(FILE)

Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service crews responded to two overnight fires in the early hours of Saturday.

At 2:43 a.m., firefighters were called to a residential fire in the 400 block of Alfred Avenue. Crews brought the blaze under control by 3:12 a.m. No injuries were reported, and the fire is under investigation.

Minutes later, at 2:58 a.m., crews responded to a grass and wildland fire near Archibald Street and Elizabeth Road. Firefighters using specialized wildland equipment worked to contain the blaze, which covered an area roughly half the size of a football field, bringing it under control at 4:55 a.m. No injuries were reported. That fire is also under investigation.

“WFPS urges residents to take precautions as it monitors an elevated risk for wildland and grass fires, driven by forecasted winds,” officials said in a statement.

(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld/FILE)

Manitoba Hydro crews are working to restore power to thousands of customers across southern Manitoba following a severe windstorm Thursday and Friday.

The Crown corporation says the spring storm caused widespread damage to the electrical grid.

Wind gusts topping 100 km/h downed lines, snapped poles, sparked pole fires and sent trees onto lines, resulting in hundreds of outages. Some customers may be without power overnight as crews work to assess and repair the damage.

“Safety is our top priority, both for our employees and customers. In a severe weather event like this there are several potential hazards including downed power lines,” said Peter Chura, Manitoba Hydro media relations officer, in a release.

“Be safe: if you see a downed power line stay at least 10 metres away and call 911.”

Due to the scale of the event, Manitoba Hydro said it cannot provide updated restoration times but crews are working as quickly as safety allows.

Customers can report outages online at hydro.mb.ca or by calling 1-888-624-9376.

RCMP logo is shown in Edmonton, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson)

A 27-year-old Shamattawa man is facing a manslaughter charge after a woman died from injuries sustained in an intimate partner violence incident.

Manitoba RCMP were called to a residence in the community on Wednesday night to find an unresponsive 32-year-old woman inside. She was transported to the local nursing station with life-threatening injuries before being flown to a Winnipeg hospital for further care. She died on Thursday.

According to RCMP, the victim had gone to a safe place earlier in the day when her partner attended and allegedly assaulted her.

Keith Miles was arrested shortly after the incident and initially charged with aggravated assault. That charge has since been upgraded to manslaughter. He remains in custody.

RCMP continue to investigate.

President of the Manitoba Metis Federation, David Chartrand, speaks to the media at the Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg on November 21, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Aaron Vincent Elkaim)

Manitoba Métis Federation president David Chartrand will seek a ninth term as head of the national government of the Red River Métis.

Chartrand announced his intention for reelection on Friday, saying in a statement that his “leadership speaks for itself.”

Chartrand was first elected to the MMF in 1997 and is the longest-serving president in the organization’s history. He went on to win subsequent reelections, including acclamations in 2018 and 2022.

“Now, the work is about securing the future of the Red River Métis government, our institutions, our economic footprint, and our rights so that future generations inherit a strong, self-sustaining
nation,” a news release read.

“I will finish what I started for our Nation,” added Chartrand.

The MMF will hold its election for government on June 23, 2026.

An RCMP patch is seen on the shoulder of an assistant commissioner, in Surrey, B.C., on Friday, April 28, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)

Manitoba RCMP say a 36-year-old man has died following a single ATV rollover in the RM of Alexander.

Police and emergency personnel were called to the crash on North Shore Road just after 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Officers found the Sagkeeng First Nation man in the south ditch beside the ATV. First aid was provided before the rider was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Alcohol isn’t believed to be a factor in the incident. The man wasn’t wearing a helmet, according to RCMP.

His name wasn’t released.

By Paola Loriggio, The Canadian Press

Peter Nygard arrives in a police vehicle to a courthouse in Toronto on Tuesday, October 3, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston)

Ontario’s top court has dismissed an appeal filed by former fashion mogul Peter Nygard, upholding his sexual assault convictions and prison sentence.

Nygard, 84, was convicted of four counts of sexual assault in 2023 and sentenced to 11 years in prison, amounting to nearly seven years behind bars after factoring in the time he spent in custody before and during trial.

The charges stemmed from allegations dating from the 1980s until the mid-2000s, as multiple women — one of whom was 16 years old at the time of the offence — accused Nygard of sexually assaulting them at his company’s headquarters in Toronto.

Nygard’s appeal argued the trial judge made errors in law, including the admission of expert testimony on the effects of trauma.

His legal team pointed to the case of former Hedley frontman Jacob Hoggard, whose appeal of his 2022 sexual assault conviction also took issue with the same expert’s testimony, in part due to the risk of jury misuse. Hoggard’s conviction was nonetheless upheld because the Appeal Court found there had been no miscarriage of justice.

Nygard’s lawyers argued that in his case, the judge’s instructions to the jury regarding how they could use the evidence of clinical psychologist Lori Haskell were not robust enough.

They also argued Nygard’s sentence was excessive in light of his poor health.

The Crown argued in written submissions that admitting Haskell’s testimony was a “harmless error” that did not mislead the jury or cause a miscarriage of justice.

In a unanimous ruling released Friday, the three-judge appeal panel agreed admitting Haskell’s evidence was a harmless error, noting the trial judge’s instructions were “very similar” to those in the Hoggard case.

“They are clear and comprehensive and address the relevant concerns,” the panel said.

“We note that counsel was satisfied with the instructions; no objection was raised to them. We do not accept that, having heard Dr. Haskell’s evidence, the jury was not able to act in accordance with the trial judge’s instructions or would not do so.”

The Appeal Court found no other errors by the trial judge, and no basis to interfere with Nygard’s sentence, saying a reduction “would not be appropriate.”

“As the sentencing judge recognized, the appellant’s age and condition are relevant considerations, but they do not justify the imposition of a sentence disproportionate to the gravity of the offences,” the court said.

The founder of a now-defunct women’s clothing company, Nygard stepped down as chairman after U.S. authorities raided his New York offices six years ago.

The criminal charges he faced in Manitoba were stayed last fall after a judge found records of police interviews with the complainant in 1993 were destroyed without justifiable reasons. The judge concluded that represented a violation of Nygard’s right to a fair trial.

Prosecutors in Manitoba initially opted not to lay charges in 2020, but the province later sent the investigation to Saskatchewan Justice for an independent review, resulting in Nygard’s arrest.

Nygard’s legal team filed a defamation lawsuit last month targeting both provincial governments, as well as Winnipeg police and others. Those claims have not been tested in court.

Nygard faces a trial on sex charges in Quebec as well as extradition to the United States on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. He has denied all allegations against him.

The RCMP logo is seen outside the force’s ‘E’ division headquarters in Surrey, B.C., on March 16, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)

Two suspects are facing charges after a gas theft and police chase near Sioux Valley Dakota Nation.

Virden RCMP responded Wednesday morning to a report of theft at a gas station near the intersection of the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 21. The suspects had pumped $71 worth of fuel into a stolen truck, then attempted to pay with a card that wouldn’t process before leaving without paying and heading west on the Trans-Canada.

Officers located the truck and attempted a traffic stop, but the suspects fled onto a side road. RCMP didn’t pursue the suspects due to public safety concerns, but continued patrolling the area and found the truck abandoned on Road 60 North near Road 153 West.

RCMP used a police dog to track the two suspects to a nearby treed area, where they were taken into custody without incident.

Meaghan Driskell, 27, and Jordan Getty, 30, of Winnipeg, have been charged with multiple offences.

Both were remanded into custody.

A yurt in Stephenfield Provincial Park in Manitoba is shown on July 14, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Steve Lambert)

With the May long weekend upon us, most provincial park campgrounds in Manitoba are now open for campers, but those in the north will have to wait a little longer.

Due to lingering snow cover, the following northern campgrounds will not open as originally scheduled:

• Campers Cove and Pioneer Bay in Clearwater Provincial Park are now set to open May 22.
• Wekusko Falls, Bakers Narrows, Grass River (Gyles, Reed Lake and Iskwasum Landing) and Paint Lake provincial parks are delayed until at least May 29.
• North Steeprock Lake Provincial Park in the Porcupine Hills is delayed until at least May 22.

At Duck Mountain Provincial Park, campgrounds are open for the long weekend but water services are unavailable due to overnight temperatures. Pit privies are available, and some sites may still have snow — reservation holders can be moved to an alternate site.

Campers are advised to bring their own drinking water, as many parks have limited water services because of colder spring temperatures.

For updates, campsite reservations and information on cabins, yurts and group sites, visit manitobaparks.com or call 1-888-482-2267.

Here’s a rundown of what’s open, closed or operating on a reduced schedule in Winnipeg on Victoria Day, Monday, May 18.

Shopping Centres

Kildonan Place — 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Grant Park — 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Polo Park — 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
St. Vital Centre – 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Outlet Collection Winnipeg — 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Liquor Marts

Most Winnipeg Liquor Marts will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on May 18, with the exception of True North Square, which will be closed. Extended hours are in effect this weekend at many locations. For specific hours, visit LiquorMarts.ca/hours.

City of Winnipeg Civic Offices

All civic offices are closed on Monday, May 18.

Recycling/Garbage Collection

Recycling, garbage, and yard waste will be collected as normally scheduled for those with Monday as their collection day.

Brady Road Landfill (commercial customers only) — 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Brady 4R Winnipeg Depot (residential customers only) — 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Pacific 4R Winnipeg Depot — Closed
Panet 4R Winnipeg Depot — Closed

Winnipeg Transit

On Monday, May 18, Winnipeg Transit will operate on a Sunday schedule.

Cemeteries

Brookside, Transcona, and St. Vital cemeteries will remain open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; however, the administration office at Brookside Cemetery will be closed on Monday, May 18.

Libraries

All Winnipeg Public Libraries will be closed on Monday, May 18.

Indoor Pools

On Monday, May 18, Pan Am Pool will be open from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.; Margaret Grant Pool will be open from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.; and Cindy Klassen Recreation Complex will be open from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. All other pools are closed.

Fitness & Leisure Centres

On Monday, May 18, Pan Am Pool will be open from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., and Cindy Klassen Recreation Complex will be open from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. All other Fitness Centres are closed.

Animal Services Agency

The Animal Services Agency will be closed on Monday, May 18.

By Jordan Omstead, The Canadian Press

A skier walks down a patchy ski slope at Whistler, B.C., on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

A rapidly warming planet due to human-caused climate change is set to amplify what forecasters say could be a supercharged El Nino, spelling possible hot and dry conditions to come for parts of Canada.

Forecasters are increasingly confident an El Nino will emerge in the coming months. El Nino spikes global temperatures and has in the past fuelled catastrophic drought over Indonesia, Australia and into southern Asia, and severe flooding in South America and the Horn of Africa.

In Canada, El Nino tends to herald a warm winter. That tendency is most prominent in Western Canada, but it sometimes spills out across the rest of the country, said Bill Merryfield, a research scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Drier conditions are possible too, he said, though that’s more of a “toss up.”

The last El Nino, a strong yearlong event from 2023 to 2024, contributed to Canada’s warmest winter on record and thinned out the snowpack. Hydroelectricity generation tightened and some ski resorts had dismal years.

Forecasters say this looming El Nino could be even stronger, and possibly bump next year past 2024 as the hottest on record.

“The models are tending to say that there’s some chance that it will in fact be the strongest El Nino in the recent historical records,” Merryfield said. “There’s still time for the forecast to come into sharper focus but that’s being indicated as a distinct possibility.”

El Nino and its opposite La Nina are part of a natural climate cycle tied to shifting patches of warm water in the equatorial Pacific.

No two El Ninos are the same, but they now all take place on a warmer planet, amplifying its impacts. A warmer ocean and atmosphere mean there’s more energy and moisture to fuel heat waves and heavy rainfall.

Unprecedented warming driven by the burning of fossil fuels has pushed global temperatures to about 1.4 C above pre-industrial averages, placing the planet on the brink of surpassing global climate targets roughly a decade earlier than scientists had initially anticipated. 

While El Nino could lead to some “very extreme conditions” globally later this year, “it’s not the reason to freak out,” said Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London who leads the World Weather Attribution group.

“El Nino is a natural phenomenon. It comes and goes. Climate change, on the contrast, gets worse and worse and worse as long as we do not stop burning fossil fuels, and it’s already a much stronger influence on many extremes than most natural modes of variability,” Otto told reporters in a briefing this week.

To underline the point, Otto pointed to the exceptional 2023 drought in the Amazon basin. While El Nino and climate change both helped cut precipitation in the region, human-induced temperature rise was still found to be the major driver of drought, said a report by WWA, an international collaboration of climate scientists.

“Climate change is the reason to freak out, and ideally in a constructive way by doing something about it. And we do know what to do about it. We have the knowledge and technology to go very, very far away from using fossil fuels.”

The etymology of El Nino hints at its tendency to peak in winter. Meaning “little boy” in Spanish, a reference to baby Jesus, the name is said to originate with South American fishermen in the 1800s who sometimes noticed unusually warm coastal waters around Christmas time.

Under normal conditions, trade winds created by Earth’s rotation and rising warm air along the equator push the warmest waters to the west, where it piles up near Indonesia. During an El Nino, those winds weaken — sometimes even reverse — and that pile of warm water rushes back toward South America.

That warm water helps to steer storms toward the southern United States and away from Western Canada. Come winter, British Columbia and Alberta tend to get warmer, while California and Texas get wetter. And while El Nino doesn’t exert much influence over Canada’s summer or fall weather, it can lead to quieter hurricane seasons in the Atlantic.

The warmer that patch of water in the central equatorial Pacific – what forecasters call the Nino 3.4 region – the stronger the El Nino. A weak El Nino emerges when the region is between 0.5 C and 1 C above normal. When it leaps beyond 2 C, it’s considered a very strong El Nino, sometimes referred to as a super El Nino.

Rather than comparing those water temperatures to historical averages, more weather offices now determine El Nino relative to the broader tropical region to help filter out the influence of long-term climate change.

The latest forecast issued Thursday by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggests an El Nino is likely to emerge in the next three months and continue through the winter. While it’s still unclear when it would peak, the chance of a very strong El Nino emerging sometime between November, December and January stands at about 37 per cent.

Stronger events don’t always mean bigger impacts, but they can make them more likely to occur.

The 2015-2016 El Nino was the last to peak as a very strong event. Temperatures in Canada soared to four degrees above normal that winter, the second warmest on record at the time. It was also among the driest winters recorded in the Prairies, northern B.C. and Yukon.

A devastating ice storm over parts of Ontario and Quebec in January 1998 also had its roots in one strongest recorded El Ninos.

If Marty McFly can wear a lifejacket around town, so can you. (Supplied photo)

It brings new meaning to casual Fridays.

Canadians are encouraged to wear their lifejackets to work on Friday as the kickoff to Safe Boating Week, which runs May 16-22 this year.

The annual campaign runs to remind folks as they head out to cottage country this long weekend to be safe and responsible in and around lakes and rivers.

Manitobans are asked to remember to wear their lifejackets, never boat impaired, take a boating course and to ensure they have supplies like water, first aid and other things they might need while enjoying the province’s waterways.

“This province has some of the best parks, beaches and bodies of water in the country. I’m encouraging all Manitobans to get out and enjoy these attractions safely,” said Lynne Stefanchuk, Manitoba Coalition for Safer Waters Chair & Lifesaving Society Manitoba’s executive director.

By Nick Murray, The Canadian Press

Prime Minister Mark Carney makes an announcement on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, May 14, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled Canada’s long-awaited new electricity strategy Thursday, placing a heavy emphasis on expanding the role of natural gas in powering the grid as he seemed to distance the government from its 2030 Paris climate commitments.

The new strategy looks to double Canada’s electricity grid by 2050 and would adjust the clean electricity regulations to provide more flexibility to allow natural gas to play a larger role in building the grid.

At a news conference on Parliament Hill, Carney said there is a role for gas in helping some provinces meet an anticipated increase in demand for electricity.

“Under some interpretations of the current electricity regulations, it would be difficult to build some additional natural gas that would complement much bigger builds,” Carney said.

He called the measure a “very practical approach” that recognizes not all provinces are starting at the same place, adding gas will help deliver affordability.

“We have some of the cheapest gas in the world in Canada,” he said.

Affordability is a key consideration in the plan and the goal is to lower energy costs for 70 per cent of Canadian households, Carney said.

“If we get it wrong, Canadians will pay higher utility bills,” he said. “If we’re too timid, Canadians would end up short of power. We can’t pursue business as usual. We can’t simply rely on restrictions and prohibitions.”

The strategy document says natural gas plants are flexible and can complement renewables, such as wind and solar, ramping up or down quickly as needed.

The electricity strategy is the latest move by Carney to loosen climate policies put in place by the previous Liberal government under Justin Trudeau. Carney previously eliminated the consumer carbon price, scaled back emissions caps on oil and gas production and on Friday, is expected to formally announce changes to industrial carbon pricing in an announcement in Alberta.

Trudeau’s electricity plan was billed as “clean” while Carney’s is described as “national” instead. Trudeau’s plan promised to eliminate emissions from Canada’s grid by 2050 and set limits on carbon dioxide pollution from almost all electricity generation units that use fossil fuels.

In a post on X, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Thursday’s news was a re-announcement of old Liberal policies “that hiked electricity prices by a third and cut production over the last decade.”

The new strategy says construction will cost more than $1 trillion and public dollars will be used to cover some of the cost. The strategy doesn’t say how much money the government is willing to spend to achieve the goal, although it mentions offering tax credits and bringing back energy-saving retrofits for up to a million households.

Carney said the government will pay for those retrofits through loans, grants and “complementary measures.”

“It requires permitting reform, new partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and a willingness to use a wide range of energy, including hydro, nuclear, wind, solar, some gas, carbon capture and geothermal,” he said.

Rachel Doran, executive director of Clean Energy Canada, said while the intent of growing the grid was something to look forward to, the strategy missed the mark on how to get there.

“What was really absent from the strategy was this idea of jurisdictions around the world are moving to maximize their reliance on clean energy, and particularly renewables and batteries. Not because of environmental beliefs, but because they’re the cheapest available source of new electricity generation in almost every market globally,” Doran told The Canadian Press.

She said the emphasis on natural gas is “a bit of a flip.”

“Yes, natural gas will have a limited short-term role. But we should be starting from the position of ‘What can we do with the cheapest available resources that also happen to be the cleanest?’ So we’re going to be watching kind of cautiously.”

Vittoria Bellissimo, the CEO of the Canadian Renewable Energy Association, said the strategy signals that all sources are on the table.

“But the heavy preference is for clean electricity, and the Prime Minister in his remarks referred to how much clean there will be compared to thermal-based generation. I think it’s a really good news story for clean energy.”

The new plan, which will be finalized over the next four months in consultations with provinces and stakeholders, also appears to push back the timeline for lowering emissions.

Carney said the new strategy would result in the removal of 250 to 300 million tonnes of emissions by 2050 annually, through electrification with clean power sources.

To hit the current emissions target, Canada must reduce emissions by at least 227 million tonnes by 2030.

“We are putting in place a series of initiatives that will make material emission reductions. We will update our climate plans and emission reduction targets in due course,” Carney said when asked whether Canada is still committed to reaching its 2030 emissions reduction target.

When asked later to clarify his remarks on the government’s targets, Carney pushed back on the notion that Canada is “changing” its climate targets.

“That’s not what I said. What we are doing is we’re focused on investing to get results,” Carney said.

In November, Carney said on the floor of the House of Commons his government would “respect our Paris commitments for climate change, and we’re determined to achieve them.”

Electricity accounts for about seven per cent of Canada’s total greenhouse emissions, an amount that has fallen substantially over the last 15 years as most provinces reduced or phased out the use of coal power.

The government forecasts 130,000 new workers will be needed to double the size of grid. Carney said in his remarks 30,000 jobs will be created by the end of 2028, and 100,000 more by 2050.

A mosquito sits on a man’s arm. (Pexels/Supplied)

Winnipeg crews have started their annual larviciding program to keep mosquito numbers from sucking this summer.

“Larviciding is the most effective approach to control mosquitoes,” the city said in a statement. “It targets mosquito larvae in the aquatic stage before they emerge as adult mosquitoes.

“This season’s mosquito control program will continue to be based on an environmentally mindful strategy.”

Crews will use environmentally friendly and target-specific substances to control mosquito larvae, minimizing harm to non-target organisms and the environment. This is sometimes referred to as “biorational larviciding.” Ground equipment and four helicopters will be used in the spraying.

The city will monitor and treat more than 28,000 hectares of water on an ongoing basis, depending on weather conditions, monitor for adult mosquitoes using traps and fog for adult mosquitoes as needed.

“Adult mosquito treatment would only be initiated if the requirements of the City policy, the AFA Guidelines, and the Provincial Pesticide Use Permit are met,” they said, adding that the chemical they will use in this instance will be DeltaGard 20EW®.

Residents who want a buffer zone around their home can apply for one here.

To prevent mosquitoes on private property, people should eliminate standing water and cover water that can’t be drained (like rainwater collection barrels and pools) with tarps.

A Winnipeg police vehicle is photographed at a scene in Winnipeg, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Lipnowski)

Winnipeg police and Manitoba RCMP say thanks to a joint investigation, they found a wanted man at a local business with guns, cash and drugs.

Police said the Central Community Support Unit (CSU), with the assistance of the Manitoba Integrated Violent Offender Apprehension Unit (MIVOAU), started to track down 38-year-old Stephen Wilfred Jade Wood, who was wanted for violating his parole.

Officers found him and another man at a business in the 1000 block of Main Street, said police, where they were arrested.

When police searched Wood, they found a loaded handgun, ammunition, a rifle, bear mace, fentanyl, meth, cocaine, crack cocaine and MDMA worth about $76,000 total. They also found about $20,000 cash.

The other man had a loaded handgun, fentanyl, and two cell phones.

Wood was charged with numerous drug and weapons crimes, for having stolen property, and for violating his parole, said police.

The other man, Rommel Celfo Jimenez, 50 has been charged with several weapons crimes and failing to comply with an undertaking.

Both men are in custody.

MIVOAU is a joint task force comprised of WPS and Manitoba RCMP members. It aims to identify, locate and apprehend violent offenders with outstanding warrants, said police.

By Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press< Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew speaks with reporters before the First Ministers Meeting in Ottawa, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld)[/caption]

Manitoba is looking at having a commissioner or regulator enforce its proposed ban on social media and artificial intelligence chatbots for children under 16.

Premier Wab Kinew said Wednesday the commissioner or regulator would work to convince tech companies to get in line, and steep fines would follow if that advice goes unheeded.

“If you have a willing dance partner, so to speak there, then it can be a back-and-forth about how we’re going to improve the technology so that those harms are not being visited on young children,” he told reporters.

Kinew announced last month there would be a ban to prevent children from certain online platforms. He made it clear Wednesday that a lot of details have yet to be worked out.

Drafting legislation would take time, and it could be next year before measures are in place, the premier said. The legislature is set to break for the summer in less than three weeks.

Federal Culture Minister Marc Miller said last month that Ottawa is seriously considering a national social media ban for children, and some other provinces are also looking at the idea.

Some critics have said the federal government is best positioned to enact a ban.

Kinew said he’s willing to work with Ottawa and other provinces, but Manitoba has jurisdiction in areas including consumer protection.

One possible step, he said, could see tech companies required to have protection for children included in their terms of service with customers.

Rules surrounding business practices could also be involved.

“There’s been some reporting that some platforms appear to know that it’s young kids using their product and tailor the algorithm to kids … that seems like an unfair business practice,” Kinew said.

Also to be worked out is how a provincial ban might stop children from passing themselves off as older or living elsewhere. People can use a virtual private network, or VPN, to appear to live in another province or use someone else’s information to set up a social media account.

An Ohio man was recently arrested on charges of luring a 10-year-old Manitoba girl into sending explicit images. An affidavit filed for an arrest warrant in the case says the girl had used an older relative’s cellphone and created a Snapchat account.

A provincial ban could simply make adults more alert to the impact of social media on children, Kinew said.

The Opposition Progressive Conservatives accused the NDP premier of making a splashy announcement with no firm plan to enact it.

“He wants to get out of the gate, steal the limelight, pretend like he has a plan,” said Tory Leader Obby Khan.

The Tories asked questions on the topic in the legislature Wednesday on behalf of a group of Grade 9 students watching from the public gallery.