Steinbach administration acted fast after being directed by city council at a June 17 meeting to investigate the possibility of using excess budgeted funds for RCMP positions that remain unfilled, to hire private security to fill the gap.

Adam Thiessen, Steinbach’s corporate services manager, told council at Tuesday’s meeting security had indeed been hired, beginning July 2.

Tasked with assessing the best price and services, administration obtained three quotes from service providers.

“Steinbach Security Services was identified as offering the best overall value in terms of pricing and the scope of services provided,” he wrote in a July 8 memo. “They have agreed to deliver services on a pilot project basis, operating month-to-month beginning July 2 and continuing through to the end of November.”

I don’t enjoy filling up my car. Gas prices seem to always be going up, which means that gas is a big part of my monthly budget.

So, am I thinking about switching to an electric vehicle (EV) anytime soon? One might think that I’d be tempted by the prospect of cheaper fuel bills. After all, electricity in Manitoba is cheaper than gas.

However, I’m sticking with a gas-powered car for the foreseeable future. It’s not that I’m ideologically opposed to the concept of EVs, but there are many reasons why I’m not making the switch anytime soon.

First, the purchase price of an EV is about 25 per cent higher than the price of an equivalent gas-powered vehicle. Even with government incentive programs that partially reduce the EV price, I’d still have to put quite a few kilometres on an EV before I make back the extra money that I paid for the vehicle.

I would like to start by taking a moment to address hurtful comments made recently pertaining to accessibility and deaf Manitobans.

At an Indigenous graduation ceremony last month, before speaking to media, Accessibility Minister Nahanni Fontaine was caught on a ‘hot mic’ making hurtful remarks regarding the ASL interpreter who shared the stage with her. Fontaine complained about how the interpreter distracted her with her “frantic hand movements” (meaning, sign language).

These comments were unprofessional, rude, insensitive, and just downright ableist. I am appalled that any elected official, let alone the minister responsible for accessibility, would speak this way about accessibility accommodations. I am also shocked that the Premier has chosen to support Fontaine and allow her to keep her position as accessibility minister, telling the deaf and hard of hearing community to “keep working with her” instead. And in the midst of all this, it was revealed that Fontaine had blocked nearly all staff at APTN News from across Canada on social media for the simple crime of reporting this story.

On a separate topic, I want to address all of your concerns regarding the need for more childcare spaces and the construction of new schools. It is incredibly important that we have infrastructure that keeps up with and is able to support our growing communities, especially in regard to school and childcare capacity. However, that is not what we currently have.

Dear Money Lady readers,

I recently received a question from someone wondering about debt consolidation in retirement and this reminded me of a talk I did a few years ago on the honeymoon phase of retirement. We all go through this phase when we initially retire. That great moment when you can finally sleep in everyday, no prospecting calls, no angry co-workers, and no demanding bosses. You’re finally free from the rat race, and you welcome the honeymoon stage of retirement with open arms. But did you know that four out of five retirees today find themselves in debt only 18 months after they’ve retired. They may have walked into retirement with no debt, but after the honeymoon stage, they’re now in it. The problem arises from not planning properly. I know you planned all your way to get to retirement, but failure to plan in retirement can be just as problematic – mentally and financially. Many retirees leave work with no plan and no clear to-do list.

Let’s face it, your professional identity most likely defines you to the outside world. Once you retire, that identity is lost, along with all the people, culture, and community that you were immersed in. So, who are you going to be in retirement? What are you going to do with the next 20-30 years of your life? You must create a new game plan. Fear of being irrelevant and alone has no place in this new phase of your life.

Now I don’t suggest you try to replicate your career by switching to consulting or public speaking, unless you’ve always wanted to. Often this does not work out the way you expect it to. Instead, you need to re-channel your energy into new aspirations, maybe a part-time job you could love, with no stress, (as paid employment or a volunteer endeavour). Most people will need to redefine their identity, so below are some questions to ask yourself before you get started:

The Steinbach Arts Council is thrilled to announce that registration for 2025 fall classes opens to the public on July 23. Continuing the momentum from the success and growth of last year with many sold-out classes and workshops, the Steinbach Arts Council is excited to offer quality, creative, and unique learning opportunities for our community.

Please refer to the schedule below. To register, visit SteinbachArts.ca or call us at 204-346-1077.

Performing Arts

BOSS DANCE: Providing a fun and supportive environment to develop fundamental dance skills.

A firefighter crashed his car into a house on his street while he was three times over the blood-alcohol limit. The court heard he also hadn’t slept for three to four days. It is his third charge for impaired driving.

Derek Lee Pososki, pleaded guilty to driving impaired on Feb. 24, 2024, and had a blood-alcohol level of .246, over three times the legal limit.

A family of three, with a one-year-old infant, lives in the Blumenort home that was struck by his vehicle.

“My God. What if that one-year-old have been out in that yard?” said Judge Kusham Sharma on Friday.

Over the past decade, Canada’s immigration system has undergone a dramatic transformation—from being widely regarded as a global model and an envy of the world to one now criticized for lacking “meaningful policy and administrative oversight.” This assessment comes from a recent report by the Fraser Institute.

Highlighting the findings, journalist Bryan Passifiume noted that immigration levels have surged at an unprecedented pace, growing six times faster over the decade. Between 2016 and 2024—excluding the pandemic years—annual immigration figures doubled, reaching approximately 1.4 million newcomers each year.

These figures come as little surprise when viewed alongside some of the ambitious—and controversial—proposals floated in recent years. One such example is the Century Initiative, which aims to grow Canada’s population to 100 million by the year 2100—a plan that has drawn strong opposition from Conservatives. While such ideological goals may sound visionary, they must be backed by practical planning and accountability. Without that, they risk becoming little more than political posturing, with real consequences for Canadian society.

What we have witnessed, and what the Fraser report has confirmed, is that Liberal immigration policies have overwhelmed our housing, healthcare, and job market. These systematic strains have left many newcomers disillusioned about the promises of life in Canada. The report also reveals that foreign students who came in good faith have found themselves in dire circumstances, with some ending up living in shelters while trying to support their studies. For many of these students, securing housing and finding employment became nearly impossible.