit Plus for every aspect of my life," Pirson said on Thursday.

Expert urges food, drink makers to look to foreign markets

Canada’s slowing population growth could restrict business expansion, a top economist for Farm Credit Canada warned Manitoba manufacturers.

Craig Johnston, the federal Crown corporation’s chief economist, addressed Prairie businesses at Farm Credit Canada’s Food and Beverage Summit Tuesday.

“There could be some modest growth in Canadian consumption of food and beverage,” Johnston said, relaying population numbers inside a Victoria Inn Hotel conference room.

Still, per-person spending on food is “stagnant, if not somewhat rising,” Johnson later told reporters.

Billions of dollars spent on health, but scattershot financial reporting leaves decision-makers, Manitobans in the dark, auditor general says

Manitoba’s auditor general says significant gaps in health-sector financial reporting make it difficult to understand how billions of dollars in public funds are spent.

Auditor General Tyson Shtykalo is calling for clearer, more transparent reporting in his latest report, titled Observations on Health Sector Financial Reporting and Accountability in Manitoba.

“Manitoba spends nearly $10 billion annually on health care, but current financial reporting does not provide a clear picture of how that money is spent, what services cost, or the financial pressures facing the system,” Shtykalo said in a news release.

While some financial information is available, the reports do not provide a “complete, consistent, or easily understood” picture of how health-care funds are spent, the report said.

Northern style

North of North is partnering with the Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq to celebrate the way it has propelled authentic northern fashion into the global spotlight at the gallery’s special edition of Crafted on the Catwalk tonight, featuring fashion and design from Manitoba, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, Nunatsiavut and Nunavik.

Arnaquq-Baril and series stars Anna Lambe and Zorga Qaunaq spoke to the Free Press ahead of tonight’s catwalk show.

Gatherings, gratitude and getting the shots

It’s an unofficial Thanksgiving tradition — gathering around the dinner table, sharing a turkey dinner, and engaging in spirited political debates with family and friends defending widely divergent viewpoints.

This holiday weekend, however, some heated discussions will necessarily have begun well before dinner, as new rules force Manitobans to ponder whether to include unvaccinated guests on the invitation list. Some hosts might ask those who attend to bring more than a healthy appetite; fully vaccinated status will also be required.

Under tighter rules meant to prevent Manitoba’s health-care system from once again being overwhelmed — a fourth-wave surge driven largely by people who are not fully vaccinated — private indoor gatherings will be restricted to two households if any person at the gathering has chosen not to get vaccinated.

Only 10 people, not including members of the hosting household, will be allowed to gather outdoors on private property if someone is attending who is eligible for vaccination but hasn’t gotten their shots. If you host your family dinner at a public place where someone isn’t vaccinated, only 25 people or 25 per cent capacity, whichever is lower, will be allowed.