“For I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this also I believe - that unless I believe I shall not understand. ― St. Anselm

In the Easter story found in John 20 we see Jesus’ disciples running around. First Mary Magdalene running back to the disciples after seeing an empty tomb, then Peter and John running to the tomb with Mary behind them. John 20:8: “Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)”

Remember what Jesus said to Peter at the Last Supper when He was trying to wash Peter’s feet? “You don’t understand now, but later you will.” Now inside the empty tomb they see and believe but still don’t quite get it. Once again, understanding would come later and affirm their faith in the moment. Do you ever feel like that? “I believe, I trust, but I just don’t get it! Help me God! Or as Italian monk and philosopher Anslem put it: “For I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this also I believe - that unless I believe I shall not understand.”

In John 20:12-16, Mary is once again alone in the garden. Still crying. Even the sight of two angels fails to lessen her despair and desperation to find Jesus’ body. The gardener comes by and asks her, ‘Why are you crying? Who is it you’re looking for?” Fixated on the here and now all she can think about is the task she started the morning with to embalm the body of Jesus. “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him”, she answers with tear-stained eyes. Then, everything changes with one word, ‘Mary’ he says. Instantly, she recognizes that the person is Jesus and probably gives him the biggest hug he has ever had!

In the 2025 election, Mark Carney, unequivocally stated that Canada’s greatest threat was China. He seems to have flip flopped in recent weeks with the announcement of 49,000 Chinese EV’s gaining entry into the Canadian automotive sector.

Last week, a Liberal member of parliament cast doubt that forced labour exists in China. During a parliamentary committee hearing last week, Liberal MP Michael Ma challenged expert witness Dr. Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, questioning whether her testimony relied merely on “hearsay” or whether she had personally witnessed conditions in China.

Let’s be clear, this is not a disputable issue.

In September 2021, all parties and their members in the House of Commons voted unanimously to recognize People’s Republic of China (PRC) forced labour of Uyghurs, including genocide. Numerous international investigations from governments, academics, and human rights organizations have reached the same conclusion. Following parliament’s decision, the government of Canada imposed sanctions on one PRC entity and four PRC officials in Xinjiang “for gross human rights violations”. These sanctions remain in place today.

This upcoming weekend Christians around the world will celebrate Easter, the most important day on the Christian calendar.

It was on Easter Sunday nearly 2,000 years ago that Jesus Christ rose from the grave. To be clear, this was a literal bodily resurrection, not merely a symbolic or spiritual event. If Jesus did not rise in a physical body, then the Christian faith amounts to nothing.

I realize the last sentence might sound dramatic. However, there’s no need to take my word for it. In 1 Corinthians 15:17 the Apostle Paul clearly states, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”

There’s no wiggle room here. Paul staked the entire veracity of the Christian faith on the literal resurrection of Jesus. This is not a minor theological point. Rather, it’s the entire foundation of truth upon which the Christian faith rests. No resurrection—no Christianity.

On March 24 the Wab Kinew NDP government delivered their 2026 budget. The nothing-new budget was echoed with multiple re-announcements contained in their previous budgets, including the CancerCare headquarters, Lac du Bonnet Personal Care Home, free birth control, and $10 a day daycare. I am familiar with the NDP recycling announcements, but was shocked by their lack of a serious plan to tackle the affordability challenges Manitoba families are facing. Where is the real affordability relief Manitobans were seeking in this budget? We expected more.

Affordability remains a significant issue in our province, with half of all Manitoba households teetering within $200 of insolvency. The NDP budget does little to address this affordability crisis, offering no cuts to personal income taxes, no support for Manitoba farmers facing tariffs, fuel and fertilizer pressures, and nothing for Manitoba businesses. In fact, taking the PST off of ready-made food items in stores, like rotisserie chickens, soups and salads, could further jeopardize already struggling local restaurants that will still have to charge PST on the same items, putting employees’ jobs at risk. This budget is just another example of the Kinew government picking and choosing politically popular measures without any foresight of who will bear the consequences.

Private sector investment is on the decline, indicating a lack of confidence in the NDP Manitoba Jobs Agreement (MJA) which adds millions in costs to government projects. The MJA mandates only unionized labour on publicly funded construction projects, which excludes nearly 90 percent of Manitoba’s construction workforce. Infrastructure capital project funding is also down, leaving next to nothing in this budget to stimulate economic growth. Saving 15 cents on a two-litre bottle of pop doesn’t build an economy.

Escalating education property tax increases are what the NDP are consistent on delivering to Manitobans. Some Winnipeg school divisions have raised their taxes by as much as 43 percent since the NDP formed government. Statistics Canada has revealed a sharp increase in education property taxes across the entire province. The latest Consumer Price Index shows a staggering 19.5 percent surge in property taxes in Manitoba just in the last year, while the average Canadian property tax increase was a mere 5.6 percent. In response, the NDP budget proposes to boost their flat-tax credit by $100 beginning in 2027. Not nearly enough to make an impact when education property taxes are climbing by hundreds of dollars each year. Manitoba Progressive Conservatives warned that the NDP’s education property tax hikes are a driving factor behind Manitoba’s affordability crisis. Without caps or limits on education property tax increases, NDP underfunding is forcing school boards to raise their rates, leaving homeowners to pay the price. “Manitoba families are bearing the brunt of these tax increases from a misguided NDP tax scheme that targets homeowners, renters, businesses, and seniors,” said Obby Khan, leader of the Official Opposition.

Re: Springfield mayor frustrated with wait for water treatment plant, March 26, The Carillon.

The mayor states, “It’s not a nuclear waste site, it’s a water treatment plant,” to question why provincial approval has taken time. That characterization omits key facts.

This matter is currently under review by Minister of Environment and Climate Change Mike Moyes following a formal appeal under the Environment Act, with the potential for further public review, including a Clean Environment Commission hearing. That alone confirms this is not a routine approval.

Regionally, in neighbouring East St. Paul, wells located within the Springfield aquifer have been reduced to one active source, with the remaining wells decommissioned, and the remaining well capped by the province at approximately 700 REUs (residential equivalent units) despite apparent capacity to serve more. Development there is now under moratorium due to system limits.