Should Stony Mountain Penitentiary Be Replaced?

Following the closure of Kingston, Ontario's federal pen, Stony Mountain has become Canada's oldest and continuously operating federal penitentiary. Soon, with the closure of Newfoundland's provincial pen, it will become the oldest penitentiary in Canada period. Built in 1877, it replaced Lower Fort Garry for federal inmates.

In 2014, an expansion added 96 inmates for a maximum security wing. There are also medium and minimum security wings of 481 and 217 respectively. Adjacent to Stony Mountain is Rockwood Institution built in 1962 which houses as additional 167 inmates. It last had a renovation in 2010 which added 50 inmates. It should be noted these improvements were done during the Harper government. 

Stony is, without doubt, one of the most dangerous prisons in Canada. It has become all too common to have one or two people die inside the walls. Presently, the only real prison construction that is taking place in Canada is at massive provincial level in Ontario to the tune of billions. In Manitoba, the provincial jail system had seen closures but now Dauphin is getting a $142 million correctional facility to replace one that has closed. 

Prisons get old. And they get dangerous. Manitoba's provincial jail in Headingly had a riot that caused so much damage in the 1990s that it took millions to fix. Inmates were kept all over the province until it was done. Now, in 2026, it is one of the older provincial facilities in Canada. At some point, the cost of electrical, water, crumbling concrete would seem to trigger a new build but it hard to get the public excited about prison construction. That is, until you try to close a facility like they did in Dauphin. And then you hear about not facilitating corrections, the loss of jobs and general lack of preparedness for repeat offender who are not fit for the community because they see no consequences for their acts.

The various investigations of deaths at Stony Mountain and the execrable process of time, will continue to put pressure on the corrections facility infrastructure. It is reported violent crime is down the last two years running in Winnipeg but it is higher in rural areas. This could be attributed to more people being arrested for violent crimes and repeat offences being convicted. Or more police prevention. Possibly more work on crime prevention? The list is long on what could account for it.

A replacement of Stony Mountain Institution has to be as much about corrections versus consequences. Turning people into better gang members after 20 years is self defeating. Keeping people in prison for 40 years seems expensive and excessive depending on their crime. Is the present prison even built well enough for security and safety given how many deaths there? There are probably a whole list of things to consider. One thing that should not be considered is not having a prison. There are a number of people in prison who are there for very good reasons. It isn't safe to not incarcerate someone who hunts humans. But prison is not a good place to solve poverty and homelessness.

Regardless of what people think of prison, I think many will agree they don't want a serial killer out on the streets any time soon. Stony Mountain isn't getting any younger. They shouldn't wait till it falls apart like Kingston did.

How Bad A Summer Will It Be?

More and more businesses are saying problems along Portage and into Wolseley are exploding. Rampant drug use, aggressive behaviour and fires set are out of control. The Free Press interviewed people about the new security rebate from the province and emerged with a scary story of how fast things are deteriorating. 

How bad is it? It is so bad that the block around north Portage by Sherbrook narrowly avoided being burned down. There are a number of businesses there begging for help from the government. They are not reactionary types with a hate for low income people. They are desperate not not be hurt through violence. They don't want their customers to be driven away. And they don't want to clean up people using their doorways as washrooms, sleeping stalls or spots to launch attacks.

These are not corporate tycoons. They are small businesses and ordinary people. Some have opened convenience stores and no one should feel they might subject to assault, fire or outright neglect. Blaming the people who are trying to make sure the area is not without bakeries, restaurants and stores is so unfair.

There are so many NDP MLAs and cabinet ministers in Winnipeg. Double the amount of councillors. They seem to be content fighting in the Legislature. Wab Kinew and Obby Khan just call each other names in Question Period. The NDP government is saying they are doing something but one building after another burns down. The NDP MLAs are invisible.

This is an election year in Winnipeg. They councillors and mayor could be vulnerable to defeat but the voter turnout is very low. No sitting mayor has been defeated since the 1950s. Very rarely does a sitting councillor get defeated. Unless a new system like ballot selection is chosen, there may be no fix for the same people in office. Ditto the MLAs who are just not visible.

This is not to say that some areas of improvement are helpful. The downtown safety patrols that are in part funded by True North are being trusted enough to get people on the path to some care routine. The spike in HIV and other diseases is an indication of some of the accelerated breakdown in health, especially in preventable diseases. Drug addiction, mental health are running rampant. Hepatitis A is running out of control. This suggests a complete failure in care. People are only being revived by paramedics just to suffer treatable diseases the rest of their lives.

It is clear that some on the streets have no impulse control and even placing them in homes is not enough support for the toxicity of the drugs. In fact, seniors who have had drug addiction folks placed in their buildings are saying they are under siege. Where are the wraparound supports? What we've been hearing is support staff won't go in buildings because it is too dangerous. This is outrageous. 

Every citizen will have the misfortune to use a hospital for their own use or family and friends in the next years and one by one, they are all being listed as unsafe by the very nurses who have to work there. This is considered acceptable? The amount of assaults on staff inside and outside hospitals is at critical levels.

Gordon Bell High School is in the middle of meth and fentanyl overdoses in the middle of the day as student walk through discarded needles. Security guards specializing in hard reduction are planned for next school term but the problem grows every day until then.

The fire department is reporting ever rising cases of places being brought down by arson. The city can barely keep up with vacant buildings and demolished buildings. A building that is closes could face arson only days after being boarded up. Fire services can be out multiple times a night. Paramedics are out at even great rates.

As far as Transit goes, the new route system sometimes leaves people feeling vulnerable during transfers. Many shelters might be filled with needles and occupied permanently. Inside the buses, the drivers want to shut off from the passengers. This may help the drivers while the passengers don't have any protections. 

An interesting story about San Francisco Democratic mayor Daniel Lurie appeared in the the Washington Post in the past days. He has done been cited even by Donald Trump about his crime fighting in the city. Using both public and private partnerships, he has made progress in the city that went through a terrible downtown following Covid and crime that seemed to have little regard for enforcement. Using technology and backfilling shortages of police has helped as well as various strategies to help people from falling into harmful behaviour.

So the question remains, how bad could it get for Winnipeg and Manitoba? While we may not have police shortages in Winnipeg, the RCMP is short very many officers. This does not help in terms of drug and human trafficking or episodes of school violence where response time is terrible. It seems unbelievable we have rising unemployment with a shortage of thousands of RCMP. Why are these positions unfilled?

Things have been moving so quickly that something terrible is going to happen and then it will be all reactive. It is hard to say what that might be. Homicide, arson, encampments along Portage Avenue, major city parks, multiple deaths from Hep A, overdoses and deaths? I don't know but things are moving painfully slow and the government and opposition seem only interested in calling each other names in the Legislature. City Hall seems overwhelmed and more focused on road construction and trying to get the Feds to pay for their sewer.

The election is in November and the situation with crime and drugs isn't going to go away. If it is a horrific summer, it will surely goad various governments to act. Finger pointing won't cut it although we are likely to see a lot of it. Winnipeg will need to surge all out. Simply swapping out needles and testing drugs won't cut it if violence and property crime escalate beyond the pale. If even the support workers fear going to work, you have already lost the battle.

Summer is when a lot of politicians in Manitoba like to take time off but it is unlikely that they will be able to escape scrutiny. Last years the province was on fire and there was no break. This year the drug and crime issue will do the same. There will be no hiding from it.

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,

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.

The Anger of Conservatives in Manitoba

The Conservatives lost the last federal election and the Progressive Conservatives lost the last provincial election in Manitoba. As far as the federal election goes, the Tories were so certain they were going to, they were figuring out the wallpaper in the prime minister's office. After two years of relentless campaigning they almost saw the Liberals win a majority and their own leader lose his seat.

Polling in Manitoba now shows a majority of Conservatives supporting separation. It is a minority position in the overall poll. Some men are so angry and upset that they are all in on western alienation and separation. It is unclear how that translates into a win with a full referendum. It is worth noting that separation parties in the provincial byelections finished third.

There seem to be a lot of conservatives who embrace the 51st state. Certainly there is anger at the election results and in some cases, those that saw their party lost question the electoral system as fixed against them. And by fixed, the suggestion was that Liberals were changing boundaries and stuffing ballots. No amount of evidence could be presented to convince those that believe that. Thankfully, the actual Conservative party didn't make a call to the battlements over losing both the election and the leader's seat. That didn't mean they were happy.

The Liberals are pretty wily. By changing their leader and proroguing Parliament, they changed the calculus. But some of these tactic the Conservatives had done themselves with success. It think what caught Conservatives by surprise is how fast Liberals changes policy platform. Despite calling it cynical and a lie, it ignores how the Liberals have always had right and left components within the party. It is that right that is in power now.

Men are more likely to be separatist than women. And Alberta and Saskatchewan are more likely to have separatist segments of the population than B.C. or Manitoba. In Manitoba it is likely a rural male who thinks on the line of separation. This closely resembles the rest of the west. Those in the city, especially women, are more likely to be in support of a united Canada.

Polls are often snapshots looking backwards. Many conservatives are still stinging from Trudeau and are still stunned the Liberals won with Carney. The popularity if the Liberals and Carney have steadily risen. Even now though some conservatives are mad about Covid, vaccines, the electoral process on a host of issues social and economic. It is unlikely that some on the right will ever forgive the emergency measures. But then again, there is little sympathy from a lot of Canadians who regarded the convoys as being a threat to health and safety.

Carney appears to be managing the premiers fairly well by being open to projects of national importance. Still, Alberta's default position is to criticize the federal government often as a cover for their own performance. Trudeau authorized a full government pipeline that brought more money into Alberta than before and got no credit for it. Harper had no success getting the pipeline through.

Ontario has 15 million people living in the province. Even with the entire western Canada population included, it is smaller than Ontario. For would be separatists it should be obvious that the population of cities in the west outnumbers all of the rural and northern areas. This is important because a lot of separatists are often saying majority rule is unfair. They don't meant the just eastern Canada but cities over rural areas too.

In Manitoba this often mean rural men are angry at people who live in Winnipeg. Does separation mean separating from Winnipeg? These are legitimate questions. If Canada is divisible, does it not mean provinces are as well? And First Nations can easily say they won't separate. Does that mean the province sends the police in? This easily can lead to a civil war.

As mentioned, this is a snapshot on the past months and the present government is not even a year in. Federal-provincial relations seems to be in a much better place than they were a year ago and nation building projects seem to be a focus. Housing and inflation are also on the priority list. All these things combined are likely to take the steam of the separatist agenda.  As this most recent Canada Day has show, the Canadian flag has been reclaimed by those who want a unified Canada. The majority does not want to break up the country.

Winnipeg in 2025

Many large projects are slated to begin in 2025 across Winnipeg head to next phase in the new year. This comes at the same time as city council has indicated they have drained the rainy day fund and are in the hole for next year. The threat of tariffs by Donald Trump will certainly spook many export related businesses in the city and beyond. Is it a negotiation tactic or will there may be some painful times coming?

The election of Donald Trump who takes office in 2025 could have huge influence on how well Canada does and by extension Winnipeg. A tariff war could hurt Winnipeg which is geared for exports. There is a promise by the Conservative to cut the $122 million accelerator housing program funded by the federal government and awarded by the city if they get in office. It has attracted huge interest across the country and housing projects are starting in the new year or are under way. But does it stop after next year?

Portage Place is now fully in True North's hands and signals the largest investment in downtown in a generation. The new Pan Am Clinic will be the best health clinic of its kind in Canada when completed. And just like Grant Park will be busy seven days a week.  And it is this type of activity which is needed centrally in Winnipeg. Grant Park is along a bus route that is not nearly as well used as Portage Avenue.

Portage and Main, for better or worse, is under construction as it ends the days of the Concourse. The first section is around the former Bank of Montreal where the Metis are building offices and a museum. This section along East Portage could look quite different in 2025. If the museum attracts the tourism that is expected, this could result in a lot of surface foot traffic.

The Manitoba Metis Federation is not the only indigenous group with big downtown plans. The MMF will be working on the Bank of Montreal museum but also absorbing their office building purchases along Main Street. Meanwhile, the Southern Chiefs Organization will continue their work on converting the down Bay into offices and housing with the $200 million budget they have. The only problem is that their chief has been replaced and it is still unknown how it might affect the schedule or direction of the work. The SCO really needs to make clear what is happening.

In the southern party of the city, the long awaited University of Manitoba acquired lands of the Southwood Golf Club. It has been a painfully slow period of development. The housing needs of students on campus remain a concern and yet nothing announced these last years. Construction was to start this year but so far no announcements have been made. The expected 10,000 units of residential units over the next decades is estimated to cost around $6 billion. It will transform the area with 12 million square feet of development. 

We should see some announcements in 2025 as it is likely the demand in this area will be immense. It is odd that the smaller University of Winnipeg that doesn't have the large land gift U of M has next to it has not seen as much housing as the University of Winnipeg. 

The University of Winnipeg has been the most consistent builder of apartments in the downtown in recent years. The above picture shows another apartment town amidst a bunch that the University has built in earlier years. They don't seem to be slowing down which is good as they are building today's and tomorrow's neighbourhoods.

There are several other areas of the city that should show physical growth in terms of retail and residential. Very few offices are being built. The post pandemic world means more people work from home. It might be a while before we see another office tower go up. As far as business investments go, we are seeing many manufacturers gear up although many in Manitoba will be wary on Trump tariffs. It seems the sustainability of growth in Winnipeg and Manitoba will depend on that. 

Time for a New Manitoba Flag?

The Manitoba Vexillogical Society has asked Manitobans if we should have a new provincial flag. The group, which is dedicated to flag, has ranked Manitoba's flag very low.  It was approved in 1965 and officially approved in 1966. It was based on the old Canadian flag and looks remarkably like Ontario's flag.

Changing flags is not usually a vote winner for political parties. The debate over the Canadian flag change had many hurt feelings but went through. It is widely regarded now as being the right choice and recognized around the world instantly.

The flag in 1966 reflected the strong British feelings that still remained within the province. It didn't take much account of the French presence that was as much a part of the province's development and still was at the time. Nor did it show anything about the indigenous presence.

The British flag evolved over time so if our example is Britain, we can use that as a basis for change. I think there are areas of the present flag we can agree on. A bison is a great symbol for a flag. The colour isn't bad. But a crest on a flag is too busy and the Union Jack is too prominent give the founding of the province and those involved in making it happen. 

Will a new flag ever come? It seems unlikely the new NDP government would wade into that one. However, if political pressures come groups of people left off the present flag, they might have second thoughts that they didn't have an international competition to determine a design that wins acclaim. 

One thing worth considering is that if organizations like the Jets can have a new uniform and a heritage uniform, why can't a province? It isn't like the flag need disappear for ever.  The Canadian Red Ensign flies at war memorials. Perhaps, there could be protocols of when the old Manitoba flag is flown such as Manitoba Day.

Flags do change. Manitoba is over 150 years old. The present flag does not accurately reflect the past and it certainly look like it represents the future either. A confident government might let the process play through and not put their thumb on the scale. Let's see what Manitoba thinks.

Wab Kinew Leads NDP to Government in 2023 Election

First of all congratulations are in order to Wab Kinew who led his NDP to a victory over the two term Progressive Conservatives. The NDP stuck on message about health care but also on not reversing some Heather Stefanson announced policy changes in the lead up to the election, mostly pertaining to fiscal. On issues such as searching the landfill, they were for it while PCs were against it. 

The complete collapse of the PCs in the election could be attributed to so many conservatives stepping down earlier, the difficulties in generating momentum for a third majority and the policies needed for it. A winning campaign was just not what ended up happening. It kept going more negative and evidence in Canada has shown over the decades that there is not nearly the taste for it here.

Some of the ads featuring past brushes with crime or unsavoury aspects of an NDP candidate probably did as much harm to Tories if not more. After a number of elections already, past behaviour of Wab Kinew has been part of the calculus of how people have voted already. It can be fair to ask to ask about the background of candidates but the electorate are more likely to assess on the most recent years for suitability if they have held office for a while. In other words, the attack on Kinew's background during an election likely drew more cynicism and probably was regarded as a distraction from the policy record of the government over seven years.

The amount of cabinet ministers who went down to defeat and the near defeat of Stefanson in her own riding is likely to have repercussions on the direction of the party.  Future and past leadership candidates are indicating early that they are not interested in the job. Some Tories lost their seats so running again for leadership might mean sitting on the sidelines unless one of their own steps aside for byelection.

In any event, Progressive Conservatives and Liberals will have at least four years of re-building ahead. Traditionally, Manitobans give a new government two terms so new leaders can expect to be in opposition up to 8 years. Certainly Kinew spent years in opposition himself before winning a majority. Such time allows for the leader and party to develop a strategy to win and govern. However, you can just as easily say that the electorate just gets tired of the governing party after two two terms and voters defeat governments rather electing governments. That is not to say the NDP or any new government doesn't have a mandate but it is worth considering how deep the support really is. On other words, a controversial agenda might sink a new government.

Expectations are high based on promises made by Kinew in the election. There may be some wiggle room such as when Gary Doer said the electorate could defeat the government if they did not fulfill their emissions promises. They didn't and Doer didn't take it to a vote but stepped down to let Greg Selinger lead his party to defeat. Voters will likely measure the new government in health outcomes, crime reduction and economic markers. There will be a honeymoon period but not an everlasting fountain of good will.

The instinct to concentrate power in the premier's office will be strong. Kinew has already said that the cabinet will be smaller. This is wise if only for the reason that parceling off responsibilities will dilute cabinet and the effectiveness of ministers. There are a lot of new people coming aboard. Most will have a tough time even knowing how to be a MLA and where the washrooms are in first months. Still, this is no excuse for taking all power and decision-making into the premier's office. 

It would be wise to strengthen the committees of the Legislature which have been extremely limited in recent years. It is one way to assess worthy cabinet appointees sometime later and a better way to suss out issues and sort out policies in a bipartisan format. It is a big mistake to have a caucus of 34 where the majority don't have anything to do.

The NDP and Wab Kinew have some room to maneuver as the other two parties begin a slow rebuild. It will be the public and expectations that will be a challenge even if the opposition in the house is blunted and smaller. It is hard to know what unexpected things can happen such as a deep recession, fire or flood or societal breakdown. It will be important to have competent people in place and a plan. There will be little patience for scandal or sub-standard performance.

Provincial Election 2023

Advance polls opened on Saturday, September 23 and there has been a fairly brisk turnout ever since. Tens of thousands have voted using the new scanner equipment instead of the old pencil and paper system. It remains to be seen if it can be counted sooner that the old way which was consistent and reliable but could take time.

TV stations, as we saw in the last civic election, can grow impatient and call and election so they can resume regular programming. And get it wrong.

The election has not suffered from a lack of debate. No matter what happens, the result will likely be something different in that the first elected premier will be a woman or indigenous man. And possibly a return to party status for the Liberals. It it is probable that two of those those things will not happen.

There are only so many competitive ridings of the 57 in Manitoba. Some are stalwart Progressive Conservative or NDP seats. Maybe only one can be said to be a steady Liberal seat in River Heights. This leaves suburban seats in Winnipeg as the focus of much attention as they have histories of voting different parties. 

In this election the Progressive Conservatives have a new leader as premier in Heather Stefanson. It is her first election after serving in cabinet including as health minister. Wab Kinew is a veteran in the house after building the NDP back up after the leadership of Greg Selinger. The Liberals also have a veteran leader in Dougald Lamont who won his seat in the former NDP leader Greg Selinger's riding in St. Boniface.

In recent decades, the attention on politics has been solidly on the leaders although no one directly votes for the leaders, they only vote for their MLA which may or may not be the leader. Local candidates can matter but aside from door to door, there are not a lot of ways to get noticed as not too many local debates are available nor profiles in community news papers which are rapidly disappearing. Podcasts is the only way I generally hear anything that is about individual candidates. Otherwise, I read their campaign websites.

Lots of MLAs/ministers stepped down this year so no matter what there will be a lot of new faces. And given the amount of promises made in the election there will also be a different direction that the province is going, presumably. It is worth noting that all of this is dependent on the economy. A recession could change all those tax cuts and program spending.

Some late polls have indicated a NDP lead. The lack of any Liberal or Green candidate in some ridings will make it harder for PCs to win in close ridings that they won in squeakers last time. The lack of incumbents in many PC ridings means more campaigning at home rather than helping other candidates as has happened in the past. As for the NDP, they have made direct appeals to past Liberal voters to vote for them to defeat the PCs. If the polls are any indication, it might be working. However, it will be hard to beat the Liberals in the three ridings they already hold.

Tuesday, October 3 is official election day. Voter turnout and which party motivates their voters could be a factor. Campaigns do matter and over the course of the election, momentum might have moved the electorate, especially in Winnipeg.

We'll find out soon enough how it turns out.

Looking Back 2022, looking forward 2023

The start of 2022 was still one mostly of lockdowns and loss. The previous Christmas was cancelled by many families because of severe outbreaks. Even this year my family was weighing the risks. We went ahead but wore masks until seated dining area was spread out. What else can you do? This year I have had Covid for second time and strep and I have been cautious and up to date with vaccines.

Our family is still reeling from the loss of our parents to Covid and an aunt who died while under restrictions due to continued outbreaks. No one wants anyone else to get sick in the family and among friends. And anyone who has gotten sick with some of the worst going on out there now knows it isn't just the sniffles.

And so it goes as the year closes, we struggle with effects of Covid. Even for the freedom lovers who want no restrictions or vaccines, getting sick or having people sick around them will affect their lives. Without being cruel about it, even a minister who preaches freedom who ignores their own health can end up dead. Viruses are not the only danger and denial won't overcome good and regular health checks.

We have been at war in our communities for the last three years. Perhaps it has been longer if you think about the dispute between urban, rural and northern, men and women, religion, language, race and whatever else seems to get our goat. Don't know that any of us are completely free of it. It is often a battle with ourselves. I've done it myself. And the last year or so, I have literally ended relationships because of the level of toxicity. I've resolved to try not to be toxic myself. It doesn't mean overlooking conflict but I will not to engage with it or fuel it.

It probably doesn't help with people in smaller and smaller tribes but mental and physical health doesn't last if family, work, church or community make you ill. Safety is so important for yourself and to escape someone else's unpleasantness. The story of the murders in the Ontario highrise sounds like someone's toxic nature grew to such a rage that it posed a danger to everyone. And eventually did. It is scary. How can you protect yourself?

The explosion in murders in Winnipeg though often seems linked to hard drugs and domestic abuse primarily. And the serial murders are a bitter reality of the vulnerability for women. The provincial government seems stuck with what to do about the lack of housing and hard drugs. Arresting and jailing addicts doesn't appear to end their addictions in prison. Manitoba's prisons are like an episode of Oz except for more murders.

The recent civic election had some elected officials wanting the election to only about about roads and potholes but the issue of crime, housing, drugs and murder is now impossible to ignore. It is hard to talk today about building the Peguis extension when the the city dump is being blocked by people in anguish over lost family. And the truth is that if it had been three police officers buried there, the chief would have never said there would be no attempt at recovery. His own force would have turfed him. Before the end of the day.

But let's not focus all on the bad even if it can seem overwhelming seeing and hearing it about it first hand ourselves. I think we can be glad that employment is at historically high levels. Wages, according to data, have gone up. Immigration is at levels not seen since confederation. Business investment is starting to grow. And residential units planned years ago are finally coming on stream now including the tallest residential tower in Winnipeg.

Of course this is countered by inflation and difficulty in finding workers. Add to that the high cost and availability of housing. The planning and the actual building of houses takes years. It isn't just zoning that takes time but finances, supply chains and contractors to build. Some student housing near the University of Manitoba has been in the planning and building stage for several years. Thankfully, it is coming on stream just as international student demand is exploding. However, the university has already been painfully slow on getting housing built on the abundant land it already has. Still, if you look up and down Pembina Highway there are more high rises being built than in many decades. Some are within the affordable level that students need as well as part of their financing package.

If Canada's immigration level goes up by 500,000 a year as forecast and we have a million foreign students across the county and we only have 300,000 housing units built a year, we have shortfalls already. And they get bigger every year. Starting plans now and having a multi-unit building up in six years will mean we still are scrambling for housing even as apartments and houses go up in the future. Moreover, spreading housing farther and farther from city centers will only stretch service further and further. Costs will go up.

For those thinkin the answer is to cut immigration and student intake, they should consider that business is already struggling to fill all positions including high paying ones. Unemployment is at lows not seen since the Second World War. Restaurants and family businesses are closing for lack of workers. And while pay increases could help, many businesses already do that with no takers either. It is workers choice out there. Many just ghost after applying or doing some shifts. There is just better opportunities out there.

Another few areas where we have seen problems in capacity in 2022 if healthcare, education and professional skills from IT to engineering. There has been too few people trained, too many retiring and too large an increase in need. The provincial government is begging for more health federal supports but there is no evidence that the the province won't just use it for tax cuts. Plus, there revenue situation looks to turn into a surplus in 2023 and yet they still look at the federal government for tax transfers. Presumably for ever more tax cuts. Sadly, tax cuts won't add more doctors. They don't come for the tax cuts.

In the debate about the Manitoba Clinic, a letter from a former doctor there said that both the NDP and the PCs limited the clinics from charging fee for service and having hospital privileges. Certainly, there has been a strategy over the years to limit how many people graduate from nursing, medical and diagnostic programming. Past government have recruited overseas rather than training people here. But rules changes have made it harder so that even trained nurses from other provinces are are finding it hard to move to Manitoba. Add it all up and healthcare reform is needed so that money that does arrive in the system has some accountability.

The election in 2023 provincially will mean that it is hard to avoid going before the media. It isn't impossible but someone like the Health Minister won't be able to stay unavailable as she often does now. Nor will the crime and drug issues be something that the province can blame the city or the feds for. Certainly there will be an attack on the NDP but the blame game going back several years has not moved the polls this time. The Tories are trying to hang a defund the police rap on the Wab Kinew but their own record on not funding the department of Justice falls on them alone.

The issue of drugs, crime and homelessness is something that requires real solutions. The shouts of one side to end capitalism and redistribute wealth and the other side to criminalize homelessness and addiction does not resonate. And it will be curious what sort of solution they come up with the library. Staff want to feel secure and activists want a library with no security checks. The activists got what they want and the result was murder. The librarians got what they want and only the lobby is open. Not great solutions.

The activists should lobby to be part of outreach at the library. That is doable. People who can do wellness checks, assist in arranging coffee, food, counselling, housing assistance and healthcare. The law and safety advocates should should lobby for measures that don't profile people and actually contribute to safe places rather than a security force prepared to make takedowns and arrests. Security measures at the door and inside the building along with outreach and assistance workers is the solution. How it could be anything else is beyond me? Extremist positions on either side have made matters worse.

 In 2023, I'm not sure how many Canadians are aware of just how fast some of the technology changes will be. In Norway, for example, all Hyundai cars sold in that country will be be electric. Canada is slower than that with the mandate that all cars sold be electric by 2035. However, that means over the next years massive infrastructure of charging stations will be built by businesses, homeowners and energy companies. In Winnipeg, it likely means we'll see a push for electric buses at a faster pace since this is the manufacturing hub. And you can expect all couriers and delivery vehicles like Amazon and Fed Ex trucks to be electric far quicker than anyone expects. 

Think of what this means just in Winnipeg. It isn't just emissions from cars but the roar of car, bus and truck engines will be ended after a hundred years. Electric cars just don't have that level of engine noise. It literally changes everything. Canada has just opened its first electric car manufacturer. It won't be the last. And from building batteries to mining lithium, Canada will have leading roles. The only place that lithium is mined in Canada is in Manitoba. Expect to see more of that.

Farmers will continue to have to innovate. While productivity, automation and digitization will help the businesses, there is a strong need to work electrifying farm vehicles, creating energy from the land, storing carbon in the soil and innovating fertilizer. Food security must be looked at with the problems demonstrated in the supply chain. We grow great vegetables in Manitoba. Something to think about when lettuce from California is not available.

We often work against our own best self interests out of fear, stubbornness, ideology, hatred or contrariness.  Presently, we have a government that is bent toward cutting tax. Not always but in general such as the education tax, However, they are far less clear when indicating how they will pay for it if we are to maintain a public education system. It isn't that they don't use tax support to leverage investment. For example, the province had given just under $5 million to support direct flights to Los Angeles via Westjet. The contract is reviewed every six months and money is only paid out if the flights themselves don't pay off. 

All evidence suggests that the TV and movie industry will benefit strongly from direct flights to LA,. The addition of three more soundstages in the city can and will bring in more productions. There is no sunlight in the positions of all three parties in the Legislature on support for the the industry. As it should be. Expect more and more people working in TV and film, gaming and entertainment in the next years.

I don't think anyone will regret 2022 ending, I know very few people who aren't doing something different this coming year. I certainly am.

Best to all in 2023, Let's hope for a recovery in more ways than one for the new year.

Liberal MP Jim Carr Dead at 71

After a three year battle with cancer, Jim Carr passed away December 12 surrounded by family. I did not know him well but ran in the same provincial election that saw 20 Liberals break through to become Official Opposition in the provincial legislature. The Liberals under Sharon Carstairs went from one seat to a party that had some outstanding MLAs in what had been a very polarized house. I went on to work in the legislature in late 1988/89 as well as working on the federal election that saw the Liberals go from one to seat to five in the province.

To put it bluntly 1988 was a time when some thought a death rattle for the Liberals both provincially and federally was sounding. From 1981-1986, there were only the NDP and the Progressive Conservatives in the provincial legislature. There were few times as toxic as that period in Manitoba history. It was an act of faith in 1988 to run as a Liberal either provincially or federally. Many were saying there should only be two parties. Some provinces were electing nearly all one party.

Carr at the time was a musician with the Winnipeg Symphony and arts council executive. A long time Liberal and faithful Jewish man, he put his name up against a powerful NDP cabinet minister Roland Penner. There had not been a provincial Liberal government since the 1950s so hardly anyone could say it was opportunistic. People were just that fed up of the bombastic politics in some of the most difficult years in Manitoba history.

In Manitoba, the electorate took a chance and Jim Carr was of the MLAs elected and became deputy leader defeating an NDP cabinet minister in the process. Serving for four years before moving into a Free Press journalism and then later as President and founder of the Business Council in Manitoba, Carr found ways to serve the province he loved.

In a highly charged partisan world, he managed to have the working relationships that only come from being respectful. For a time in the 1990s his name would always come up in conversation about mayoral elections. However, in 2015, he put his name up in the federal election for the Liberals headed up by Justin Trudeau. It was dark days for the Liberals nationally with only 36 seats. The NDP were the Official Opposition after their amazing run with leader Jack Layton, who fell to cancer and never would go on to live in Stornoway. Still, many thought the Conservatives under would defeat the opposition and perhaps but the nail in the coffin for the Liberals forever.

In a shocking reversal of fortunes, the Liberals won and Jim Carr, based on his political and business experience, would become a cabinet minister. Carr earned respect for his civility and his ability to come to deals in trade, intergovernmental relations and cross party collegial engagement. He loved his province, was active in the Jewish community and friend of Israel, a supporter of the arts and had a firm commitment to business. 

Cancer has been a battle he fought for three years. He was still working up till the last week, passing bills and making positive addresses to the Commons. In days when politicians are not held in high esteem, Carr earned respect and he strived to work with people to reach solutions to the issues of the day. We can only hope to see more of this type of public servant in office.

Anita Neville Appointed to Manitoba Lieutenant-Governor

Firstly, Janice Filmon did service beyond the call and did it with kindness and leadership. She was in the position much longer than she expected and battled through health issues as did her husband Gary who very much helped her as she did him over these last years. As good as the position of Lt. Governor is, you become a symbol to the province while fulfilling a constitutional responsibility as Queen's representative and democratic guardian. The politics of before (had there been any) is left behind and you listen and champion the people you serve.

We will never know all those that were on the final list to replace Filmon. We know some were amazing but the demands of giving fully and not being committed to party politics, business or running other organizations is a hard one. The vetting for such a job is painstaking and it is possible to still make errors in appointment as witnesses nationally with the Governor-General. Good on paper has to be matched by awesome people skills.

The federal government has announced that Anita Neville, longtime Liberal politician but retired for some time, has been appointed. At 80, she is older that the Lt. Governor she is replacing and is the first Jewish woman in Manitoba to hold the position. As a Trudeau appointment, she sends a message, as Neville has been a long time supporter of Israel but also a champion of refugees. She has advocated for same sex marriage and indigenous people.  Her long time involvement as a school trustee, MP and community service should give her an understanding of her role as vice-regal.

Being Lieutenant Governor in a majority-run province isn't overly political. It can be a time to show grace, compassion and to listen to the people and celebrate with them and mourn with them. Neville need only look at Janice Filmon to see how it can be done.

Crime and Safety in Winnipeg in 2022 Part 8

In past posts I have detailed what local, provincial and federal governments might do. There are plenty of things private citizens, organizations and companies can do as well to help with safety and reduce crime. Let's start on the individual level.

- Continue to support Bear Clan and Peace Walker teams. They are volunteers so provide them your support both in person and in donations. Find space for them to use. They are not police but they do so much to make people feel safe and supported. Osborne Village is the latest to engage this group. 

- Better video security at home, office and public spaces. It may not stop all crime but is a valuable preventative and investigative tool. Ensure that privacy issues and security of footage is abided by. It shouldn't need saying but cameras in bathrooms and change areas is not security. It is a violation. However, a camera looking out the front or back of your house or around your work or a public park are fine within the confines of privacy laws. And good quality cameras really do count.

- Shoplifting has not completely ended in liquor stores but checking IDs at the door and keeping door locked has stopped swarming, under the drinking age and habitual theft from happening. And when product goes missing, there is a good idea who took it. Cannabis stores have been well protected from the beginning. Regular stores are reluctant to operate with locked doors because there is a good percentage of lost sales from people annoyed by it. For liquor, cigarettes and cannabis, people just accept it if they want those products. However, given the fact that stores like 7/Eleven are closing in various places in Winnipeg, you have to wonder if the locked door policy pending ID will spread.

- They are ugly as can be but with so many windows being many businesses are turning to metal shutters. The plywood up on windows is an indication how bad things have gotten. Pre-pandemic it was more rare but with fewer people on the streets, this type of attack is costly. In these cases, cameras have likely caught what happened but damage is done when your window is destroyed and a slow response time means thieves are come and gone by the time police or security or business owner arrives. I imagine that is a lonely and sad time waiting for the plywood to open outside your shop. A metal gate might seem to be your only hope. Eventually areas start to look like Beirut though.

- Re-direct all package deliveries to local post office. Your front porch is an invitation to theft if you are not home to receive it. Want to keep your local post office alive, use it. If there are package lockers to receive goods, use them. Not surprisingly, people follow the Amazons trucks in Winnipeg. If you want your house to receive regular visits by thieves, this is the way to do it.

- Cars on streets are always vulnerable to theft, break-ins and the like. Some people in River Heights have gotten in the habit of leaving nothing in their cars and the doors open. That doesn't seem to stop the broken windows. Only police patrols and arrests eased the problem. But is has been consistent over the year in various neighbourhoods. In the 1970s many people had one car and it was parked in a garage. Now cars are parked end to end on every block of the city including places with double and triple garages. So many cars. A tracker can help with outright theft but vandalism is possible any time in public as well as parts theft. When possible, get parts printed with the VIN number. Don't leave anything visible on seats or console.

- Not sure how many times this has to be mentioned but don't hand out money to roadside panhandling. People have died on the road because of it and many others have likely been hurt by overdoses. Panhandling means people can bypass health and care services in favour of getting money that results in pandemic of overdose and rescue. Money for assistance should go to organizations who do make a difference on the streets. No one will stand on a corner if the result is zero money. Addiction means seeking cash. Our help has to come from different options.

- Support women's shelters. Women and children need to know there is a safe place to go. Domestic violence continues to be where we too high a rate of harm. Women shouldn't have difficulty getting to or finding places that are safe.

- Volunteer and donate. Food banks, safe walks, community clubs can always use help in people and money. Want safety in your area? Make it look like people live, work and have recreation there. Don't live in a fortress.

- Fix broken windows, cover over graffiti, maintain properties. Some places are repeatedly broken into and set fire to because no one cares for them. 

- Offer safe parking for bikes. What is the point of biking if it they are stolen every day? Make your business/residence a place where people can trust their bike will be there when they get back. This applies to schools, community clubs, apartments and condos, restaurants and everything in between. Riding bikes is something families do. When they put official bike trails in Assiniboine Park in the 1970s people used them and still do. But what if you want to go for ice cream and come back and find your bike gone? Do better. Have a secure lock-up area.

- Keep people apprised of what you are doing? Dating someone new? Let someone know. Selling something? Let someone know. It is easy to become a victim.

- Remember crimes can happen even when you are at home. Be aware that commercial crimes, blackmail, extortion and others things can come while in the safety of being at home. Have those discussion with seniors, teens, vulnerable people and for yourself, consult when you don't know.

Reclaiming our safety and reducing crime is going to be multi-pronged. Learn from what made you vulnerable to past security issues. But don't live in fear. 

Jews in Manitoba

Asper Jewish Community Campus

The Jewish population in Manitoba is small. It accounts for a little over 1.6% of the overall demographic in the province today and was no higher than 3% in the 1930s. This would be pre-suppose that the Jews of Manitoba were in decline. However, that would ignore the vibrancy and resiliency of the community even now. Without doubt Jews have grown up in both Manitoba and particularly in Winnipeg to be an example for what other faith, ethnic groups and peoples wish to achieve for themselves and the place they live.

It is disheartening to hear that the University of Winnipeg radio stations has been sanctioned for anti-Semitic broadcasts back on November 11. The university has responded accordingly and suspensions have been instituted. Quite rightfully some students are wary if not fearful that incidents are increasing. Statistics Canada verifies that this in indeed the case. Manitoba has had fewer of these reports but it is still a worrying trend.

What accounts for the increase? It is possibly because of an overall rise in intolerance. There is an echo chamber of voicing one's view and having it reinforced and then dismissing or blocking any other world view. The insularity and isolation in much of the Internet may be linked to this movement. President Trump himself calls news critical of him "fake news" while news that cheerleads is considered real news.

Here in Canada the online conservative forum Rebel Media stepped afoul on the issue of white supremacy but also had contributors who took shots at Jews. This reached a head this year with departures of numerous conservative commentators who had grown uncomfortable with the extremism.

Racism and intolerance exists in Manitoba. We have a long way to go. But we have also come a long way. For the Jewish people, they have built a real community that is part of the overall once. The Jewish community campus brought education, fitness, history and culture under one roof and shared it with all. It is important to note that doing this posed challenges for the Jews here. They had various political stripes, intellectual pursuits, schools, synagogues and neighbourhoods. As the community nears 150 years in the province, there is strength together but room for disagreement and varied passions within.

The outright ugliness of what is happening outside of Manitoba should not penetrate what many in this province have been trying to achieve in all these years: a prosperous and tolerant society. So what is the real news? The Jews of Manitoba are your neighbbours. And good ones. They are among many other neighbours both old and new that are part of our overall community.

Don't let hatred be a defining feature of what Manitoba is. The problems that exist can be solved with determination rather than extremism. Our strengths come from the fact that we are maturing as a city and province. Attack one of us and you attack us all. The Jewish people in the province should know we have their back.

Manitoba Election 2016

By any definition the NDP run in Manitoba has been unprecedented. Majority after majority with two different provincial leaders from 1999 on. Think about it. Some kids graduating this year have only known an NDP government in their lives.

The leadership of Gary Doer, a prolonged economic expansion, restored federal transfers and a pragmatic style of government kept unemployment low and deficit-free. It wasn't perfect but there was little for the Progressive Conservative to chip away at.  Long memories of the tough 1990s and the vote rigging scandal and uninspired campaigns chewed through PC leaders.

Gary Doer rode a popular wave with good instincts and a likeability factor that was not and has not been easily replicated. His decision to leave and become Ambassador to the United States was perfectly timed. He left of his own accord which is not the case for a many a politician.

The selection by the NDP of Greg Selinger as leader did achieve another majority for the NDP but at a cost. The promises made of not raising taxes and the adamant dismissal that they would ever do so has affected credibility and popularity.  The shocking rebellion of five senior cabinet ministers and the subsequent leadership race and purging of MLAs and staff afterward can only make an outside observer watch gape mouthed.

The last few years have been tumultuous for the NDP under Greg Selinger. The world-wide economic woes, spring flooding and loose spending habits have pushed surpluses into deficits with no end in sight. As with many governments, the provincial NDP have used spending to keep things moving along. The problem is that they don't seem to be able to stop the flow and continue to blame past governments for their demise. Meanwhile, they have used government ad spending to promote themselves and use slogans that make it difficult to distinguish between government and political party. It is hard not to compare the tactics Greg Selinger with that of Stephen Harper.

The Progressive Conservatives under Brian Pallister have had their share of knocks. In a leader-centric political landscape, the man charged with guiding the party out of the wilderness has been prone to awkward and even confounding statements. Part of this might have be a sense of humour but because many people don't have a sense of the man. As we have learned a little more over the present campaign is that Pallister has been bullied a young man. Tall, bad teeth, living on the edge of his community and too proud to tell even his parents that he didn't always have enough money, he has been and probably always will be a guy that is hard for people to know.

The Tory leader has a provincial as well as federal past that NDP have been gleeful to emphasize in terms negative campaigning. The problem for the NDP is that 17 years is a very long time to blame someone else for the woes your government had to deal with. One major misstep for the NDP was to blame Pallister and others for the death of children back in the 1990s at Children's Hospital. The parents of said children lashed out at using them for them political gain. Moreover, there was no link to the Conservatives for any of what happened at the hospital.

Where Pallister is weak is in disclosure. It is not his wealth that's the problem but that simple questions of where do you live and where were you during a provincial crisis have been met with evasion. In the end though, it is up to the people of Fort Whyte if their candidate lives in River Heights. And likewise, it is up to the overall electorate whether they think their representative should be around in a crisis. The evasion thus far shown has not dented PC support yet but like the former mayor of Winnipeg, it can catch up with you. For the mayor, the evasion in regards to Remembrance Day about where he was really did not play well to the public.

As for the rest of the Costa Rica story and Pallister, there is no evidence of a violation of laws. Still, it will be hard not to be more forthcoming in regards to all politicians in what they do and where they go in the future. The Panama Papers and massive tax fraud already occurring in Canada have made citizens believe there are rules for some and not for others.

This is what politics has become in the last years. It is neverending campaigning and spin, lots of negative advertising, creating a narrative about your opponent, using third party groups to attack and generally being disagreeable. It is cruel and mean spirited. People are lathered up because all they see is that bad and a heavy handed sale job on the rest.

The tit for tat of going over candidates by researching them right down to their birth records is just standard procedure. It is doesn't allow for any evolution though. For example, someone who might have had strong feelings about gay marriage might have a different view now. However, their old statements might be used to hammer them rather considering the journey they took to acceptance. Beware the person who keeps their views close to the vest but secretly seethes with intolerance.

In the months leading to April 19's vote, a lot of people seemed to park their choice with the provincial Liberal party. What seemed favourable conditions has quickly turned bad. Initial soft support due to the situation provincially and some carry over from Trudeau's victory has been offset with rookie leader Rana Bokhari's campaign thus far. Shortly after winning the leadership, the Liberals started fighting as they seem prone to do almost every time. Any hope of putting that behind has been undermined by a spotty campaign since. One can simply not save they don't know if they filed taxes and not have people raise eyebrows.

I continue to be a member of the Liberal party and have donated to both in the past year. Unlike other campaigns, I have not volunteered. This is not from any deep seated ambivalence but the amount of time and energy required to assist. Having said that, I'm not a disinterested party but I have no special insight into how things are organized, what policies were decided or how candidates chosen.

Suffice to say that Justin Trudeau's federal campaign has been textbook of how to do things right, the Rana Bokhari provincial campaign has been the opposite. A few intriguing policy ideas were ruined by some very bad ones. Poll numbers that had been good and now all over the place. A breakthrough might have been three maybe four seats. Now, it will to be retain a presence in the Legislature.

The Green leader has been confident and impressive. James Beddome has consolidated the control over the leadership and the campaign has been a good one. The biggest problem for the party is no organization on the ground to promote candidates, policies and brand. Association with the environment has been good but still leaves people wonder if they are solid in other areas.

All in all it has been an ugly election. There has been very little positive and a whole lot of negative. I voted in the advance poll. My area has been represented by the Progressive Conservative since 1981 and before re-distribution from 1969 and if you go back further, it might be all the way back to the 1950s. In short, it never changes. For the last several elections, the provincial Liberals have been third place behind the NDP who parachute someone in to run most of the time. I've not seen one Liberal sign. I've seen a rare NDP sign and I thought I saw a Green sign but that's it.

I voted Liberal. I don't think of it as wasted. My vote comes from where I stand on the political spectrum. Am I happy? Not really. This election has been painful to follow and disheartening. But I do want to support choice and having just a two party system would leave me not wanting to vote at all.

No one can really be proud about this election. No one.

Future Pot Shops of Manitoba

1957 Liquor Commission Winnipeg. Fill in a form, we get your liquor, does your mom know you drink, son?

The Liquor Marts of today are far removed from the Liquor Commissions or LCs of Manitoba's past. A selection was behind a counter, a customer wrote their order and put lots of personal information there for tracking and a government worker went into the back and fetched it for you. Cash only, please. Put in a plain paper bag and don't dare have it anywhere but your trunk, sir.

The good old days.

We just had changes to archaic liquor laws in Manitoba but neither the NDP or Progressive Conservatives like to go to far for labour or religious reasons. Manitoba might eventually be the only place in North America with government stores.

Now, don't get me wrong... the Liquor Marts of today are far better than the sullen shops of the past. The liquor laws as well. However, as we have been told, Manitoba liquor is the most expensive in the nation. Our government has boasted how proud they are of it.

The government is so proud of their achievement that they have merged liquor and lotteries. Both businesses need to be government owned according to the government. Best they be together.

Now, Premier Greg Selinger has indicated that marijuana should also be sold by the government in Manitoba. Talk about the triple crown here.

Now, I am not a consumer of pot but I think it is very rich that the government is stepping in here to make sure they can max out on the profits by banning everyone else from selling it. Talk about overstepping.

The early pot shops in Colorado were heavy on security and light on aesthetics. That is changing. The latest store to open in the Denver area saw design reporters attending to comment on the award-winning architects.

An election is coming up and one has to ask: If the federal government moves to laws similar to Colorado on crime and pot, do we really need the province to step in and crush everyone else? Go further with this argument and perhaps we can ask: Do we need to own government liquor stores and casinos? Is there a better way? Is regulation not enough?

Look at what Colorado opened up this week.

Ajoya...get your pot and a Apple computer

Regulate where a pot store goes. Regulate security. But do we need to know it if it legally can be sold?

Winnipeg could see some brilliantly designed stores. The money will pour in. Keep the province safe, healthy and prosperous but stop being mother.

Fill to this line or go to jail

Greg Selinger - Return of the King

I can't be the only one confused about the NDP leadership convention. In my mind an actual leadership race should take place only when the position is open or being held by an interim leader not running or campaigning for any party. It's simply really. Anything else is an unfair advantage.

It is shocking that any challengers agreed to the terms that Greg Selinger and his supporters placed on the leadership race. The wearing of two hats in the leadership race of premier and leadership candidate continued the confusion and cemented the advantage of the man who seemed to have all the cards in the game.

It gets worse though. The unique aspects of select delegates for unions meant that slots would be reserved for people the union chose to fill them. Once again the strongest advantage lay with the man who remained as active premier of the province.

In the end, two candidates emerged to run for the leadership despite everything being gamed against them. Steve Ashton possibly thought he could simply overwhelm the odds against him by selling even more memberships and having a few unions support him.  It would simply not be enough against even larger Winnipeg unions. Theresa Oswald entered the race thinking that there was possibly enough opposition that would congregate around her to win the leadership if it came down to two people.

The raw anger at the dissidents was a defining characteristic of Selinger's support. The feeling was that the outspoken MLAs were damaging the brand and that their tactics were odious and against democratic principles. The truth obviously was and is a little more fuzzy.

When Sunday was all said and done, Greg Selinger was affirmed as leader and Premier by the thinnest of margins. The purge began the very next day as staffers were let go. The outcomes for the six MLAs outside caucus remains undecided. But here is one fact: If all the MLAs resign immediately, we could be having an election right now.

The NDP would probably like nothing better than to hide for the next year and have people forget these last weeks but that is just not in the cards. A budget is required and work is required across a spectrum of ministries. And somehow the party has to come together.

Nothing is impossible but the NDP party did not come of the leadership race unified and motivated to fight an election.

It is often said governments defeat themselves. If this is not an example of that, I don't know what is.

Predictions for 2014 in Winnipeg Part 2

In politics, we have one main election happening this year barring any snap elections of the provincial and federal levels.

The civic elections happens in October of 2014. A number of people have indicated interest. Many of those people will pull out when the realities of resigning from their positions on council to run for mayor look decidedly poor.

Having said that, I predict:

* Dogfights for two open city council seats in St. James and St. Boniface with a possibility of at least two more in places like Tuxedo and River Heights.

* Mayor Katz will announce at the very last minute that he won't be running in the upcoming election and will cite family and business as the reason plus achieving all his goals. 2014 will be a repeat of the previous years of questions regarding financial management.

* The stepping down of the mayor will cause the next mayoral vote to be one of the largest slate of candidates in Winnipeg history. The next mayor of Winnipeg will be Jeff Browaty who will land the endorsement of other councillors who chose not to run. Browaty will count on Conservative voters but will reach out to Liberals to undercut and divide center and left of center voters.

* On the provincial side of things, the provincial NDP will mount an advertising campaign using government moment for every department in an attempt to turnaround poor polling numbers. Toward the end of the year, Greg Selinger will announce that after 25 years of politics, he is stepping down and that a leadership campaign will replace him ahead of a provincial election in 2015. Sometime after the provincial election, Selinger will return to the University of Manitoba as professor.

* Christine Melnick will announce she is not running for the provincial NDP in the next election. She will be joined by a few more from her party as well. 

* In 2014, Vic Toews will become President of the University of Winnipeg.

* On the federal level, James Bezan will announce he is not running for the federal Conservative after 10 years in office for Selkirk-Interlake. He will be joined by Joy Smith who will also have served 10 years as MP for the Tories for Kildonan-St.Paul. Steven Fletcher will be challenged for the nomination in Charleswood-St.James-Assiniboia.