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Report finds construction company got $42M in excess claims on Winnipeg police HQ
Inquiry finds Winnipeg was overcharged on cop HQ
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Steve Lambert
The commissioner of a public inquiry into the development of Winnipeg's police headquarters has found that the city was overcharged and overpaid tens of millions to the lead construction company.
Garth Smorang wrote in his final report he is satisfied the evidence presented during the inquiry, which began earlier this year, suggests Caspian Construction received approximately $42 million for excess claims, while another $1.3 million was paid to an employee of a consulting firm for project costs but was diverted elsewhere.
The inquiry is examining the city's development of a headquarters for the Winnipeg Police Service, which ran more than $70 million over budget by the time it was completed in 2016.
Smorang says had the city not been overcharged, the project's final costs would have fallen well within the total that was approved by council in 2011.
The purchase and renovation of the former Canada Post building was the subject of an RCMP investigation into fraud, but no charges were laid.
A judge in a civil court case, launched by the city, found in 2022 that Phil Sheegl, the city's former chief administrative officer, accepted a bribe from the owner of Caspian.
Sheegl had said the money was for an unrelated real estate transaction in Arizona, in which the contractor bought equity and the proceeds were split with former Mayor Sam Katz, who was a co-investor in the property.
Katz told the inquiry that he should have disclosed the sale.
He said the money he received had no influence on his votes on the project, and he was hurt by the description of the land sale as a bribe.
Smorang issued 25 recommendations relating to procurement policies and how the city handles major projects, including improving the city's request for proposals on large-scale projects.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2026.
By Brittany Hobson | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Stellantis workers give union authorization to strike as talks with automaker stalled
Stellantis workers endorse strike mandate
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sammy Kogan
Stellantis workers in Canada have voted to give their union a mandate to strike.
Unifor says 97.3 per cent of members who took part in the vote over the weekend were in favour of authorizing a potential strike.
The union is not yet in a legal strike position as neither it nor Stellantis have requested a “no board” report, which is one of the steps necessary under labour law required for a job action.
Unifor, which represents more than 9,000 Stellantis workers in Canada, said it still believes there is a path to reaching a new collective agreement with Stellantis "so long as the company honours its commitments and does right by its workers."
“Strike action is always a last resort, but we will not back down and accept a deal that weakens Stellantis’ footprint within Canada’s auto industry due to broken commitments that further cause devastation for our members, families and communities that rely on good union auto jobs," said James Stewart, Unifor's Stellantis master bargaining chairperson.
The previous collective agreement between Stellantis and the union expired Sept. 20 without the two sides coming to terms on a new tentative deal.
The union's bargaining committee and the company are at an impasse over several key issues, including job security and the future of the idled Brampton, Ont., assembly plant Stellantis wants to sell.
In response to the Unifor vote, Stellantis spokesperson LouAnn Gosselin reiterated the company's previous statement that it hopes to return to the bargaining table.
"Stellantis remains committed to bargaining in good faith and is prepared to continue discussions toward a negotiated agreement that recognizes the contributions of our employees while supporting the long-term competitiveness of our Canadian operations," she said.
Talks came to a standstill on Sept. 11 when Stellantis signed a memorandum of understanding with defence contractor Roshel for a potential sale of the Brampton facility.
More than 2,000 workers were laid off from the Brampton plant when it halted operations in 2023.
The facility had been slated to be retooled for Jeep production, a process that began early in 2024, before the company paused the plan in early 2025. It later announced it was moving production of the Jeep Compass to Illinois, leaving the plant idled indefinitely.
The union has written to federal Industry Minister Mélanie Joly urging the government to block the potential sale and clarify whether the MOU breached Stellantis' previous commitments to Ottawa.
Unifor ratified new collective agreements with Ford Motor Co. and General Motors in Canada during the summer, as part of its pattern bargaining process with each of the Detroit Three.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2026.
By Sammy Hudes | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Former broadcaster Pamela Wallin steps down from Senate
Pamela Wallin steps down from Senate
THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle
Pamela Wallin has resigned from the Senate, according to her biography on the Senate website.
Wallin was appointed to the Upper Chamber in 2009 by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
She had a trail-blazing career as a broadcaster and became the first woman to be named bureau chief for CTV News in Ottawa in 1985.
After she became embroiled in the Senate expenses scandal that started in 2013, she was asked to leave the Conservative caucus in the Upper Chamber.
An audit determined that about $140,000 in expenses she charged to the Senate were improper as they covered travel related to her positions on corporate boards.
Wallin has represented her home province of Saskatchewan and is two years shy of the mandatory retirement age of 75.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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7 « hacks » utiles au Maxi pour t'aider à économiser sur ton panier d'épicerie
Quand Maxi peut être ENCORE moins cher! 👀
Avec les prix des aliments qui font sourciller, il est bien normal de commencer à se tourner vers des façons plus créatives d'économiser à l'épicerie. Il existe une panoplie de trucs et même des applications qui te permettent de ne pas avoir à vider ton portefeuille en arrivant aux caisses.
Reconnue pour ses publicités hilarantes, la bannière Maxi est bien populaire chez les consommateur.trices, car elle propose souvent des prix réduits. Si tu aimes bien magasiner dans les allées de ton Maxi de quartier, voici quelques trucs faciles qui te permettront de sauver des sous lors de tes emplettes.
Le principe des imbattables du Maxi
Savais-tu que tu peux utiliser le principe des prix imbattables chez Maxi? Eh oui, ce n'est pas pour rien que cette chaîne d'épicerie se targue d'être « le panier le moins cher ».
Maxi s'engage à proposer les prix les plus bas possibles sur une sélection de produits alimentaires, de produits ménagers et d'autres articles de la vie quotidienne. Donc, si tu vois par exemple que les fraises sont en rabais chez Super C, mais pas chez Maxi, tu peux montrer ce rabais aux caisses et l'entreprise devra alors en modifier le prix.
Les applications Flipp ou Reebee pour t'aider à comparer les prix
Si tu ne sais pas trop comment faire ou qu'est-ce que ça mange en hiver « les imbattables », n'aie crainte, il existe maintenant des applications qui font la recherche pour toi!
Eh oui, Flipp et Reebee te permettent de voir rapidement les différents prix des produits dans les épiceries du Québec et effectue même la comparaison à ta place. Tu peux donc aisément entrer un produit dans la barre de recherche puis voir quelle épicerie propose le meilleur coût. Tu pourras ensuite montrer ton application à la caisse lorsque tu effectueras les imbattables au Maxi pour prouver que tu peux bien le trouver pour moins cher ailleurs.
L'application Flashfood
La société Loblaw Companies Limited, à qui appartient Maxi, a mis en place une application, Flashfood, qui permet à la fois de profiter d'aubaines en épicerie et de lutter contre le gaspillage alimentaire. Flashfood te permet de voir les produits qui approchent de leurs dates de péremption au Maxi, Provigo ou Loblaw près de chez toi, de les acheter via l'app puis d'aller les chercher dans les frigos du commerce. Faire des aubaines tout en aidant la planète, c'est toujours oui!
Regarder les circulaires
Les circulaires d'épicerie te permettent de voir rapidement les rabais et de préparer ta liste en avance. Pour économiser, tu peux donc commencer à regarder les circulaires, concevoir ta planification des repas de la semaine et tes achats en fonction des items en promotion. Trois étapes, certes, mais ça peut te permettre d'épargner chaque semaine. En plus, en sachant déjà tout ce dont tu as besoin, faire ton épicerie te prendra moins de temps.
Avoir un poulet rôti gratuit
Si tu te rends en succursale entre 15 h et 19 h et qu'il n'y a plus de poulet rôti dans le présentoir, tu peux te rendre à la caisse pour demander un coupon qui te permettra d'en avoir un gratuitement lors de ta prochaine visite. Un.e commis devra toutefois aller vérifier au préalable qu'il n'y a réellement plus aucun de ce poulet.
C'est d'ailleurs la même chose pour les baguettes de pain cuites sur place.
Privilégier les marques maison
Il peut être tentant d'acheter ta marque préférée de biscuits, de chips ou de tortilla, mais les marques maison des épiceries proposent bien souvent des prix réduits. Chez Maxi, tu pourras trouver les produits sans nom et Le Choix du Président.
Choisir avec soin ses produits
La page TikTok @eezly.quebec s'applique à effectuer une panoplie de tests en comparant le goût des différentes marques en épicerie. Ça peut donc être une bonne idée de visionner quelques vidéos pour t'aider à faire des choix plus rapidement. Parce qu'au final, si tu achètes un produit pas cher, mais qu'il finit dans ton congélateur durant deux ans, tu n'économises pas beaucoup d'argent.
Tu peux aussi visionner les tests de bouffe pour savoir si les marques maison compétitionnent avec les grandes compagnies, malgré leurs petits prix.