Michael Blume

Gas prices across Manitoba are seeing marginal movement this month, with only slight fluctuations of one or two cents per litre.

While wholesale prices have dipped from around 90 cents to just under 88 cents, Dan McTeague, president of Canadians for Affordable Energy, says the real shift is coming at the retail level, where stations are sacrificing their margins just to stay in the game. 

“Gas stations are often running at zero margin,” McTeague notes. “They're able to make it up on sales of diesel, premium, or even what they sell in stores.” 

Kathy Valentino, president of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM), says bail reform, infrastructure funding, and housing were the topics of the week at their recent spring convention. The event included discussions with provincial ministers, municipal leaders, and guest speakers, alongside sessions on topics ranging from code of conduct policies to mental health advocacy. 

Manitoba’s provincial and municipal leaders united at Tuesday's Association of Manitoba Municipalities Spring Convention to demand stricter federal bail reforms, citing preventable tragedies and systemic failures. The call follows high-profile cases like the killing of a young Portage la Prairie woman by a repeat offender released on bail.

Manitoba Agriculture farm management specialist Ben Hamm calls low enrollment in the federal AgriStability program a “missed opportunity” for livestock and crop producers. The income-based risk management tool, he argues, offers broader protection at lower costs than alternatives—yet only 20 per cent of eligible producers use it.

Southern Manitoba faces a mix of lingering snow and delayed warmth as April begins, with Environment Canada meteorologist Justin Shelley outlining a week of cooler temperatures and scattered flurries before potential double-digit highs arrive.

Unsettled pattern brings light snow

Shelley notes a "relatively unsettled pattern" dominates the forecast. "There aren’t any big systems of note," he says, "but a weak system on Tuesday could produce a couple of centimetres of snow." 

Flurries may persist through Friday, though accumulations remain minimal.

A unique and incredibly daunting situation has Canada in an impending tariff war while its government is prorogued, unable to properly strategize while the world's largest power is looming over its head and dangling astronomical tariffs on all our exports to them.

That's the situation as described by Portage-Lisgar MP Branden Leslie. He says the current Liberal government is more concerned over its next leader when, instead, an election should be called immediately to get that issue settled so the entire nation can deal with this unprecedented dilemma.

"I intend to resign. As party leader, as Prime Minister after the party elects its next leader through a robust nation-wide competitive process. Last night, I asked the president of the Liberal party to begin that process, and it has become clear to me that if I'm having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election."

That's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who gave his resignation speech today in Ottawa.

For 2025, Portage-Lisgar Conservative MP, Branden Leslie, says it's anybody's guess as to what will transpire. He outlines events before Christmas, including NDP leader Jagmeet Singh's statement that he would vote down the Liberal government at the first available opportunity.

Branden Leslie says his first year as Member of Parliament for Portage-Lisgar has been an honour he deeply cherishes. 2024 marked Leslie's first full year in the role.

Leslie, a Conservative, explains he is reminded of this honour each time he enters the House of Commons, adding, overall, it's been a great year.

In light of the news Monday that Canada's Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland suddenly announced her departure from the Liberal Cabinet, Portage-Lisgar MP Branden Leslie is weighing in.

He spoke with PembinaValleyOnline shortly before the Fall Fiscal update was released Monday afternoon. 

Leslie notes this situation exemplifies what he terms the absolute chaos and mayhem under the Trudeau government, "That's trying to save their political hides, unfortunately, on the backs of Canadians."