The Healing Election Speech for Canada

The speech that should be given on election night to bring the country together after the vote is in and the results announced:

What a night. It is with great humility that I take on the task of this great enterprise we can call Canada. I couldn't have done this alone and I thank my family and my party that helped and guided me from coast to coast to coast. We have elected MPs in every part of the country, my friends, in places where we haven't had representatives in some time. It is a huge honour and a responsibility we take seriously. And we will not let the Canadian people down!

To all the candidates from all the parties, I thank you for committing to the great democratic process of Canada. I have spoken to my opponent in the election and wish him and his family well. His public service over the years deserves recognition and while we disagreed over policy, I wish him the best. Likewise, I extend my gratitude to the other opposition leaders tonight for their service.

(repeated in French)

The mandate we have received this evening from Canadians is a strong one. It is an expression of national unity that comes along at certain times in our history and it is one that Canadians have consistently answered. It is fair to say that external factors made us take a hard look at ourselves and we have risen to the occasion. Tonight's election results are proof of that!

The strong and cross country mandate means we go back to our nation's capital with both determination borne of national unity. We are not an artificial country as described by one individual. We are not a 51st state as said by another individual. We are a country bounded together by language, culture, business and 13 provinces and territories with common cause. One country, united and strong!

(repeated in French)

I know that when we return to Ottawa, we will have the support needed to respond to the challenges to our sovereignty. Our goals remain the same as what we campaigned on. We wish to unite the people and to thwart those that would try to annex us or break us a part in separation. To that end, I say to those that didn't vote for us: We have heard you and we won't let you down.

In the past, it was too easy for us to think we could tie ourselves to peace, security and prosperity with our southern partner. At home we have faced extraordinary challenges and continue to navigate through them. This has resulted in inflation, supply chain issues, tariffs and employment instability. What has been unexpected has been that our longtime friend and ally has targeted Canada in ways that they have not even done to long time rivals! We have defended ourselves in the past and we will do so in the present and in the future!

(repeated in French)

Canada's energy needs at home and exports abroad need to move through Canada. Eastern Canada relies on pipelines that go through the U.S. which makes the country vulnerable. Future pipelines south have not had much success through three administrations. The TMX pipeline built by the Liberal government has been the one that has helped the west along with the approved LNG plants on the coast. Oil will continue to be important to Canada until we improve renewables through infrastructure and technology.

To that end, we will be supporting east-west energy grids as well as ones extending north. We will be reaching out to our provincial and indigenous partners to make Canada independent for our own needs and to whom we sell to. And we will looking to do more carbon capture, accelerating tree planting (the ultimate things to remove carbon) as well as move to cleaner renewables through investment an technology. We can not let people suffer from loss of employment, living in poverty and depravation because of moves to cleaner energy. Nor can we let communities be consumed by fire, flood and loss of life due to inaction on climate. It will require balanced and caring approach and that is what you will see from this government!

(Repeated in French)

We have heard Canadians and will make housing, healthcare and affordability priorities. We have heard our allies and will commit to defense spending as well as purchasing it more at home and using our steel and aluminum. We are committed to our indigenous communities, the north and provinces from west to east. We will fulfill our obligation for a just and peaceful society based on law and convention. People need to know they are safe to live their lives and not fear crime will rob them of their right to live without fear.

We have a renewed sense of pride and purpose in Canada and we will make this journey together. All of us. Together!

(Repeated in French)

Lastly, while talk was of elbows up in the country, we always remember when it is at the end and all is said and done, we shake hands because that is the country we live in. (In French) Canada will be united and joyful about what who we are. (In French) Thank you, merci and good night. Thank you, merci, Canada!

Crime in Manitoba

It isn't just in Winnipeg that crime has taken a new turn. Armed gangs at farms have got rural folk scared. By it's very definition it is organized crime and based on the weapons they are carrying would be a threat to any who encountered them. Meanwhile in the city, murder continues to take place sometimes two times in a day. The police have been quick to make arrests in some of those which is good. The murder suspects are remanded.

Winnipeg continues to have to deal with arson. Vacant properties take too long to find new purpose and sometimes end up burned down. The wreckage takes forever to clear and then the empty lot stays that way for decades as no one wants to risk putting something up. This is what is happening to north Main where large tracts are knocked down.

A nascent national housing strategy of house building has begun. It is early stages but we have seen more houses, townhouses, duplexes and apartments go up all over. A change to student visas has seen major drops of temporary students nation-wide. The lack of housing support post secondary intuitions provided and the wide open work that was allowed for students made this inevitable. 

It is possible we may see changes to the student visa applications that put more onus on colleges providing for or arranging for housing as well as restricted work schedules for students. Some schools like University of Winnipeg have been great at building new housing. The University of Manitoba has been terrible. As it is, the shortage of affordable housing has meant more people on the street.

More than 30 years of homelessness, an increase in the potency of addictive drugs and cost of living going up has been a deadly combination. This combination of things and a whole lot more have contributed to thefts from stores not seen before, behaviour that is belligerent and sometimes violent and often with no seeming consequences. A lot of it is driven by drugs which proliferate more today than any jurisdiction seems to be able to get a handle on.

Winnipeg Police said in 2024 that they need 78 more officers. The service has asked for this while buying a new helicopter, artificial intelligence and robot dogs. The 1,300 officers generally make more than 100,000 and retirements for full pensions start shortly after 50 years old. The budget for Winnipeg Police is the largest line item with over $300 million a year in the city budget. 

Police themselves say better security comes from not just having 78 more police on the streets. It requires more social and law reform, better housing, prison changes and social assistance which hasn't changed in years. Pierre Poilievre has introduced three strikes you are out with 10 years in prison as an election policy. That is one solution. It isn't the only one. Certainly violent offenders cannot keep offending. And repeat offenders need to know their freedom is at stake for petty crime that never stops. But three strikes ended up with prisons bursting at the seams in the states and costing a lot of money.

As for rural police, the provincial NDP have assigned money for more tactical officers, more communications officers and more civilians to the the tune of millions. The PCs have called it as a distraction when the RCMP is so short of constables. It is important to remember they were short under the Stefanson government as well. This is a problem that needs fixing and it will probably take all parties working on it.

The violence happening in hospitals is unacceptable. Nurses, doctors and patients are all in far too much danger. And it isn't just the case of downtown hospitals. There is security at hospitals but clearly more needs to be done. Scanning stations, cameras, patrols and safety audits to ensure there are places that are not security issues.

If people continue to have cars and homes broken into, houses burned down, witness theft from stores every leaves parts of the city defeated and prepared to leave if no action is taken. It isn't normal carrying knives everywhere and using them all the time. Or guns. Those are choices people make. 

Addictions centers are still too few and too long to wait for. Overdoses are frequent due to the strength of the drugs and the many things that end up being mixed in there. Too many places are drug houses or drug distribution centers. Encampments crop up because the people there are sometimes too high and violent to spend night in a shelter. 

The plan to address one encampment after another is a good one if it gets people into housing, assigns a case worker to them and results if a site clean up and frequent follow-up that an encampment doesn't keep popping up. None of this works with backsliding. So much difficulty begins when there is not consistent transition work. If the goal is to reduce police involvement, it means zero tolerance for violence. 

The provincial government is looking to set up a safe injection site but it could be that those going to the site are vulnerable to violence or prone to violence. The issue of what happens to the areas where a site is set up suggests that schools, daycares should not be in proximity. Those same rules apply to cannabis and liquor stores as well. There is already a mobile unit that is in Winnipeg. One wonders if trying to place a site in a place in a city as widespread as Winnipeg is useful or safe.

There won't be one perfect approach to crime in Manitoba. Some of it will be to continue support for community services and school for young people so that they have safe places and good influences. Some of the good news is that cigarette smoking is way down, alcohol consumption down and this reflected in fewer bars as people just don't drink as much and smoking is fairly restricted in where it can be done and where product can be purchased. 

In past crime spikes, they were dealt with by identifying the most most brazen such as multiple arsons, violent offenses or repeat offenses by getting them off the streets. They were remanded and dealt with by the courts. Rehabilitation is possible but only with good supports and that means parole, probation, transition housing, drug and alcohol monitoring and job training and placement. It makes no sense to discharge someone who has no supports and is in a strange city. It is a recipe for disaster as we have seen.

And lastly, Stony Mountain is the oldest federal penitentiary in Canada and one where inmates die at all too frequent rate. It is very likely in need of replacing. Headingley Correctional is also a very old prison that has had it's share of unrest. If rehabilitation is to take place, it can't be without supports, addictions programs and not solitary confinement for days on end.

The way to beat crime is to raise the level of self sufficiency in society. In the past that was a very large middle income for the greatest amount of people. If there are extreme poverty levels, it crushes many people's commitment to the social order. No amount of police can control millions without jobs, homes and food. It is something to keep in mind on forming policy on crime. It isn't just crime. It is about well being.

 

Von Maur Department Store Now Open in Fargo

Manitobans travelling to North Dakota had to brave two lanes of traffic and no passing lanes on Highway 75 from Winnipeg to the border until twinning took place from 1985 to 1994. The U.S. in North Dakota completed twinning in 1977 from Pembina all the way to Fargo. The old border stations were easy to cross. Even in the 1970s they were tiny things. Families easily crossed with no IDs. Just a few basic questions. It was the return back to Canada and the low amount of duty free that was a concern. Only in the last decade or so has it risen to higher amounts.

Before Grand Forks and Fargo had malls built, Winnipeggers shopped in their department stores downtown. They also stayed in motels near the downtown. North Dakota was years behind Winnipeg when it came to malls. Fargo would be the first with a mall called West Acres in 1972. It would take two more years for 13th Avenue to be built in front of it. Looking west was wheat fields. Fargo itself was more than a mile a way.

While Winnipeggers continued to stay in Grand Forks and shop in the downtown there, it was not uncommon for families to make a quick day trip to West Acres once the mall was built in 1972.  The lack of hotels nearby and two years of road construction thereafter put those off who wanted to actually stay in Fargo to shop at the new mall. For our family, we stayed for years at the Townhouse in Grand Forks near the downtown because it had an indoor swimming pool. Others stayed in the Holiday Inn from the Holidome that was built in 1966. The Ramada went up in 1973 next door. The pools and event centers inside were more important to people from Winnipeg than staying in Fargo where hotels near West Acres were not popping up till at least 1974.

Although Winnipeg had malls like Polo Park and Grant Park Mall, people were still quite used to going downtown for shopping and restaurants. So shopping downtown Grand Forks was not considered unusual. Still, the construction of West Acres Mall was a gamechanger in border shopping for Canadians.

But as the above picture shows, it was in the middle on nowhere and motels took a bit longer to materialize. It was a good day trip from Grand Forks but not enough to attract those headed down for a two day weekend. And remember, the Canadian part of the journey was on a two lane highway and the Interstate was only finished off in 1977. It could be a harrowing journey with a semi trailer behind you.

The trip to West Acres though was a different experience than what Canadians had experienced in North Dakota though and many curious travellers went to shop. What they found was local Fargo department store Delendrecies, Minnesota-based retailer Dayton's and national retailer Sears. It was the smaller stores and their variety that attracted Winnipeggers as well such Hickory Farms and Musicland. By 1979, in an expansion, West Acres added J.C. Penny. 

Many changes in retail over the decades meant Delendrecies eventually becoming Herbergers in 1998. Dayton's became Marshall Fields in 2001 and Macy's in 2006. In recent years Herberger's and Sears have closed leaving malls all over the U.S. scrambling. It was only in 2000-01 that West Acres put in a food court. In one of the empty spaces left from department store closing, the mall has created The District which features restaurants inside and outside the mall. Crave, a sushi restaurant from Minnesota was the first tenant.

Best Best eventually moved into the mall in 2017 in 50,000 square feet of Sear which shuttered in 2017 after 45 years in the mall. Best Best had been next door since 1994 in a 45,000 square foot location. West Acres has shown considerable resiliency when compared to Columbia Mall in Grand Forks. However, when Herberger's closed, the question of what to do with the space was a big one. A few retailers looked at the space and nothing resulted. That is until a mid-west department store that somehow does well when national retailers are dropping.

Von Maur is a fourth generation family run department store founded in 1872 out in Davenport, Iowa. It has slowly grown to 39 stores across the U.S. The 39th store of 90,000 square feet will be in Fargo, North Dakota. It is Von Maur's first store in the state. Perhaps as a family store that doesn't have to fight takeovers of their shares, they have been able to make decisions on their business that has allowed them to survive and expand over the years. 

So what is Von Maur? It is a department store catering to upscale fashion for men and women. They carry a number of fashion lines and have not tried to do so many general merchandise things like Sears or other department stores have. In other words, they have stayed focused on what they are good at. Perhaps the one department store comparable in Canada is Simon's. That is another example of slow, steady and focused while staying privately owned.

Von Maur's also runs a newer, larger mall store group called Dry Goods USA which has over 80 stores across the U.S. including West Acres. All in all Von Maur's and West Acres are a good match. The mall owners there never gave up on finding tenants. And Von Maur has looked for placed where their unique offerings might work. Unlike Columbia Mall which is largely empty, West Acres is set to remain relevant into the future.

The only thing that might hurt the retail success of West Acres is the tariffs. If higher prices lead to a recession and prices spiking from products that have tariffs, there could be problems. How much does Von Maur have from China on the shelf? How many farmer face tariffs selling into China. As far as Canadian tourists go, the numbers are dropping each month. Fargo is no longer part of a lot of people's travel plans. Canada might be in recession already and people will pull back on spending. And no, Canada will not beg to become the 51st state nor welcome an invasion. It just means we will seek other markets until things change in the U.S.

Some businesses won't notice the drop but they will notice the price changes. The tariffs are still fresh and they will be hard to ignore. At the moment, until the pain reaches into every aspect of the economy, most people will ignore it. The question will be what will be the response?

Fargo is a fine city and West Acres a fine mall. They seem to be doing everything they can to continue prosperity and hospitality. Attracting Von Maur is an indication they are doing everything right. At some point, I hope Canadians will be able to enjoy it in the future.

Poilievre vs Carney and Threat of Western Separation

What a difference a few months and an external factor like Donald Trump can have on electoral fortunes. Pierre Poilievre seemed to be sailing into one of the most massive majorities in Canadian history for the Conservatives. Justin Trudeau was determined to go into the next election until the opposition said they were going to pull the plug at the earliest opportunity. This led to a flurry of Liberals saying they were not going to run again next election. With cabinet holes to fill, he looked to move the Finance minister Chrystia Freeland to some other position to bring in, allegedly, Mark Carney into Finance. 

Freeland's resignation was the moment that Trudeau found there was just not enough support in the caucus to carry on. And Mark Carney, who opted not to jump into a cabinet with a lameduck PM. He just had to wait till a leadership convention was called. A prorogued Parliament and a leadership convention was a re-set from how 2025 began. As interim PM till the leadership was decided, Justin Trudeau probably had the two best best months an outgoing leader could have. Carney became the PM and had streamlined cabinet sworn in. However, support for Liberals had been steadily rising every time Trump imposed or threatened tariffs. By the time Carney became PM the Liberals had pulled numbers not seen in years.

Oddly enough, even though the Conservatives said they were going to bring the government down, they haven't seemed unprepared this far. They have not been able to adjust to the constant changing campaign that Trump's proclamations bring. Carney has not been perfect thus far. Some of his MPs have gotten in trouble. Some he has removed including his own seat and some he stubbornly keeps in place. One recent MP stepped down after he defended him. It is early in campaign and not uncommon for leaders to have a few candidates who don't work out. It remains to be seen whether these incidents hurt Carney. Or Poilievre. Generally, most people don't pay attention to these incidents.

Preston Manning suggests that anything less that a Poilievre majority win is a vote for Alberta separation. This is the same type of blackmail that Quebec has used over the years. Sad that it comes from Manning who has generally been considered to be not be as extreme. It could be that speaking to the volatile male base of the party makes him presume such an outcome. The enormous gender gap in what polls are saying could make for some surprises. Some men are just not opposed to Liberals. They are angrily opposed. However, if that is the case then it can be said women are even more resolutely opposed to Conservatives. 

This is something to keep in mind when voting on separation takes place. What do women think about this? Truly. A landlocked Conservative province separating? Most polls suggest that only a small minority want a 51st state in Alberta. That same percentage is in Quebec in terms of 51st state. The most recent polling on separation from Canada in Alberta stands at about 20. Still a minority view. Manning's 

If Poilievre is having a hard time figuring an angle with Carney, it is the same problem with all the opposition leaders including Blanchet from the BQ. The more Trump fills the airwaves, the more a unity movement grows. For the moment it is in support of Carney since he is the prime minister. And as such, Carney's response generally has the backing of all the premiers. It is enviable position to be in during the election. Usually the caretaker role is less pronounced. However, it can be said that the authority to respond to an emergency overrides this. Looking like a prime minister is what many Canadians are looking for. 

The premier of Alberta flirts with separation but also calls it nonsense. She knows the polls show it to be a possible loser for her. Danielle Smith already has enough problems in the province as she breaks the crockery. And yet Poilievre does little to distance himself. The person he does need help from his Doug Ford from Ontario and yet never seems to ask. Ford has found it easier to deal with Trudeau and Carney.

At this point in the election, it is clear that neither the premier of Alberta or Poilievre are interested in talking about separation of Alberta or Quebec. Even flirting with it is likely to do harm in Ontario. And that is where he need seats. According to polls, the heavily Conservative Alberta has a loathing for any Trudeau Liberals going back 60 years. However, when they've elected two Conservative majorities, they have felt pretty miserable about that too. 

The polls could be the most off we have ever seen in Canadian history given the crowds turning up for Poilievre. However, Winnipeggers know that just because we loved and turned up in numbers for Phantom of the Paradise, it didn't mean it was a blockbuster. 

It is possible that Carney's French might hold him back or that he stumbles badly in upcoming debates but the desire for stability is something the electorate craves. Poilievre has said he will disturb that but he has said everything is broken. That message is tone deaf when the public fears the country will be carved up by external enemies. Many take a dim view that Conservatives may in fact desire that outcome. For this reason, the polls have been reflecting a new dynamic not seen in Canada ever.

Three weeks are left in the campaign and the only thing we can say is that it is volatile out there.