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Klein’s entrance adds spark to ho-hum mayoral race

Until this week, Winnipeg’s mayoral race looked less like a democratic contest and more like a coronation.

It appeared Mayor Scott Gillingham was a shoo-in to win a second term. There were no obvious challengers with the political profile, organization or credibility to make his re-election bid uncomfortable.

That changed Tuesday: Kevin Klein is back.

The former city councillor and provincial cabinet minister is launching his second campaign for mayor, turning what looked like a sleepy election into something that resembles an actual race.

Fuel prices likely to rise further, economists say

MONTREAL - Soaring gas prices fuelled the largest rise in the annual inflation rate in four decades last month, Statistics Canada says — with further increases anticipated.

In May, customers paid 48 per cent more at the pump than a year earlier as a result of high crude oil prices, caused in turn by supply bottlenecks after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and a leap in demand prompted by eased COVID-19 restrictions.

The price of gasoline jumped 12 per cent between April and May, the largest one-month price increase since January 2003, the agency said Wednesday. That surge helped propel last month's 34.8 per cent rise in energy prices year over year.

Gas prices are expected to rise another five per cent in June, projected Bank of Montreal chief economist Douglas Porter.

Shiffrin-Vlhova, Chen-Hanyu among marquee Olympic matchups

As Tories, we must seriously consider what Canadian progressive conservatism means today. Of course, we can expect the process to be a messy one.

Province offers COVID relief with $200M in budget tax cuts

Anticipating a $1.6-billion deficit this year amid a global pandemic, the Progressive Conservatives are cutting taxes by $200 million, most of which is in the form of a hefty rebate to homeowners and farmers on their education levies.

Owners of residential and farm properties will receive a 25 per cent rebate of the school division special levy and the community revitalization levy payable.

A homeowner with a $1,700 school division special levy will receive a rebate cheque of $425 this year.

Property owners will receive their rebate cheques at about the same time their municipal taxes are due. They won’t have to apply for the rebate, which will be automatically sent by the province.

'Your helmet whistles' through Cortina's Tofana Schuss

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy - Watching skiers hurtle down the mountain at full throttle, it’s often hard to appreciate the connection to nature.

When racers soar through the air off a huge jump between two massive walls of rock outcroppings on Cortina’s spectacular Olympia delle Tofane course, though, it’s hard to miss.

The Tofana Schuss is the signature section of the women’s downhill to be contested on Saturday at the skiing world championships.

The schuss, or chute, comes about 20 seconds into the downhill.