Business

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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Opinion

Food safety, security concerns evergreen

Food safety, security concerns evergreen

Laura Rance-Unger 4 minute read Preview

Food safety, security concerns evergreen

Laura Rance-Unger 4 minute read Saturday, Apr. 25, 2026

Readers are always quick to respond with comments, questions and even the occasional correction when I write about the tools of modern agriculture, such as GMOs and pesticides.

Last week’s column contained an error.

The column highlighted the risk to Canada’s mustard industry from a new variety called InVigor Gold.

I mistakenly stated the variety is a herbicide-tolerant canola built from borrowed genes from its mustard cousin.

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Saturday, Apr. 25, 2026

Opinion

DIY starter kit It’s never been easier, cheaper to do-it-yourself invest … just remember to keep it diversified

DIY starter kit It’s never been easier, cheaper to do-it-yourself invest … just remember to keep it diversified

Joel Schlesinger 6 minute read Preview

DIY starter kit It’s never been easier, cheaper to do-it-yourself invest … just remember to keep it diversified

Joel Schlesinger 6 minute read Saturday, Apr. 25, 2026

Reality frequently suggests we do not live in the best of all possible worlds.

Yet from a do-it-yourself investor (DIY) perspective, perhaps present times do represent the best of all possible worlds.

DIYers have plenty of well- designed, easy to access and use discount brokerages to choose from — be it offerings from the big six banks or fintechs. Today, you can easily set up a self-directed account to trade stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and even options at relatively low cost from a smartphone or laptop in a matter of minutes.

And in the last few years, most platforms have begun offering commission-free trading.

Read
Saturday, Apr. 25, 2026

Opinion

Freepik

Why good employees struggle in wrong workplace

Tory McNally 7 minute read Preview

Why good employees struggle in wrong workplace

Tory McNally 7 minute read Saturday, Apr. 25, 2026

A manager once told me about an employee she couldn’t figure out. In one role, he had been described as disengaged, resistant to feedback and difficult with his team. When he joined her department, she braced herself. She expected the same issues to surface within weeks.

But they didn’t.

Instead, she found someone thoughtful and collaborative. He asked good questions. He followed through. He even became a steady influence on newer staff.

Months later, she called his previous manager, partly out of curiosity. “I don’t understand,” she said. “He’s doing really well here.” There was a long pause on the other end of the line before the response came back. “That’s not the version of him we saw.”

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Saturday, Apr. 25, 2026

Business

WEL Manitoba builds community encouraging early-stage investors

Aaron Epp 5 minute read Friday, Apr. 24, 2026

When Katie Hall Hursh made her first angel investment, she was happy to support her friend’s fledgling business. She also realized how little she knew about early-stage investing.

The Winnipeg executive took an online course to learn more. Afterward, the instructor told Hall Hursh about Women’s Equity Lab Manitoba, an all-women angel investment fund that was starting up. She applied and became a limited partner, joining about 25 women for the initial fund, with each investor contributing $5,500.

The fund invested in three companies: Ginger Desk, which offers virtual assistants for solo medical practitioners; SalonMonster, a digital toolkit for salon professionals; and VoxCell BioInnovation, a biotech company.

“I had just a phenomenal experience going through that first fund,” Hall Hursh said. “There’s just no limits on where some of these companies can go, and to be a part of that story, albeit a very, very small part … is a really, really neat part of the experience.”

Business

MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS David Chartrand, president of the Manitoba Métis Federation, speaks during Thursday’s announcement at the RBC Convention Centre that the upcoming World Indigenous Business Forum will be held in Winnipeg this October.

Winnipeg to host three-day World Indigenous Business Forum in late October, delegates can expect ‘Manitoba experience’

Aaron Epp 5 minute read Preview

Winnipeg to host three-day World Indigenous Business Forum in late October, delegates can expect ‘Manitoba experience’

Aaron Epp 5 minute read Thursday, Apr. 23, 2026

After playing host to the World Indigenous Business Forum around the world, founder Rosa Walker is bringing the annual conference to her home city for the first time.

Winnipeg will host this year’s event Oct. 26-28. The conference will bring together Indigenous entrepreneurs, leaders, innovators and allies from across the globe to share knowledge, build relationships and explore opportunities for economic growth and collaboration.

Since launching the conference in 2010 in New York City, Walker has held the event in places such as Namibia, Guatemala and New Zealand. This year marks the third time a Canadian city has hosted.

Indigenous Leadership Development Institute, Inc., Walker’s non-profit company, is hosting the conference in collaboration with Winnipeg Economic Development & Tourism.

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Thursday, Apr. 23, 2026

Business

MTA announces 2026-27 board of directors

Free Press staff 1 minute read Thursday, Apr. 23, 2026

The Manitoba Trucking Association has announced its 2026-27 board of directors and executive following its April 17 AGM.

The newly appointed executive includes: MTA president Brent Arnold (Arnold Bros. Transport Ltd.); first vice-chair Ryan Mitchell (Wildwood Transport Inc.); second vice-chair Trent Siemens (Steve’s Livestock Transport Ltd.); and executive members-at-large Peter McDonald (TransX Group), Rachelle Baker (Penner International Inc.) and Steve Zokvic (Bison Transport), as well as past-president Pauline Wiebe Peters (Payne Transportation Ltd.).

In a news release Wednesday, the association said in 2025, among other initiatives, it participated in national consultations and engaged extensively with government to address key priorities, including regulatory harmonization, safety enforcement and labour market integrity.

The MTA represents more than 300 member companies with a total of 28,000 employees within the province’s trucking industry.

More Business

Autos

Supplied The 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee gets what is best described as a mid-cycle refresh, but also a new engine: an available 2.0-litre Hurricane turbocharged four-cylinder. A larger infotainment screen is the big news inside the Grand Cherokee cabin.

Grand enhancement for Jeep

Kelly Taylor 3 minute read Preview

Grand enhancement for Jeep

Kelly Taylor 3 minute read Friday, Apr. 17, 2026

For 2026, and the vehicle that arguably launched the luxury SUV segment — the Jeep Grand Cherokee — it’s what you can’t see that makes the biggest difference.

Under the hood, the venerable Pentastar V-6 engine continues, but expanding the list of powertrain options is a new Hurricane 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder engine.

It would be easy to see that change as a step backward. If four cylinders are good, six are better, right?

Not so fast. The new engine is the high-output option, offering more power, more torque and better fuel economy than its six-cylinder stablemate.

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Friday, Apr. 17, 2026

Business

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS ‘We literally have 80 years of experience and data in our platform today that is always learning and always getting better,’ says Mark Lepp, owner of GrainFox.

Grain market ‘analyst in your pocket’

Aaron Epp 4 minute read Preview

Grain market ‘analyst in your pocket’

Aaron Epp 4 minute read Thursday, Apr. 16, 2026

Mark Lepp grew up on a 5,000-acre grain farm near Elm Creek, but he never took to farming the way his father and two younger brothers did.

“I probably frustrated everyone around me,” he said. “The real art of farming — I was not that artist.”

That hasn’t stopped the entrepreneur from making a name for himself in agriculture. In 2004, he co-founded FarmLink Marketing Solutions, which pioneered the business of providing personalized marketing recommendations for Western Canadian farmers.

“I always liked the economics part (of farming),” Lepp said. “I liked the business part.”

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Thursday, Apr. 16, 2026

Business

Uniqlo sets May 15 date for first Winnipeg store

Free Press staff 2 minute read Thursday, Apr. 16, 2026

Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo will open its first Winnipeg store, located in CF Polo Park, on May 15.

The retail giant, known for its casual wear clothing, has planned a weekend of festivities, it announced in a release Wednesday.

The celebration will include limited in-store offers, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, taiko drumming performance by Hinode Taiko, prizes and complimentary cookies from Gunn’s Bakery and coffee from Little Sister Coffee Maker.

The first 500 customers will receive a commemorative Uniqlo CF Polo Park tote.

Business

Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS files Prime Minister Mark Carney shakes hands with Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew as they meet on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday. Manitoba has set up two days of high-level meetings.

Manitoba delegation to Ottawa pitches Port of Churchill, CentrePort Canada advantages

Gabrielle Piché 5 minute read Preview

Manitoba delegation to Ottawa pitches Port of Churchill, CentrePort Canada advantages

Gabrielle Piché 5 minute read Tuesday, Apr. 14, 2026

Churchill, CentrePort and Manitoba roads were on display in Ottawa on Tuesday as part of the province’s political push on Parliament Hill.

Premier Wab Kinew and Prime Minister Mark Carney met to discuss expanding the Port of Churchill. It’s the second of what’s expected to be quarterly meetings; the politicians aim to speed up the project’s regulatory process.

“As the war in Iran drives up energy costs and destabilizes global supply chains, the importance of Churchill cannot be overstated,” Kinew said in a news release.

He’s touted the northern Manitoba port as the country’s next major trade hub and a gateway to partners such as Europe.

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Tuesday, Apr. 14, 2026

Business

MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES The Portage la Prairie Mall closed in 2024.

Portage la Prairie Mall site sold to local ownership group

Free Press staff 4 minute read Preview

Portage la Prairie Mall site sold to local ownership group

Free Press staff 4 minute read Tuesday, Apr. 14, 2026

The Portage la Prairie Mall has new owners after three entrepreneurs purchased the site.

Joel McPhail and Josh McPhail, who own the Rona store that operates within the mall, and Dan Trotter, owner of a new Wendy’s location near the store, announced the acquisition earlier this month. When asked about the terms of the deal, Josh McPhail declined to comment.

There are no finalized redevelopment plans. The ownership group is exploring opportunities to revitalize the west Portage site and “position it as a renewed commercial hub that serves the needs of the community,” according to a prepared statement.

The mall opened on Saskatchewan Avenue West in 1979, and once bustled with activity. After declining in popularity for more than a decade, the shopping centre closed on Dec. 31, 2024.

Read
Tuesday, Apr. 14, 2026
DIY starter kit It’s never been easier, cheaper to do-it-yourself invest … just remember to keep it diversified

DIY starter kit It’s never been easier, cheaper to do-it-yourself invest … just remember to keep it diversified

Joel Schlesinger 6 minute read Preview

DIY starter kit It’s never been easier, cheaper to do-it-yourself invest … just remember to keep it diversified

Joel Schlesinger 6 minute read Saturday, Apr. 25, 2026

Reality frequently suggests we do not live in the best of all possible worlds.

Yet from a do-it-yourself investor (DIY) perspective, perhaps present times do represent the best of all possible worlds.

DIYers have plenty of well- designed, easy to access and use discount brokerages to choose from — be it offerings from the big six banks or fintechs. Today, you can easily set up a self-directed account to trade stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and even options at relatively low cost from a smartphone or laptop in a matter of minutes.

And in the last few years, most platforms have begun offering commission-free trading.

Read
Saturday, Apr. 25, 2026

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