Freshair Boutique Academy Road Suddenly Closes

Only an email gives any clue to the demise of Freshair Boutique in River Heights. It simply says it is closed immediately and their website is down. At the corner of Lanark and Academy Road, the entire street has seen change. In the strip mall itself Starbucks closed in favour of Empty Cup. Across the street, 7th Avenue Fashions closed their doors in August.

The entire Academy Road strip has seen changes since 2020. Many retirements and business changes. It might not be as recognizable to someone who hasn't been down that way in a year or two.

The strip mall itself was a former gas station till the 1970s. It is too far back for me to remember. I'm not sure what affiliation it had. Across the street was Pacific 66 which became Petro-Canada. Down the street from there was British American which became Gulf and then Petro-Canada. In all, three former gas stations became retail in that area.

Every ten years or so there is a lot of change on Academy. At one time there were three grocery stores from the 1980s on. Now there is only one and the long time 1970s till now 7/Eleven.  Who knows why Freshair closed. But it should be noted that some people who had appointments into the next months are now finding them cancelled.

Howard Lutnick Says Canada Has to Be Number 2

Prime Minister Carney returned from Washington. While discussions were friendly, there has been no deal signed. Minister Leblanc continues discussions on sectoral deals but it is slow going. Trump has often said deals were to be instant when he became president but half a year has gone by and only now movement is being made on Gaza and Israel. Complicated problems take time. And in some cases never get fully resolved.

Canadians continue to cut Carney slack but employment numbers are bad and the car, steel, lumber and aluminum industries are all suffering. There has been some aid programs for those industries but so far the only thing that has protected Canada from worse results is the free trade agreements that expire in 2026. Even those agreements could collapse with tariffs in the new year. 

In a speech a day after the Carney meeting, Howard Lutnick said not to expect an auto deal from Trump in a new trade agreement. He said Canada will give up all car manufacturing and might be left with auto parts. Lutnick, the Commerce Secretary, says this is a America First policy and Canada must accept it.

This speech to the Eurasia Group's Canada-U.S. Summit in Toronto. Lutnick made the speech via video call under Chatham House Rules which prevented media coverage. His speech though was confirmed by three sources that saw and heard it. While Trump is the final decider, the Lutnick speech was an indicator that CUSMA, the freed trade agreement, is likely not going to be renewed as it is now. It may not resemble anything like free trade. The U.S. want all of Canadian industry to locate south of the border.

Even as tariffs hurt U.S. businesses such as farming, Lutnick continues to push ahead. Soybeans, corn and beef have lost their Chinese markets. Crops are coming in there and there is no place to market them to. Moreover, the ending of USAID means the government is not buying either for food security. Headed into the 2026 mid-term elections, many farmer will be angry and it will be harder to blame the Democrats for it.

If Canada and Mexico lose auto manufacturing, it is likely the big U.S. auto builder like GM and Ford who will go bankrupt. And American car prices will jump even higher unless labour costs are slashed. It is likely every business affected in the U.S. is lobbying but it may come down to bankruptcies before anything resonates. This doesn't help Canada either but it is an indication of how policy is happening south of the border.

Lutnick and U.S. ambassador Pete Hoekstra are certainly abrasive. The gaslighting about how Canada's not travelling to the U.S. is an impediment to good relations is rich. The joking about the 51st state is brought up unbidden by Trump all the time. The reaction to the threat has caused Canadians to re-think the relationship with America. It seems that these Trump officials are shocked that there is deep feelings of betrayal in Canada. There is actual anger by them about how we changing our travel, shopping and other habits related to the U.S.

The premiers across the country are getting nervous and wonder what Canada has gotten from two meetings with Trump. Some are getting sick of making concessions and receiving nothing in return. Lutnick has said to expect it to be worse and even Canadian consumers choosing not to travel to the U.S. is regarded as a hostile act. Hoekstra has said the same. In short, they have said Canada is going to take it and like it. Or else. Some premiers are advocating for punching back.

Canada may be hoping that a legal challenge on tariffs winding it's way to the Supreme Court. There is no telling how the court will react. The justices surely know that giving the president unlimited powers that usually fell to Congress could be used by a future Democratic president in future years. That Republican majority court might rule against the permanent tariffs. Or they might support the tariffs. The House of Representatives might change to Democratic control and then tariff policy might be overturned there. The truth is 2026 is the mid-term elections and a lot can happen in the U.S.

Carney has to navigate the whole thing carefully. The retaliation tariffs except on sectoral areas like aluminum and steel have been reversed with no reciprocal response yet. If a deal on steel or aluminum is reached, it would be helpful. However, aluminum and steel could be of use in Canada if tin and aluminum drink cans are brought into production in Ontario and elsewhere. This alone could be a $3 billion re-patriation of production. 

The 100% tariff on EV vehicles from China was a tandem response with the U.S. and to support our own EV industry. The response from China has been ever increasing tariffs on canola. Premier Wab Kinew has said those tariffs should end. The major problem is that the development of EVs in Canada might end and car production might accelerate in moving to U.S. Canada will be speaking to China this week so some progress might be made there. Pierre Poilievre, however, believes the Chinese vehicles are problematic because the tech can be monitored and controlled in China. The same argument can be made with Tesla and American control. While a legitimate concern, it is one that warrants a further discussion. The tariff imposed was mostly in regards to dumping product at below cost to kill competitors and then raise rates later. It might be better to extract concessions to build Chinese EVs in Canada.

Ultimately, if the U.S. goal is to end the auto industry in Canada, it frees Canada from having to buy anything produced in the U.S. at all. The Trump goal to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. and then export that product back to Canada is unlikely. Canada is likely to either build its own product or seek those products where it is less expensive and that won't be the U.S. 

American trade issues with China alone are likely to bankrupt many farmers in the next years even with bailouts. Meanwhile, Canada is trying to come to some sort of agreement with India and China. The issue of Canadian sovereignty will matter in whatever discussions we have in regards to trade in the world. For many citizens, the issue will be housing, inflation and economy. Carney already is looking to get out of the weeds. A trade deal is necessary with the U.S. but a bad trade deal is worse than no deal at all. Spreading deals out around the world would be helpful.

Meanwhile, an election is possible is as early as a budget defeat November 4. The polls are very tight and for various reasons the opposition might be itching to go an election before 2026. Carney might be ready for an election too. While they might be ready, the public could react with hostility. Despite the unhappiness in Parliament, the parties might find some reason to vote for the budget or might sneakily have some MPs who don't show up on vote day. Donald Trump could be an issue long into next year. How the electorate responds to that might hurt or help certain parties.

One think is for certain that each time Howard Lutnick opens his mouth to say Canada is going to get hurt in the new trade relationship has Canadians look for other options in world partners.

AI and Cryptocurrency Data Sites North Dakota

Full credit to the Fargo Forum newspaper for their reporting. The above graphic is information they collected with no help from North Dakota. The state itself seems to have no desire to keep track of the huge energy and water consumers in the state and organizations that collect data with seeming no regulation at all. The energy consumption is the equivalent of the Hoover dam and the employment numbers once operational don't seem to rival even the most modest farm processing plant. The campus construction of buildings and roads brings temporary job and start-up money but aside from a new bowling alley, what will these hyperscale camp data centers bringing to our neighbour? And what are the implications for Manitoba?

That is the billion dollar question for North Dakota. It is a supermajority Republican government and the counties have near full control to what they want. The seven large data centers have non-disclosures and all sorts of blocks to finding out who owns them or for what purposes they will serve. The only certainty is they are incredible users of electricity and water. Half the counties in North Dakota have been approached for data centers.

Manitoba and North Dakota have already concerns about the huge expansion of dairy industry near the Red River watershed. In two counties by the river, a 25,000 cow operation and a 12,500 cow operation have been approved. The concerns in both countries is manure spreading to the water of the river  and causing nutrients that are are toxic. There is also the issue of water usage.  It takes 31 liters of water to make 1 liter of milk. That's a lot of water. Add the hyperscale data sites and there could be water shortages. It is entirely possible the Red could be dry by the time it crosses the border.

Industrial farms don't even come close to the massive energy and water needed of hyperscale data centers. Elon Musk is building massive facilities near Memphis and is tapping that state's (and neighbouring state's) energy and water resources for his artificial intelligence GROK. He said he needs he will have exceeds what out sun generates...or the universe. Yes, he said that.

One thing is clear is that hyperscale data centers eat up huge amounts of water and energy. They are extremely hot and extremely noisy. They employ very few people. While the upfront costs are in the billions for what goes into these campuses, the amount of resources needed seems to exceed what any region can provide. It is that enormous. 

It is now beyond the realm of possibility that North Dakota will seek hydro deals with Manitoba to help drive its relentless addition of data centers. This seems unlikely as Manitoba is set to make a sale to Nunavut and has more deals with Saskatchewan coming. We are already about to build gas turbines to cover our own internal shortfalls.

The growth in AI in Canada is also coming. The water and energy resources and cooler temperatures in the country make it inevitable that companies are in the hunt. However, they are also looking for jurisdictions with literally no rules like North Dakota. These companies don't like people people poking into zoning, ownership or what the data center is doing. 

The people who know something about AI say it is about doing things with few workers. In short, ending lawyers, diagnosticians, accountants, ad agencies, actors/directors/writers and so on. The short sightedness of this seems obvious. Who will but these services if no humans and jobs. Perhaps AI will sell to other AI. At some point, will they even need humans? Certainly AI can be a tool but if, as Elon Musk says, this tool requires all the energy of the sun and every bit of water in the solar system, is it really good for us?

Hats of to the Fargo Forum for there investigative journalism.

The First Chi Chi's Re-Opens in Minnesota

In the Minneapolis suburb of St. Louis Park, Chi Chis has returned with old faves and newer menu items. After closing their last location in 2004, they are back. At one time Winnipeg's Polo Park Chi-Chi's was the largest in Canada and one of the biggest in the 200 store chain with 400 seats. A series of ownership changes and a food poisoning incident in the U.S. caused the company to collapse.

Crowdfunding has helped get the company back into 2025 and more stores are coming. Rumour has been all late summer that something is coming for Winnipeg in 2026. A location near Polo Park might make less sense than when they closed due to the Blue Bombers and Jets leaving the area. Having said that Red Lobster and Olive Garden have had amazing success near the mall.

It will likely be up to the Canadian franchisor where in Winnipeg will be best for success right off the bat. Perhaps we see an announcement in the new year.

St. Boniface ER Opens

 One of the things that has had last effects is the Pallister plan that saw ERs reduced to three locations, closing an existing and successful Urgent Care and turning former ERs to Urgent Cares. Even the health consultant thought that the closing of Misericordia was ill timed when other Urgent Cares were not yet established. The north, south and east sides of the city were now without ERs. 

Grace Hospitals ER was new and saw an influx of nurses from closed departments but St. Boniface just wasn't ready for what was to come in 2020. The announcement in 2019 by the Pallister government for a new ER for St. B did not come in time for Covid. The hospital had to work on the fly to handle things when they couldn't even cope with regular flu season.

The one surprising feature of the ER is the upward slope to the doors. Better have grandma's tires locked on her wheelchair or she is taking a 100 km ride down to Tache. It seems funny to spend $141 million and you can't have a flat service? Perhaps there is another entrance so someone with the walker doesn't have to push up hill to get it. And heaven forbid there is ice on that surface or people will shoot down that slide like toboggans.

A parking garage for 10 ambulances is a good feature. It is important because this the cardiac center. Every family in the region might have a member who may require an ambulance and being able to get patients into the ER promptly is part what make survival possible. 

The ER itself will be triple the size of the former ER. The former ER was 18,600 square feet and the new one will be 86,200 square feet. The government has said they have been recruiting heavily and have enough staff attracted to working in the new facility. So many staff have been recruited that according to the government, that tenders for Victoria Hospital's re-established ER can begin.

The ER is being promoted as a open concept, inclusive space. These are things that the end users will have to judge. The ER at Health Sciences Center had poor sight lines that were exacerbated by keeping triage nurses at their desks. Subsequently, a man died after no one took into account that he was waiting. In short, a new building can lead to poor outcomes if traffic flows, security, privacy and dignity are not constantly reevaluated.

The Emergency Room of a hospital is only one part of the hospital. If there are not enough enough beds and staff in ICUs and in the various wars, people get trapped in the ERs and in the waiting room. Many people walk away after so many hours. Often people are in the ER all day. The Access hospitals and Minor Injury clinics are helping. Some of the problem is that lack of family doctors for many. Problems fester and an ER visit is often the result. No one is immune from this. If you have a trauma or heart/stroke issue, you can end up in the ER. Or a member of your family is.

This is the first phase of the ER. It will reach full function in 2026. A lot is owed to the St. Boniface Foundation which kicked in $10 million for this building. Increasingly, hospital foundations are being leaned on for building and research. Manitoba has been very fortunate over the years to see foundations grow and grow. However, the cost of health grows just as fast.

As the role of St. Boniface Hospital's role grows, questions have to be asked about the traffic in and around the hospital. Parking becomes a bigger issue every year for staff and patients. It may come to the point where a park and ride system with shuttle bus is employed. It is possible parkades could be built too but they start at about $50 million and rise from there.

More and more hospitals are leaning on their foundations and relentless fundraising. The governments spend billions and still manage to starve certain areas so that infrastructure crumbles. Meanwhile projects often take take more than a decade to get done. So while we can be happy that St. B has a new ER and that by 2026 it will be fully operational, this list of areas to work on is long and exceed the lifespan of most government over two terms. Much like projects like the Red River Floodway, there has to be a buy in by all parties in government, by business, by labour and by the public for a well managed project that is goal oriented.

Tuxedo Park Starbucks Suddenly Closes

Any Starbucks Coffee without a drive-thru or on a list of possible unionized locations is a location under threat of closure. And so it goes for the long standing Starbucks location at Tuxedo Park Shopping Centre. A note in the door announced their closure.

As one of the only places you could sit outside, it will be missed. Some have said it was because the location was about to unionize. There is no indication that was about to happen. This was a mall with vitality but has had more than a year of building a condo that just opened. The parking lot has been chaos. But now that it has opened, it seems an even better reason to stay open.

No, the likely reason is that Starbucks wants drive-thrus wherever possible. This doesn't bode well for Charleswood down the road. It has been overwhelmed with Tuxedo refugees. It doesn't have a drive-thru either.

Abolish Photo Radar in Manitoba?

A protest movement in Toronto has had photo radar stands being cut down in the middle of the night over and over. The Ford government has always leaned on populist moves and have vowed to ban photo radar. Some municipalities are steaming mad as they use this money to fund policing. 

In Manitoba, only Winnipeg is allowed photo radar in selected areas. Other municipalities in the province have lobbied for it years and you can see why. In Winnipeg it generates between $12-$13 million a year and after expenses for new technology, around $8-$9 million. The province actually takes in more than they city. The company that operates the machinery makes $25 million or about $5 million a year.

The police love the program because it is passive income. The city and the province loves it as it is a money machine. Private industry loves it as they get paid for running it. The only ones who hate it are people who drive and get caught by cameras all over the place in construction or school zones or select other areas around traffic cameras or calming areas. The police don't even have to lift a finger for the program. They just get money.

To be clear, tickets are issued for speeding or going through red traffic lights. Critics say this quantifiably different than if a police officer issued a ticket for speeding through a school zone. For one, those tickets don't come with fines but demerits which takes years of save driving to get back. Enough demerits or severity of the incident could result in loss of license. Other charges might result. With photo radar, it is just a picture and a fine. 

It is part of a growing surveillance society. In some places like Dubai, China and Britain there are cameras everywhere. Many of them are owned by private entities. When combined with AI and facial recognition, it is possible to track people all day long. If the police talk to anyone and a camera records it, that record is kept forever. These are innocent people according to the law. China uses the system to rank people on their reliability.

This should be kept in mind when when thinking of the the growing use of bodycam video from officers. All the people who might be at a Santa Claus parade might be videoed and their images stored forever and sorted by AI for tracking. The rules on all this are hazy.

For photo radar, it is likely it spreads to the rest of the province. The amount of money coming in is too tempting. And while violations are being recorded, the sheer volume of information that AI can sort through and track is staggering.

The NDP in Manitoba now have the reins but could we see the provincial PCs adopt a view to end photo radar. If Doug Ford gains political capital for ending the program, it is highly likely we'll see other political leaders latch on to the idea as a way to boost numbers. To be sure it has caught on in the media about this passive-aggressive monitoring system hoovers in money. The Globe and Mail's columnist Andrew Coyne wrote about it recently.

The police hate traffic enforcement. In the past when chiefs in Winnipeg have asked patrols to issue at least two ticks a shift, the force reacts negatively. And while the service has a traffic enforcement division, most officers would likely argue they don't have time in their day to ticket parking in front of fire hydrants or in handicapped spaces. 

It isn't a stretch to think that photo radar could be expanded to any place in the province as a source of revenue for the province and the city. And if that works, why set up in on streets to ticket cars elsewhere for other offences? The frustration among some people in Ontario has led to the cutting down of photo radar stands.

So far we have seen the level of fury as we have in Ontario come to Manitoba. In recent days though fury has been directed at photo radar, bike lanes and parking. It is a slippery slope if Doug Ford moves to intervene in all those areas, is not possible that areas like toll booths, the demerit system and even car licensing and registration come into question. However, when an investigative reporter in Toronto reported that photo radar could result in a ticket for 1 kilometer over the speed limit, the result was outrage.

Lots of eyes are on the issue here in Manitoba. Cities and municipalities are desperate for this money. And while the argument is this is about the law, the one kilometer over the speed limit sounds like it is more about the money. If Ford finds electoral success from banning photo radar, can it be too long before we see a political party make it an issues here too.

Maximes Closing in 2025

A long time restaurant in St. Vital along St. Mary's, it has been described as fine dining that your parents loved. Reports all this week is that it will be closing in two weeks and that the property has been sold.

The restaurant has been owned by the Bekios family since 1984. George Bekios passed away in 2024 leaving his two daughters to run the place. Like many Greek owned restaurants, it comes down to no one left in the family to run it for years to come when everyone is near retirement or the founding member passes it away.

St. Mary's is a valuable piece of real estate and it is not surprising a buyer has been found. No word on what the new business might be.

This comes on the heels of another business in a different field closing. Croft Music, after a 110 year in the music industry is closing. Violins by Anton will continue in the same spot on Henderson Highway. A differed type of business than Croft's but related. It will be by appointment only.

There has been an uptick in the last year of business retirements and some locations have turned into hot commodities. Retail sales have been up, restaurants have found growth in breakfasts. Were it not for tariffs, Canada might be even better positioned for growth. As it is. we will have to see some innovation as one generation hands over business to the next generation.

Should Manitoba Liberal Party Change Name?

Manitoba is only one out of two provinces in the west with a party that bears the Liberal name. B.C. changed it's Liberals moniker when Conservatives revived their old brand name. Prior, B.C. Liberals were a mix of Conservatives and Liberals in a right of center party. Saskatchewan also dumped the Liberal name. Only Alberta and Manitoba have Liberal in their name. There are presently no provincial Liberals or their new namesakes elected in provincial politics. The NDP are either government of official opposition in the west.

Federal Liberals are present in the west and are the federal government has been Liberal since 2015. The federal NDP doesn't even have party status presently. This could be a reflection of the fact that our system usually means only two strong parties and very small parties get left behind in the dust. Certainly critics in the west seem to laugh at the provincial Liberals in the west but it could very well be right and left divisions and how our voting system works.

Name changes are not uncommon in Canada. The federal and provincial NDP were once named Commonwealth Cooperative Federation. The federal Conservatives have gone through several name changes but the longest name they had was Progressive Conservatives. Sometimes a name change reflects a change in direction or an alliance. Sometimes it a repackaging to re-freshen the brand.

The Liberals have a new leader in Willard Reaves who at 66 was acclaimed as leaders of the Manitoba Liberals. Acclamation is also not uncommon for political parties in Manitoba. Brian Pallister became leader for the PCs when no one offered to run. He later became premier. While Reaves has run against his fellow Blue Bomber twice in Fort Whyte, it would seem there are no shortage of seats to choose from. The Liberals will likely want to re-claim longtime Liberal strength in River Heights. As vital as Jon Gerrard is, it seems a reach that at 77 he would contemplate another run. Anything is possible but it seems likely that Gerrard helps Reaves in any way possible. It should be noted that Gerrard stood beside Reaves when he announced his candidacy.

Cindy Lamoureux remains the sole Liberal MLA in the Legislature. As a new mom and continuing as a MLA, the leadership was something she passed on. At one point it seemed all four prominent Liberals were interested in the leadership. A kind of exhaustion has set in. Any election is likely two or so years away. A byelection might be closer. Any Liberal leader should expect to be part of a rebuilding process which they may only be able to take so far.

After the last election some have suggested that maybe Manitoba is a one party province. The PCs have certainly dropped to historic lows but having a party win every seat means they only have one place to go: down. With this in mind, the Liberals should not assume the PCs are the only choice for government in waiting. However, if the Liberal name is an impediment to being elected provincially in the west, they should consider a re-branding.

Some say the NDP and the Liberals should unite. Some say the Liberals and PCs should unite. Both suggestions ignore that the Liberals are not tied as closely to unions as the NDP are. As for the PCs, the Liberals are not tied to some of the more social conservative policies. These are not easy differences to paper over. The electoral system in Canada favours two parties and majority results. Electoral reform could help but the two parties where things swing back and forth are not exactly in favour of a system that would dilute their power. National and provincial efforts on electoral reform have stalled.

Research in Europe suggests that party re-brands can help get electoral success. The Saskatchewan Party and the Wildrose parties are an indication of that. The research suggested that just a policy re-brand does not do the trick. For only a brief time in the 1980s has the Manitoba Liberals become Official Opposition and had a chance at government. That is a very long time out of power or as the main contender. In some elections they have had a very compelling policy platform and even run a solid campaign only to see little success. Could a name change help lead the party to more success?

If some of our western provincial counterparts are any example, the answer is yes,

The Evolution of the Winnipeg Sun

The Winnipeg Sun founded in 1980 was an act of defiance that came from the closure of the Winnipeg Tribune in the same year. A number of business people and slew of Tribune staffers helped create the tabloid which grew in stages. Initially, all black and white and only a few days a week, it grew to colour and seven days a week. People might forget just how thick a Sunday paper was. And yes, it was the first Sunday paper in Winnipeg. By 1983, the local ownership sold the paper to Quebecor which had experience running tabloids. It was incorporated in the Sun chain in 1999. By 2015, the Sun group was sold to Postmedia which included the Winnipeg Sun. In 2024, the Winnipeg was once against brought under local ownership when the Sun and papers were sold to former Conservative cabinet minister Kevin Klein.

As I noted back when the news occurred, this means Winnipeg is unique in most of Canada in that it has two locally owned daily newspapers in the city. That can't be said anywhere else in the west. In fact, Winnipeg was one of the only cities where an underdog newspapers folded only for another newspaper to emerge immediately.

The early Sun editorial leanings were center right but it had a reputation of factual reporting. Under different ownership, it has maintained credibility in reporting and still leans center right. The present ownership is unapologetically right leaning in editorial. The sports department despite the loss of Ted Wyman too young is still reporting on hockey and football. I'd wage more readers value that coverage first in their hearts.

It is very likely that buying the Sun has Klein working every part of the job. He has leaned heavily on columnists in Winnipeg as well as the National Post for content. It is unlikely that Klein wants to use the federal program to hire journalist but ad money has so dried up that it is likely all media in Canada might face extinction. The large international companies scrape the Internet and use AI to produce information that does not credit the or pay for the source of that information. Moreover, they control the search engines used to find local news. They hold all the levers of power over even some of the larger news services. The goal is to grab all the ad money they can while lifting information from content creators.

The Free Press and the Sun continue to carve out niches. There is nothing wrong with having a political slant but important to divide the paper into news, analysis and opinion and make sure they can be identified. Some newspapers such as the National Post and the Sun chain across Canada lean heavily on columnists. The Sun continues an affiliation with Postmedia and sometimes this results in a lot of federal coverage which might be a bit too much for a local paper.

While there are some female columnists at The Sun, they are really outnumbered. The Free Press faces the same problem. It is possible to have content that will appeal to younger and female audiences but it has to be presented consistently. For young people, it could be the comics, entertainment news, advice columns, horoscopes and sports. The trick is to have stuff unique in your paper. It isn't all political opinion columns.

The quickest way for the Sun to reclaim readers is to focus on Jets and Blue Bombers coverage beyond what they are doing now. Klein already has a video discussion on politics. It would seem a natural extension to do sports. I have pointed out how amateur sports is covered by WDAY/Fargo Forum/Grand Forks Herald. We are so poor in coverage in this area but they cover in North Dakota so well. The amount of sponsors for this coverage seems diverse in the U.S.

Assuming that the Sun wishes to be a local paper in either print or digital into the future, it might wish to partner with other media. An example at the local level is Global News and CJOB. Both of the aforementioned are different units of the same company but they both contribute to content over both platforms and can be monetized as such. This does not mean companies like CJOB and Global News are not stuck in the perpetual layoffs of news media. The hoovering of ad dollars by Google and others and the stealing of content by AI has meant all media is under threat. Some big companies like New York Times have made deals for content used by AI. The truth is that all content used by AI companies needs to be paid for and the courts are likely to weigh in. It has come to the point that there are true security concerns about AI harvesting information and stripping it of it's sources. Making big money off of this is hurting major industries.

The Sun needs to carve out what will stand out locally, move beyond politics and cover news and sports in ways no one else does. Newspapers have to find ways to reach out and monetize beyond "if it bleeds, it leads" headlines. Even Internet users are getting tired of clickbait that feels false. Winnipeg needs two strong and competitive newspapers. We are very lucky having two local ones. We will continue to have them so long as they continue to adapt and develop their content. It will be up to the government to protect content creators from having their work taken and monetized by international companies.

The Hour of Worship Fargo and Religious TV in Winnipeg

Winnipeg knows something about faith broadcasting. Initially, it was radio with Mennonite gospel on CKRC as early as 1947. The radio station CFAM started in 1956 and had a lot of Mennonite religious programs populated the airwaves, In 2020, Winnipeg got its first faith-based channel on FM radio.

One of the reasons the CRTC came in to being was the faith-based broadcasts out of Alberta from Ernest Manning were exploding across Canada where the premier/evangelist made requests for money. This raised concern in Ottawa and the CRTC was formed so that CBC was not the arbiter of broadcasting.

Mennonites were prime drivers of religious broadcasting in Manitoba and while their start came in radio, by the 1960s moves to TV broadcasting began. In Winnipeg, Calvary Temple started Faith to Live by on CJAY which later became CKY/CTV in 1962. It is now one of the longest running TV shows in Canada.

The first faith TV broadcast began in 1950 on ABC in New York during TV's infancy. TV arrived in Canada two years later and the first broadcast in Manitoba was CBC in Winnipeg in 1954, It consisted of three hours of programming. Consumers started buying black and white TV and the programming on CBC grew and it was 1960 when CJAY joined CBWT in Winnipeg as the first private station. The same year, CBWFT, French CBC began broadcasting. 

Across the border KCND in Pembina, North Dakota began to broadcast. With rabbit ear or antennae, it could be seen in parts of the city. This brought a total of four TV stations that could be seen in the city and the 1960s saw a huge increase in programming. Some of it was Canadian, lots of it American but with literally so many hours to fill, much of it was local. Some of that was by mandate but some was practicality of it being cheaper to fill than buying elsewhere.

CJAY at two years old welcomed Calvary Temple's Faith to Live By because production was handled by the church and it filled time on Sunday mornings that the station wasn't sure what to do with. Manitoba on Sundays was very quiet. Blue Bomber games were not allowed to be played on Sundays till 1965! The churches ruled the roost. No shopping, no games and even after 1965, mornings were pretty quiet. So Faith to Live by in 1962 kind of had the audience there for it.

Cable TV did not reach River Heights where I lived until 1968. And until 1970 my parents rented so it was not up to them to install the cable at $10 and pay $5 a month. We moved into our home in late summer of 1970 and by late 1971 had both colour and cable TV. The colour TV was a gift from my grandparents.

Colour TV did not come out till 1966 in Canada but so much of broadcasting was in black and white. Literally everyone I knew was getting colour TVs between 1968 and 1972. In our house, it was Saturday morning cartoons in colour that was a huge attraction. Jetsons and Flintstones were among the the first full colour series to be produced for TV. Older Warner Bros. material that originally has been in colour on the big screen was well suited for Saturday morning.

Sunday was not a day for cartoons in the morning. In Winnipeg there wasn't even a Sunday newspaper. Today, we have Vision TV and JOY-TV for faith-based programming. However, through the 1960s and 1970s Sundays and sometimes early mornings there was faith-based programming. As mentioned, Faith to Live By was one of the earliest on the air in 1962 and now one of the longest running faith programs in Canada. A few others were around for decades like It's a New Day. Church of the Rock has been on CityTV since 1996. Meanwhile, Mennonite broadcasting is done based here in Winnipeg in multi-languages for Russian and Spanish audiences.

Most people who watched TV in the 1960s through 1990s on cable would be aware of Jimmy Swaggert, Jim Bakker, Pat Robertson and whole lost of other televangelists in the U.S. However, there was some more traditionally services on the air too. In North Dakota, a Lutheran Church founded in 1950 began to broadcast in 1967 and because of cable, it was on the dial on WDAZ from the mother channel WDAY in Fargo. This year that church is 75 years old and the broadcast continues to be seen on cable in Winnipeg.

Elim Lutheran Church is a modest church in the Fargo-Moorhead area and because of the reach of cable has been part of the Winnipeg Sunday morning programming since 1968 when cable reached the city. North Dakota and Manitoba have shared a prairies experience living along the Red River. One can imagine the Swedish meatballs that will be eaten at their celebrations as the reach age 75.

It is a reminder that while times are more difficult now, we still share a heritage. The threats weekly from the U.S. ambassador in Canada notwithstanding, it is notable that our contact with our southern neighbour have lasted decades. 

Uniqlo, JD Sports and Lululemon to Open in St. Vital Centre

The closure of The Bay at Polo Park and St. Vital Centre has not stopped the two top malls in Winnipeg from frantically trying to upgrade. In a previous post, I indicated that Long Drugs and other stores are under construction in Polo Park. St. Vital Centre is also upgrading with some stores ready to open by September 26. It race to Christmas with only three months to go. Some stores will make it, others won't.

People in Winnipeg have a few stores on their wish list. Some they will get, others they won't. The malls have moved other retailers already in place to get choice tenants. Polo Park has done that with London Drugs coming. In some cases, the stores moved elsewhere in the mall. In other cases, they closed altogether.

For St. Vital, there has always been an awkward spot just off the doors to the food court. The mall moved some shops around and Mark's Warehouse took a very large 16,455 square foot space. It effectively created an anchor for that area and the store is less than a year in the new spot. Stores like Garage and Dynamite are opposite.

With so many hits to mall department store anchors both Polo Park and St. Vital have have had to respond to the closures. However, so much has been happening that it has been difficult to keep up with. The good news is that retail sales are up in Canada and retailers are expanding their businesses. And while the big departments are closing, other smaller are doing better.

Truth be told, the make-up of stores in malls has always been changing. The one consistent thing had been the anchors. Now the anchors are changing. Some say Amazon and Wayfair are killing the malls or big box stores or Walmart and Real Canadian Superstore but malls still are gathering places for people. In a lot of cases, stores like Walmart want to be part of or attached to malls.

Malls are evolving and are now places to go a spa, get your nails done, go to a gym or go to food halls. Something that can't come in a delivery van. The fitness centres at malls has developed nicely in Winnipeg. We can expect to see more sport and recreation related investment to attract people which supports the mall. It will be interesting to see what they do with the old Bay. That won't be a task till at least next year.

Perhaps the biggest entry into malls lately has been nail and spa shops. The Venetian has been so successful at St. Vital Centre that they are moving to larger quarters. Men's hair shops have been finding success in the malls too. Polo Park has always had some men's barbers but now they can be seen in many malls. Tommy Gun's has become a Canadian success around the world.

Venetian might be an example for other malls across the country of of spas in malls.

At St. Vital Centre, mall owners have been always wanted some good original stores that no one else has but they also look at Polo Park with envy and hope to grab their own version of popular stores in the largest mall. And so it is that two popular stores will be coming in the next days and weeks to St. Vital. Over time, malls like St. Vital have filled spaces such as the departure of Sears.

The first to open September 26 is Lululemon is opening their third location in the city after Polo Park and Outlet Collection. This is a huge win for St. Vital. Lululemon has a very loyal costumer base that makes their way to wherever the store is. Now for people in this area of town, they have a store right where they live.

Another huge win is the soon to arrive JD Sports. The UK-based store has only one location in Manitoba so far at Polo Park. The St. Vital location will make two. The stylish sports store is pricier than a SportChek but has collections that shopper look for.

To bring these storm in, some doors have moved and others have closed altogether. Sunrise Records has moved to a different corridor.

The big get the St. Vital hasn't announced is Uniqlo. To get this store, the mall is moving a bunch for stores or seeing some close.

Uniqlo has 33 stores in Canada and many have just opened in 2025. St. Vital will get the first one in Manitoba. You can bet that Polo Park will be envious. The Japanese-based store has been on some shopper's list in the province for some time.

Another add on to come is HolyShakes which is a Canadian company the specialized in gourmet shakes. They are to open soon but their doors open to the exterior of the mall near SportChek.

Without doubt the large amount of building are the malls adjusting to the renewed demand for in person retailing. It could be indicating a slow recovery post Covid.

The End of Late Night Talk?

The suspension of the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show in the aftermath of the murder of Charlie Kirk is another program that is likely to be fully cancelled. The debate at Disney/ABC rages on. It is uncertain what will happen but some of the big corporate groups are probably soon realizing that their merger hopes probably entail financial payouts to Trump. And there may be no end of it. Worse, they might have to make ever more content choices that are government approved. Even some Republicans are realizing this could be so wrong. Ted Cruz has warned that this could backfire on them a few years from now.

ABC/ESPN wants their purchase of NFL Network to be approved and Disney wants its purchase of FUBO approved. Nextstar, owner of ABC affiliates wants its purchase of TEGNA approved. It is unclear want Sinclair Broadcasting wants. They would probably would like to have conservative approved broadcasts based on their past record. 

The Federal Communications Commission has tried to ensure there is competition to ensure the are more than just a few media voices. However, social media like X, TikTok and others don't really have content or broadcast rules as such. It is whatever their owners want of it. Elon Musk want his platform to be a free for all unless it criticizes him and then he cancels people's account. Or at least, that has been practice in the past.

Conservatives used to call it cancel culture but now they have the power, they are saying people like Jimmy Kimmel have to go because of facts. And that ABC should lose their license because of facts. A variety of Republicans have indicated alarm though, especially changes to hate law which if enshrined in law could hit them as well. There has been talk of a woke right but some on the conservative side.

The purity tests of the left were mocked by the right but now the same thing threatens the right. Blind rage after September 11 led to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Not enough due diligence was done. Questions were crushed. Rages led the way. Steve Bannon says the goal is to win and have a conservative unitary state. One FOX to rule them all. One President...no elections required.

There have been some who knew Charlie Kirk well who say he'd not want the lack of debate. Hard to say now. But the attack is now on late night shows which have always had political aspects to their monologues going back to radio days such as Bob Hope. Those shows were more variety shows but the genesis of the talk show can be found in those radio shows.

There are certainly some seniors alive today who were born before TV and were quite familiar the radio variety shows and talk show. The monologue to introduce the show and interview format with skits and sketches is. Even as Bob Hope served the USO during the war, he could and did political jokes. Some of them resulted in protests as they satirized Democratic and Republican U.S. Presidents. Hope joked during live, radio and TV broadcasts. His audience expected political jokes. He didn't neuter his performances. Certainly military audiences didn't want him to hold back.

Somehow in nostalgia for a great forgotten period of 1950s, there is the misconception that satire and political humour were something that didn't happen. At times, protests over political humour boiled over. The Smothers Brothers show was cancelled over politics and the Vietnam War. Perhaps the only difference between then and now is that Nixon didn't try to end the network that broadcast the show although there are indications he thought about it.

The changes in broadcasting and streaming as broken the advertising model for the networks. Even during Hope's time, he paid writers out of his own pay. Up to 15 might be writing for him. In today's late night shows, the writers room could number a dozen people. The overall staff might number 200. In the heyday though, the late night talk show could be very profitable.

In early television, there were quite a few women who were on the air waves in the U.S. and there were still huge gaps in North America where no stations existed. Winnipeg only got its first TV station in 1954 with CBWT (CBC) and first private television station CJAY (CKY/CTV) in 1960. While there was a lot of local and Canadian broadcasting, U.S. programming was also available such as the Ed Sullivan Show which had been broadcast for years before Manitoba even had TV stations.

Tonight Starring Steve Allen started in 1954 and pretty much created the dynamic of what a late night talk show for TV would look like. Allen left in 1957 to focus on his other work and NBC tried a different format than Allen's without success. The brought back the Tonight show with Jack Paar keeping the same format from before and the rest is history. Paar had huge success. He also got censored and left the air/was suspended like Kimmel for a time. Just goes to show what goes around, comes around.

The cancellation of Steve Colbert's show in May of 2026 by CBS has been said to be about money. However, no attempt to trim the costs of the highest rated talk show was attempted. It all seems like it was a sop to Donald Trump to ensure approval of the sale of Paramount and CBS. The new owners seem intent to bring more conservative programming to the company. It is uncertain what that means.

To be sure, some late night talk shows have ended because of low ratings. The flurry of retirements between 2014 and 2015 with Leno, Letterman and Stewart from full time work has brought new people in. Some ultimately didn't last. It hasn't helped with Covid and the changes to the broadcast landscape.

Jimmy Kimmel's one week suspension didn't just affect his show but Disney itself in terms of every part of their business. Nothing is beyond Trumps's reach but this overreaching could harm the freedom of press and freedom of speech provisions of the Constitution. The Supreme Court might have had a hard time giving Trump the win on that but you never know with how compliant the court will be. You would think that they would note that whatever decision rendered that Trump can use can be used by any future Democratic president as well.

In terms of late night talk shows, they have since the 1940s been the water cooler of America. Canada has tried late night a few times with Mike Bullard and George Stroumboulopoulus more than ten years ago. Both ended for various reasons of network switching and job offers for the hosts. No cable or network channel has attempted since. There was just too much competition to compete against American shows. 

Canadian media preferred to grab U.S. late night programming than develop their own. Unlike Britain, where they have carved out times at least once a week for shows like the Graham Norton Show. Formatted differently than the U.S. desk and couch, it has become a favourite of Hollywood for its fun atmosphere. The show has spread worldwide on BBC. Canada has no equivalent of BBC, Acorn or BritBox to show Canadian programming.

With the major changes to television and people cutting cable, the consumption of media such as late night programming isn't confined to time of day. Only sports attracts audiences at specific times. Late night is not even live. It is recorded in front of an audience in the day and then broadcast at night. Moreover, clips are shown on Reels and TikTok shortly after broadcast. It is uncertain how the monetary value of late night talk is even evaluated.

While TV networks might eventually become streaming channels, perhaps talk shows will be around. Prime, YouTube still run live programming or once a week programming so why not a late night talk show? It might not be in the same grid schedule as a network but "must see" TV can still work and make money if formatted right and on the right platform.

As far as censorship goes in the U.S., the fasted way to end TV and film dominance in Hollywood would be to censor stuff. The day Disney moves production studios out of the U.S. is the day they admit defeat. Imagine the day that Disney moves exec and creative team to Vancouver. If Washington D.C. looks to get people fired and crush studios, they will move.

Americans will be consume content still. They will just receive it from elsewhere. And perhaps American authorities might block it, it is likely citizens would seek it out. Propaganda can get pretty boring. It is better to take the occasional controversy such as late night TV than to shut the whole thing down. The return of Kimmel may only be a temporary reprieve. American studios have moved much out of Hollywood and now Georgia. They are filming in places like Scotland and Manitoba because of cost, quality of locations and crew, casting and freedoms that once were taken for granted in the U.S.

What is the future of late night? Perhaps, it is a late night talk show based in Toronto for the North American market. Might be harder to cancel that in Washington. Bypass the affiliates and go straight to streaming.

Kiokii Coming to Polo Park

Lots of construction going on in Polo Park as it continues to adjust to the loss of major retailers such as The Bay. It isn't all bad news. As per usual there is a rush of activity to prepare for Christmas which is just under 100 days away. This seems to happen in Polo Park every year as stores ebb and flow with the fashions. Only rock steady companies go on and on such as Apple and Victoria Secret.

It used to be jewellry stores that were the forever stores. They were often in the center of the mall facing one another. All usually on the first floor. Polo Park continues to have a lot of jewellry stores but only Ben Moss is on the first floor center court anymore. A few have migrated to the second floor while others like to be closer to entrances on the first or second.

The old Brettons/Zellers second floor area is finally getting the transformation that create anchors on that floor. 

As mentioned here before, London Drugs is opening their first location on the second floor where the mall looped around in a U shape. It was a less desirable location than some others in the mall but London Drugs is likely to have their own customer base that will park at second level exclusively to shop at the store. 

At the other end of the space for a location will be Ardene. The store is no stranger to Winnipeg but this appears to be a larger location which they have been building for the last 10 years. They usually are about 20,000 square feet. It will join a few other stores to capture the female shopper such as the highly sought out Zara, H&M and Forever 21.

While fewer in number, there are stores to serve young men and men. Harry Rosen, Tip Top and more recently Rodd and Gunn. The loss of the The Bay has given an opening for some retailers to serve men.

One local success is Unique Bunny which is highly sought after for its unique offerings. 

The loss of The Bay suddenly opens up space for make-up stores. With that in mind, a new store is almost ready to open called Kiokii. It features health and beauty from Japanese, Korean and Chinese markets.

It will join other cosmetic sellers like Sephora and Mac.

There are a few blanks in the Polo Park mall that still need filling and rumours are all over the place on those. As for the The Bay, the mall has literally used drywall to seal it off.

Howard Kurtz Loses Job at FOX and Charlie Kirk

It is often said not to delve into how the sausage is made lest you find out and that knowledge keeps from eating sausage again. I've always loved knowing how things work so I came to know Howard Kurtz from his CNN show Reliable Sources which I would often check out on Sundays before work. I didn't know about his other previous work with the Washington Post. He had started there with Jack Anderson, a legendary reporter and columnist whose syndicated work appeared in Winnipeg at The Sun.

When I first saw his show, I largely had Sundays off. I'd be watching Meet the Press and Reliable Sources among others. My Sundays are not my own much anymore so watching the Sunday political shows is more rare. Kurtz left the show in 2013 to start a similar program on FOX called Media Buzz which replaced a program FOX already had that examined the media review of the week that was.

I don't get FOX News on cable. This is not because of any bias against it but because buying the news package that included it and MSNBC seemed superfluous. I do get FOX News and MSNBC as part of my satellite radio so I tend to bounce around channels to get a sense of what is happening south of the border. On my cable, I continued to watch Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter until CNN cancelled the show due to partisan pressures. Stelter has worked his way back into the network for media analysis.

One of the only programs I used to listen to on FOX was Media Buzz. It has become increasingly a politics show and less about media in recent years. And too many FOX authorized guests repeat talking points. I find it boring just as find three word sloganeering boring. I found Kurtz pushed back or added addendums to some of the blatant propaganda but it was a fairly conservative friendly show. 

It was probably not friendly enough. In today's Republican world, the expectation is you promote Trump and MAGA or face the consequences. It is very likely that Kurtz's Trump interview that challenges falsehoods in the election had some network people looking at possible changes.

Following the death of Charlie Kirk, Kurtz said that Kirk was no angel. It was the wrong thing to say because many Republicans were very much trying to make him an angel. Criticism of this kind was just not in the cards and FOX cancelled Media Buzz in favour of a Sunday morning political show with reliable conservatives. One FOX news channel personality mocked Kurtz over the loss of his show. Greg Gutfield has often being particularly cruel.

Kurtz will continue with his FOX podcast and will be an analyst for two years but he has been de-platformed essentially. I have no idea what the ratings of the show were. I used to rely on media analysts to tell me what the ratings and profitability was. Now, no show exists of that.

To be fair, Canada hasn't had very much in the way of news and media analysts. I can think of no show that has existed or presently exists. That's true of both public and private broadcasters, We have huge gaps in coverage in terms of media, education, sports and business.

I'll miss the media show on FOX just as I missed CNN's show. I think politics killed them. And now there won't be a show to sometimes point out that media needs to a light shone on them at all times.

The End of Stylus 2025

Is it the end of Stylus, the music magazine founded in 1989 at the University of Winnipeg? The answer is maybe. There is no budget for another issue according to CKUW, the campus radio station that took over funding the magazine in 2015.

The reduction in students has meant the University of Winnipeg Student's Association and CKUW have less revenue. This has resulted in funding disagreements that seem to go on every year. University politics. It seems the associations are often trying to lift funding for various reasons. In this case, the reduction in international students has dropped funding so the radio station has had to make painful choices.

It is possible some fundraising might save the publication. However, other music magazine like Pitchfork and Vice have had to make cuts. Few music publications in Canada are as old or continuous as Stylus. Exclaim! started in 1991. Many reporters across Canada, including the Free Press, started off at Stylus.

Love it or hate it, musicians would be at a performance hall and pull out Stylus and and read about themselves or others. There really wasn't anything quite as local and music related. And no, it won't be replaced with a TikTok show. A 30 second clip is not enough information or as curated as a publication. There isn't anything wrong with it but it isn't the same. It might be the preference for young people but I can't imagine they play games that end in 30 seconds so why would they consume journalism that short either?

The comeback of vinyl records would suggest that sometimes old formats find new audiences. It has gotten to the point that when you are entering any bookstore or bar, there is no news stand.  Invariably, that has led to people using their phones at all the time? But where is the local in that?

The thing about Stylus was that it was super local. Perhaps it's greatest strength. It is possible it could go digital. Some former newspapers like Music Express have gone digital in Canada after a hiatus. The advertising dollars have disappeared and are now being used the AI and their parent companies. Rolling Stone is now suing AI for taking their work and not paying for it. New York Times just made a settlement.

Smaller publications and podcasts routinely have their work pillaged. The only way content will continue to exist if large companies like Google and others are forces to pay it. This won't help in the near term. Only a rescue could help. It seems awful that the student's association and radio station can't figure this out. Perhaps there is an outside investor who can help.

The world is changing quite a bit but they day music journalism ends will be a sad one.

Political Discourse in Canada

While Canadians look in horror at the political violence in the U.S., it is worth noting that Manitoba was created through political violence. The founder of Manitoba Riel ordered the death of Thomas Scott. This act set off a number of actions that both created Manitoba and further violent clashes that eventually led to the death of Riel himself. It is a much more complicated history than that but our Legislature is now led by a First Nations premier. It might have seemed unthinkable a few decades ago. However, we have had a variety of political leaders from different religious and ethnic backgrounds. This has been at both municipal and federal levels in the province.

We should be proud in Manitoba for having fairly open view on who we elect. By and by, we try to elect the who we think are up for the job and the policies that best reflect where we want to go. We don't seem to have the same old hands in office that the U.S. does. This is not likely a reflection of ageism but that Canadians are more likely to put an end to a political career after that person has been there for ten years or so. The desire for change means third terms are rare. Four terms impossible.

I don't know Canadians are cynical but pragmatic and looking for change. But this isn't everywhere. There are a large amount of areas in Canada that don't change from one party all that much ever. In Manitoba, some provincial and federal ridings have rarely changed parties. Not true in the city. Elections are decided in cities because voters are open to changing their vote. 

We have never quite had the political media that the U.S. has. Every bookstore is crammed with political books. Radio stations are filled with political talk. The news programs usually lead with political news. There are dedicated news networks that talk politics all day. Every newspaper or digital news is heavy on politics. For the U.S., it often means leaning toward one or the other political parties.

There just isn't as much of that in Canada. A few Conservatives have crossed the border to engage campuses and political parties. It has largely not had the same impact as south of the border. There are homegrown conservatives in Canada such as Jordan Peterson. Some of his views such as universal healthcare are pretty progressive and they don't want to hear about in the U.S.

Many on the right are provocateurs. In Canada there are a lot of older and grumpy men who grouse on radio, newspapers and sometimes TV.  There is nothing wrong with that. Change is hard, nostalgia is easy. But the grumpy critics are using their words and their voices. The best of them sometimes use facts. The American-owned National Post with its Trump pardoned former owner are so repetitive in their support for Conservatives federally and for Netanyahu in Israel.  It is probably not surprising that you can't find the paper in places like Manitoba. It is only available in digital form. There isn't any news in it except for business news. 

The right wing in Canada is at war with itself half the time. It hates media in general and bleeds it dry of funding or grasps onto Russian funding. Young conservatives in Canada often listen to podcasts in the U.S. if they read, watch or listen to anything. Many just aren't attracted to Conservatives in Canada. As such, there was not much runway for Americans or even prominent Canadians like Peterson to achieve much discussion heading into the last election.

I have not mentioned the NDP and Greens much. There is plenty of progressive voices but they are often caught up in activism which is often incompatible with governing. The Greens have a respected leader who keeps trying to retire. The party just doesn't get elected at various levels and show they can govern. Once Elizabeth May is gone, it may be the end for the Greens as well. As for the NDP, they fight even about the direction of the party. No strong NDP provincial leader wants anything to do with it. While the federal NDL campaigns for electoral reform, the provincial NDP doesn't support it. It is hard to say what the future direction of the NDP federally is.

So while there are conservatives here saddened by the death of Charlie Kirk, there really isn't any movement here to rally young conservatives. An anti-immigration rally in Toronto in the last day barely generated anyone. More pro-immigration people were on site. The protest didn't even seem to draw much conservative media in Canada although I can't say I have checked all social media.

It is probably important in retrospect to remember that Canada is not the same as the U.S. when we watch people political figures get targeted. As Poilievre and Catherine McKenna reported this weekend, they have required police protection because of threats. We have probably been lucky it hasn't resulted in a terrible outcome. It is important to note that someone went after Trudeau and crashed the gates of Rideau College to get him. Mental illness might have been a factor but the target was political.

In the mean time, it is better to keep conversations going and to keep in mind, the average Canadian is probably less concerned with politics than they are with family, school and work. It is hard to rally a movement when you are making lunch for kids for school the next day.

Travel to North Dakota/Minnesota

The absence of Canadians is being noticed in North Dakota. A column this past weekend in the Fargo Forum lamented the loss. However, there was a war of words between liberal and conservative commenters after. Some indicated Canada was getting what they deserved and that it didn't matter what we did and it had no impact. There were others though that talked about the longstanding relationship being trashed.

To our friends in the U.S., it should be said that, most Canadians have responded with hurt and anger. Most of the trade that passes between the two countries has no tariffs. However, some items in both countries are protected by quotas. In the U.S. it is sugar and in Canada, it is milk. There is room for negotiation but accusations that Canada is a main source for fentanyl headed to the U.S. is a fiction shown clearly from America's own numbers. 

Ever since the election of Trump, Canadians have re-thought their travel and investment in the U.S. for winter housing, business and the like. Smooth travel across the border is always a concern. No one wants to be stopped at the border when they cross. Being asked questions about whether you support Trump and the answer dependent on if you cross is not exactly what anyone wants to hear. Also, knowing that any and all your electronic devices can be searched is enough to discourage people. What if you have business materials that you don't want your competitors to know on pricing, specifications and so on? Does this get passed along to U.S. business? You don't have any rights when you cross as a Canadian. You can be denied for whatever reason. In the past, this was not nearly as aggressive as it is now. Being denied entry because you brought a pre-paid phone instead of your regular phone has happened as well.

Crossing at Winnipeg International Airport or through North Dakota and Minnesota crossings seems to be less of an issue than at other crossings in Canada. Perhaps, those entry points are different than others but who can say? Regardless, traffic is down by a significant margin at those crossings. It isn't just the value of Canadian dollar either. People continued travelling to the States when the dollar was much lower. No, the problem now runs much deeper. Many are choosing not to go because of deeply felt convictions that it is wrong when Canadian sovereignty is threatened.

State and federal officials from the U.S. have appealed to Canada to return as tourists and encourage trade. Many have come to Canada to make their pitch. The thing is that a discount or appreciative banners on streets saying: we love Canadians is not going to remove the fear of border crossings or feelings in regards to 51st state talk. It is a question of respect. It may be that we are in for an even rougher road ahead. The full free trade act comes up for renewal next year.

Every long weekend since the beginning of the year, the car traffic to North Dakota and Minnesota has dropped. It will likely not completely die off. Too many Canadians have family in the U.S., or kids in school, work, conferences, winter homes that they have owned for years or holidays planned for a very long time. All of that will continue. Not to mention it will be hard to keep Canadians from wanting to see Team Canada in the Los Angeles Olympics, of soccer's World Cup in 2026. This applies to Blue Jays game and playoffs and NHL teams over the next months.

It is likely though that many Canadians will limit their travel or spending plans in the U.S. for some time to come unless there is a dramatic de-escalation of tariffs, tensions and other irritants. So states like North Dakota and Minnesota will likely still see reductions in Canadian travel and that could be more pronounced in the weeks and months ahead.

For the U.S., it is probably not just Canadian travellers who are absent this year but so far the overall decline is listed as 30% below last year's levels. From all tourism that is a $30 billion hit. There is no evidence that this is changing. Canadian tourism is up 30% as more in Canada have travelled elsewhere in the country.

America First is looking more like America alone. And Trump says this is only the beginning.