CBC Winnipeg News - July 21, 2026 | Winnipeg & Manitoba News, Weather & Traffic

[00:00:08]This is CBC Winnipeg News.

[00:00:18]>> Good evening. Thanks for joining us.

[00:00:20]Prime Minister Mark Carney says trade talks with the US will intensify. It comes following a fresh promise from President Donald Trump to slap 50% tariffs on a wide range of Canadian goods. As Kate McKenna reports, this has dominated talks between Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew and other premiers meeting in Prince Edward Island.

[00:00:46]>> Another wave of American tariff threats and another push for a breakthrough, even as US President Donald Trump once again plans to break the existing free trade deal.

[00:00:55]>> I spoke with the president. We agreed to intensify discussions. We'll begin that right away.

[00:01:01]>> On Monday, the White House announced plans to put a 50% tariff on some $28 billion in Canadian exports, from hockey sticks to alcohol. They say it's in response to Canada's unfair trading practices, set to take effect in 30 days.

[00:01:16]>> We will look at all options in terms of how we would respond if they do come into effect.

[00:01:21]Um that's part of what we'll be discussing with premiers.

[00:01:24]>> Canada's premiers meeting in Charlottetown for an annual summit upended their agenda to meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney virtually.

[00:01:32]>> The Prime Minister gave us a comprehensive update.

[00:01:38]Um but I guess the bottom line is uh we find ourselves just again with uh another in a series of unjustified, unwarranted tariffs from the United States.

[00:01:48]>> Premiers of two large provinces, BC and Ontario, say they won't back down on one major US irritant, putting American booze back in liquor stores.

[00:01:57]>> There is not a chance in hell that US alcohol is going back on the shelf in British Columbia.

[00:02:03]>> Ontario Premier Doug Ford says Canada should go further and hit back dollar for dollar.

[00:02:07]>> We have to go forward, take the offense.

[00:02:10]We are an energy powerhouse. And we could dismantle the US if we wanted to, if we all work together.

[00:02:17]>> Behind closed doors, sources say the Prime Minister told the Premiers that Donald Trump's threats are a tell and that the booze ban is hurting the US.

[00:02:25]Kate McKenna, CBC News, Charlottetown.

[00:02:29]>> Premier Kenney also says US booze will remain off the shelves here, posting that message on social media Tuesday afternoon. Alcohol, motor vehicles, and dairy are part of the products under newly proposed tariffs. The White House says it's in response to Canada's retaliation against US trade policy. It alleges Canada discriminates against those three US sectors.

[00:02:54]>> Dairy Farmers of Canada say American farmers actually ship more product here than they send south.

[00:03:02]>> The US has received considerable tariff-free access to the Canadian market. And and the other thing is that Canada is the US's second largest dairy export market and after Mexico. And on a per capita basis, we're actually their largest market. So, I think that's important to remember that.

[00:03:23]>> He says the US sends over billion dollars of dairy into Canada, but only receives about 391 million dollars worth in return.

[00:03:33]It's a first for the Manitoba commissioner tasked with investigating teachers. A hearing by video conference open to the public. This case centers around an incident in China, but the school is affiliated with this province.

[00:03:49]The CBC's Alana Cole reports.

[00:03:52]>> A first look at a new approach to investigating teachers. A hearing by Manitoba's office for the commissioner charged with investigating teacher conduct. It's open to the public. People could watch online if they signed up in advance. A panel of three heard a case involving teacher Janice Ma. Ma is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student at Clifford International School, including a long hug captured on video and allegations of inappropriate messages on social media.

[00:04:24]The grade 1 to 12 school is in China, but its website says it's been affiliated with Manitoba for 20 years.

[00:04:30]They use the provincial curriculum. The CEO of the Toba Centre for Children and Youth didn't comment on specifics of this case, but thinks this level of transparency is good to see.

[00:04:42]>> Anything that creates a little bit more accountability and transparency is going to hopefully make people feel safer. You know, sometimes I think there's a fear that it's the opposite, that you know, all of a sudden we see bad things happening, so we start being, you know, overly vigilant with our kids, but if we know that there's mechanisms in place to hold people accountable and create transparency when boundaries are broken or when things violations happen, that should actually make us all feel a lot safer.

[00:05:08]>> The hearing wrapped up today. The accused, another teacher at the school and former principal, testified. Ma, a University of British Columbia graduate, denies the misconduct allegations. The panel will now decide if she will be stripped of her Manitoba certification.

[00:05:25]That decision is expected to come in a month. Alana Cole, CBC News, Winnipeg.

[00:05:32]>> The search continues for a fourth day to find two young brothers who went missing in 13-year-old Aaron O Ramirez and his 10-year-old brother Maximo fell into the rapids near Sturgeon Falls Saturday.

[00:05:46]Maximo had slipped off the rocks into the fast-moving water and his brother jumped in to try and save him. The RCMP underwater recovery team and another water emergency response team have been searching for days. Nearly two dozen other volunteer boats have also joined.

[00:06:03]Drones and underwater sonar are also being utilized. Some clothes believed to belong to one of the brothers was found, but there has been nothing since.

[00:06:14]A Winnipeg man says he's frustrated and drained after having his surgery for a broken foot bumped seven times. While he understands there are higher priority procedures, he says the system shouldn't work this way. CBC's Gavin Axelrod reports.

[00:06:32]>> Sandeep Gill is in hospital waiting for surgery. He has a broken foot and the surgery to fix it has been bumped seven times.

[00:06:41]>> When you are already in a in a injury, you are you are fighting with one that is your physical strain on your body and the second is mental pressure from the system that you are dealing with, so it's it's unbearable.

[00:06:56]>> Gill was sent to the Grace Hospital on July 14th after his foot was sandwiched between the back of two trucks during a lunch break at work. He was transferred to the Health Sciences Centre to restore a fractured bone to its original position without cutting into the skin.

[00:07:10]>> Broken midfoot and toe number two, three, and four.

[00:07:15]They are broken at multiple level.

[00:07:18]>> Gill still needs surgery, but he says he's stuck in delays. He gets IV fluids starting about midnight. He says as the day goes on, he hears the procedure's been bumped. It means he gets one meal a day.

[00:07:30]>> Because every time I ask the nurses, I ask anybody who I can, all they all their answer is we don't know.

[00:07:39]>> Shared Health says in a statement fasting is only needed if it's safe for patients so they can be quickly taken in for surgery if a spot opens up. Noah Schulz is with the advocacy group the Manitoba Health Coalition. He says while hospitals do need to triage patients by urgency, the situation isn't ideal.

[00:07:56]>> We can look at the system as a whole and say it's improving to an extent, it's recovering, not fully, but it's improving, but that still doesn't mean that that patient isn't waiting and isn't frustrated or in pain. And so I think we need to remember the big picture, but also the individual Manitobans who the system, the public system needs to work better for.

[00:08:16]>> Shared Health says there's no maximum number of days someone may have to wait for surgery or have it postponed. They also say HSC has been busier than usual for orthopedic trauma, but only those who are medically stable get delayed.

[00:08:29]Gavin Axlerod, CBC News, Winnipeg.

[00:08:33]>> A prominent Winnipeg labor leader has died. The Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 500 says it's mourning the sudden passing of Gord Delbridge.

[00:08:43]The 55-year-old CUPE president died after a medical emergency Monday. He was elected president in 2015 and represented more than 5,000 members working at the City of Winnipeg and other groups. Delbridge is being remembered as a strong advocate who was fiercely dedicated to the workers he represented.

[00:09:03]>> When I think of Gord, you know, I think of that great work.

[00:09:07]You know, he created um and fought for um services, public services, and union union work uh as a as a staunch trade unionist um that helped define all of us.

[00:09:24]>> The union says its vice president will step in until further notice.

[00:09:32]>> [music] >> All right, Riley. And now Riley, I managed to get outside for a nice walk this morning and it was as you like to call it perfectly pleasant.

[00:09:40]>> [laughter] >> There you go. And expect another one of those tomorrow morning, Brittany, but I mean afternoon temperatures today, if you're really looking for a break from the heat and humidity, well, I hope you enjoyed temperatures like these. 20° in Winnipeg this afternoon. Normal high for this time of the year is 26. So, a little off the mark. 22s, 23s in the west. 20 in Thompson this afternoon.

[00:10:01]Gillam at 22. So, slightly cooler. We're under a trough in the jet stream and that's what's pulled in some slightly cooler air, but also keeping things slightly unsettled as well. So, a general mix of sun and clouds really across the province today, but there have been a few scattered showers pushing through the western part of the province. Dauphin in particular getting a bit of a downpour through the later afternoon hours and all of that localized rainfall pushing southward through Brandon and down into the Mountain area. So, not rain everywhere by any means, but certainly you might get into a couple of little odd showers like we've seen through the afternoon as we continue through the night tonight. So, open the windows if you like to sleep with some fresh air like me, you'll enjoy 13° overnight in Winnipeg. Mostly sunny through the morning and we'll get up into some warmer temperatures as we get through the day tomorrow, Brittany. Even warmer than this as we get toward the end of the week. Those details just ahead.

[00:10:51]>> Thanks, Riley.

[00:10:55]>> [music] >> Manitoba's second busiest airport is getting an upgrade. We'll give you a sneak peek at the terminal in Thompson [music] after the break.

[00:13:29]>> Mhm.

[00:14:39]>> Manitoba's second busiest airport has needed a new terminal for decades. Now, after years of construction and planning, Thompson's new building is just weeks away from welcoming its first passengers. CBC's Eric West Haver got a first look.

[00:15:00]>> Flying into Thompson will soon look different. A new terminal building is almost ready to open in northern Manitoba's biggest hub, almost three times the size of the current one. James Lindsay with the Thompson Airport Authority says it's taken two decades to plan, finance, and build.

[00:15:16]>> What we're going to have more than anything is just space to allow passengers to spend the time that they have here in the terminal building.

[00:15:24]>> Thompson boasts Manitoba's second busiest airport. Only Winnipeg's Richardson International sees more traffic each year, but the terminal has needed to be replaced for decades.

[00:15:34]Work began on the new terminal in 2020, and now, 6 years later, it's almost ready to open.

[00:15:40]The current terminal is too small for local needs, and part of it is sinking on unsteady soil. Mayor Colleen Smook says she hopes the project will make the north easier to access.

[00:15:50]>> It's definitely going to bring our outlying communities together more. Uh Thompson, as a hub, will have to step up to the plate.

[00:15:58]>> New screening and scans will make sure no drugs and alcohol end up in northern communities.

[00:16:03]>> Really what they're looking for, in addition to the aviation security requirements, they're also looking at contraband. So, they're trying to remove contraband to keep it out of the communities.

[00:16:14]>> The build includes a new water treatment plant and possible development nearby.

[00:16:19]The terminal will open for the public late next month. Eric Westdahl, CBC News, Thompson.

[00:16:27]>> Today is by-election day for one area of the province. Voters in the constituency of The Pas Keewatinowi Sak have until 8:00 to cast their ballots for a new MLA. It's one of four northern seats in Manitoba's legislature, covering an area from The Pas down to Peguis. The winner will fill the former seat of the late NDP MLA Amanda Lathlin. You can find election results on our website cbc.ca/manitoba.

[00:16:58]>> Sobeys' parent company says it will stop using a measure that can limit competing businesses from operating at specific locations. Empire says it will no longer use or enforce so-called restrictive covenants. Grocers and other retailers have used them to prevent rivals from opening a store on their former sites.

[00:17:17]In April, the Manitoba government challenged four property contracts held by Sobeys, claiming the grocer was making it more difficult for competitors to enter the market.

[00:17:29]Floods and dust storms have devastated farms across Manitoba this year. Now, there's a group of farmers working together to protect the land where they grow their crops. CBC's Christopher Gorham shows you what they're doing.

[00:17:43]>> Floods eroding the soil that grows our food. Wind storms kicking up dust that rain down and plug drainage.

[00:17:50]Climate scientists tell us these weather events are getting worse. A farmer-led group founded 20 years ago in Manitoba as Alternative Land Use Services or ALUS is helping mitigate the damage. Like at Harold Jansen's farm in the RM of Montcalm south of Winnipeg where May's dust storm created a local state of emergency.

[00:18:08]>> Many people lost tons and tons of topsoil.

[00:18:12]Uh ALUS is a is has programming that will help you whether it's through wind or water.

[00:18:21]>> ALUS brought hundreds of people from across Canada to Steinbach. From there, they rode out to tour the work the nonprofit is doing in southeast Manitoba. ALUS CEO Jordan Sinclair says a farmer knows best approach is how they get the buy-in.

[00:18:35]>> When a farmer's sitting at the coffee shop talking to their buddies, right?

[00:18:38]They talk they see that um new wetland or riparian area and they'll say, "What are you doing over there?" you know, and they'll start talking amongst each other and honestly, that's our We don't really need to advertise, right? Our farmers talk to each other, they see what's going on and they all again, when they see a solution that works, they're right they're right ready to sign up and do the same thing.

[00:18:57]>> Farmer Royden Loewen found ALUS through the Seine-Rat Roseau Watershed District.

[00:19:02]He says shelterbelts and planting native grasses to block wind and hold soil in place has other benefits, too.

[00:19:08]>> We love watching the flowers and the various grasses take off and we think we've created a bit of a paradise here.

[00:19:14]>> Started on one farm in Manitoba 20 years ago, Alice now works with 2,400 farms in six provinces with farmers leading the way to mitigate the damage from climate change.

[00:19:26]Christopher Gorham CBC News Steinbach >> Seven beluga whales were rescued off the coast of Churchill after they became stranded during the low tide. Monday morning, conservation officers were alerted about a potential polar bear near the public beach. Instead, they found a group of belugas, three moms and four calves stuck. When officers went in the water to check if they were alive, some had minor injuries from seagulls.

[00:19:54]One officer helped to reposition some of the young whales to keep their blowholes clear.

[00:19:59]>> Very intelligent creatures and they're very sociable.

[00:20:02]Um so to hear their the calves, the newborns crying like that, you know, you know that they're they're asking for help.

[00:20:11]They're wondering what's going on.

[00:20:13]So it was very important to us that that we help them in any way that we can.

[00:20:18]>> They continued to splash water on the whales to keep them cool and hydrated.

[00:20:22]As the water levels rose, all the belugas were able to swim safely back into deeper water.

[00:20:34]Riley's back in. Now, and one thing that many parts of the province have been contending with over the past few weeks really is smoke.

[00:20:40]>> Yeah. And we are still seeing that.

[00:20:41]>> Yeah, particularly into northern Manitoba, Brittany, due to wildfires that are burning in northern Manitoba, but also in northern parts of Saskatchewan and so on. That's going to continue for the foreseeable future at least to be a bit of a problem in parts of the north and even into parts of the south. So we do have an air quality warning in place for much of northern Manitoba, Thompson included in that as is the Pas, Flin Flon, Lynn Lake into Norway House because of the fluctuation in in air quality. Doesn't mean it's going to be smoky everywhere all day tomorrow, for example, but it just means that just based on the wind direction and the wind speed, for example, there could be some deterioration, particularly around Flin Flon, and I think we'll see some deterioration even into Thompson, for example, as we get through tomorrow. So, Flin Flon looking at air quality health index readings at a 10 plus through the afternoon tomorrow. Southern Manitoba fives and sixes, and this isn't necessarily because of air quality deterioration at the surface. This is more aloft or higher up in the atmosphere for parts of Southern Manitoba. So, like I was saying last night, it might look more milky, more pale, a little more white on the horizon and in the sky. That's some of that wildfire smoke and haze aloft, higher up, that could deteriorate air quality for us as well. So, I'm not talking, at least in the south, anything like we saw last Thursday, for example, with the smoke from Ontario that pushed in, but do expect a bit of haze as we get through the next little while here with winds pushing some of that a little bit further south, although a shift in winds in the south tomorrow will likely ease that a bit as we get toward the end of the week. High pressure south of the border keeping us nice and sunny here in Southern Manitoba, although just like today, expect a few scattered or localized showers through the later afternoon into the evening hours. Even into Thursday morning, there's the chance of a few showers or some stray rumbles of thunder in parts of Western Manitoba as we head into the morning.

[00:22:31]Our next weather maker will be an area of low pressure pushing in from Saskatchewan. This will bring a fairly good shot of rain to northern Manitoba as we head overnight Thursday into the day on Friday. So, expect I'll walk you through some of the numbers in just a moment here, but into Friday, bit of a wet one for northern Manitoba, which really could use some of the rain with some of the wildfires that we've seen. However, that does come with the risk of thunderstorms, and we don't need the lightning or the wind that comes with that. So, some of these numbers, particularly Thompson into Gillam, these are taking into account the potential for some thunderstorms overnight into Friday morning. Numbers won't be this high, but just expect a good shot at 10 to 20 mm for much of northern Manitoba as we head into Friday and we'll trace amounts into parts of the south. Your temperatures into the afternoon, Brittany, 27s, 28s through much of the south, a nice rebound. We do get into some 30s as we get into the weekend.

[00:23:20]I'll have that coming up.

[00:23:21]>> Thanks, Riley.

[00:23:25]>> Well, it's not a cat [music] or a dog, it's a raccoon. But why this nocturnal animal is is making waves online? We'll tell you next.

[00:27:11]>> Welcome back. Well, I ran into a little bit of a conundrum with the dog walking forecast again where we have a lovely pup Matilda.

[00:27:20]Love the name. Love the pup. However, your name wasn't attached to the email when I got it and I tried to email back, but I think there might have been some lost communication there. Regardless, thank you for sending this picture in.

[00:27:33]If you're Matilda's people, love it.

[00:27:35]Please keep sending yours, names included, to [email protected]. So, we we jump up back above seasonal as we get through the afternoon tomorrow. 28° in Winnipeg, a bit of a switch in wind to the southwest.

[00:27:47]Could be a little bit breezy at times and then 27 as we get into the evening with a partly cloudy sky. 29 for Thursday, mix of sun and clouds. Likely a bit muggy into Friday that will fuel a shower or thunderstorm risk as we get later in the day. I know there's a Bombers game coming up on Friday.

[00:28:04]So, we will have to see how that plays out. We'll talk a bit more on that as we get later in the week here. And then looking at the weekend, sticky and hot again, 30s and 31s and 29s for Tuesday and Wednesday.

[00:28:18]A Seattle raccoon has become a bit of an internet sensation after a video of it scampering across a field Brittany went viral.

[00:28:25]>> It's been given the nickname Jimothy and the animal is believed to have a spine shortening condition, but now it's inspired murals, art, and even tattoos.

[00:28:35]Jimothy is tonight's daily lift.

[00:28:43]>> What am I looking at?

[00:28:45]>> Um, this was my first time seeing Jimmothy uh and I initially thought that he was a cat um and just got my phone out cuz I love cats and then when he emerged from the car, I realized he definitely wasn't a cat.

[00:29:01]>> [laughter] >> I I would say that I was seeing some kind of gray fluffy creature that was shaped sort of like an orb with really long legs. Almost looked to me like a monkey or a lemur. I didn't know about him. Um I Yeah, I guess other neighbors had seen him in the past um but this was my first time seeing him and I'm the one who named him Jimmothy. I'm really happy that it it brings some kind of joy to people's lives and I hope it encourages people to kind of walk around their neighborhoods more and just check out what's around them cuz that that's what we were doing. We were just on an evening walk looking around.

[00:29:39]>> When you do zoom in, you can see the typical raccoon face and the markings but yeah, I wouldn't even know what that >> Almost like a quarter of it is gone.

[00:29:46]It's like a hatchback or something.

[00:29:48]>> But he still looks like he's having a good time.

[00:29:50]>> Always.

[00:29:51]>> [laughter] >> Enjoying his best life.

[00:29:53]>> Exactly. That's all for us today. We'll see you back here tomorrow.