Berry farms brave storms, eye opening days

Despite the unprecedented downpour, berry season is on in Manitoba.

Bright red strawberries have begun sprouting at Boonstra Farms — just two weeks after the Stonewall-area patch was hit by 11 inches of rain during a storm.

“Hopefully, it’ll still be an OK season,” said co-owner Danielle Boonstra. “We’re still hoping to open, probably after Canada Day.”

Torrential rain and cold temperatures have pushed strawberry picking season back to, likely, the first week of July. Haskap picking may start this weekend.

Farmers just one link in long supply chain

Farmers are hardly front and centre in newly released federal and provincial reports analyzing why food has become less affordable for many Canadians.

The word “farmers” doesn’t even appear in the Manitoba government’s Grocery Price Strategy report until Page 7.

That’s a good thing, because it signals a new level of awareness in how we collectively view the food system. The focus is shifting from front-line farmers to the largely invisible and complicated supply chain connecting field to table.

It might even change how farmers see themselves.

Summer school for RESPs

If you’ve been saving for years for your child’s post-secondary education, and they are now ready to pursue higher learning in the fall, it’s not unusual to feel a little lost regarding how best to use that money.

That’s because the main savings vehicle for post-secondary learning, the Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP), is often complicated to unwind.

“There are definitely some unique aspects to taking out money from a RESP,” says Anthony Maros, senior private banker at BMO Private Wealth in Winnipeg.

Unlike a RRSP (Registered Retirement Savings Plan) where every withdrawal is taxable because all contributions are made with after tax money (hence the deduction on contributions), RESPs involve taxable and non-taxable withdrawals.

Vacation shouldn’t feel like workplace risk

As summer officially arrives, many Canadians are preparing for lake weekends, road trips, family vacations and the long-awaited opportunity to step away from work for a few days. At least, that’s the theory.

In practice, many employees are packing something extra alongside sunscreen and sandals: guilt.

A recent survey conducted by Angus Reid on behalf of Employment Hero sheds light on an uncomfortable reality in workplaces. While many organizations proudly promote work-life balance and encourage employees to use their vacation time, a significant number of workers still feel anxious about actually disconnecting.

The survey found 45 per cent of employees have delayed, shortened or changed vacation plans because of workload or workplace pressures. Nearly half (46 per cent) admit they check work communications at least sometimes while on vacation. Thirty-nine per cent avoid taking their full vacation entitlement because they worry about falling behind, while 41 per cent report feeling guilty when taking paid time off.

Tahini’s adds Winnipeg to expansion menu

Omar Hamam was born in Windsor, Ont., and spent his formative years in Cairo, but Winnipeg has a special place in his heart.

The 44-year-old entrepreneur called the Prairie city home for five years while earning an economics degree at the University of Manitoba. In 2018, he started a Mediterranean restaurant in London, Ont., called Tahini’s. It’s since grown into a franchise with dozens of locations in Canada and one in the United States.

The company is opening numerous restaurants this year, but Hamam says he’s most looking forward to entering the Manitoba market. The first Tahini’s in the province will open in Winnipeg’s St. James neighbourhood next month.

“I hear the word Winnipeg and a smile automatically comes to my face,” he said by phone on Friday. “I’m more excited about opening there than any other province just because of my past history with (Manitoba).”

Indigenous Chamber of Commerce working to engage with members, increase membership

Shelly Bulycz is good at many things, but retirement is not one of them.

Last August, Bulycz retired from her job as manager of community based programming at University College of the North and moved from The Pas to Winnipeg. She soon grew restless and by the end of October, she’d landed a job as the executive assistant at the Indigenous Chamber of Commerce.

In April, the chamber appointed her to be its second-ever chief executive officer.

“I enjoyed retirement for a month and a half, two months, and then decided I needed a job,” Bulycz said. “The rest is kind of history.”

Pill, bills, budgetary aches

We’re a nation of drug users. Well, not those drugs.

Rather, many Canadians have their health supported by pharmaceutical medications prescribed by a physician.

In our universal health-care system, medication can come with a big additional cost.

The federal government introduced a national pharmacare program in 2024. Manitoba was among the first to sign on, partly leading to its Enhanced Pharmacare Program, which now offers birth control, diabetes and a few other medications at no cost to Manitobans.

Difference between having voice, having your way

One of the most important transitions a leader makes when moving into a senior management role is learning the difference between contributing to a decision and owning the final decision.

Many experienced managers are promoted because they are smart, knowledgeable and willing to challenge ideas. Organizations need leaders who ask questions, identify risks and offer alternative viewpoints. Healthy debate is often what prevents poor decisions from being made.

At the same time, senior leadership teams can become ineffective when managers begin to believe collaboration means everyone must agree before a decision can move forward.

It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking if your recommendation was not adopted, your expertise was ignored. In reality, that is usually not what happened at all.

Significance of soil, water management

The day six inches of rain fell one early July afternoon is etched in my memories of growing up on a southern Manitoba grain farm in the mid-1960s.

Berry farms brave storms, eye opening days

Despite the unprecedented downpour, berry season is on in Manitoba.

Bright red strawberries have begun sprouting at Boonstra Farms — just two weeks after the Stonewall-area patch was hit by 11 inches of rain during a storm.

“Hopefully, it’ll still be an OK season,” said co-owner Danielle Boonstra. “We’re still hoping to open, probably after Canada Day.”

Torrential rain and cold temperatures have pushed strawberry picking season back to, likely, the first week of July. Haskap picking may start this weekend.