Unemployment numbers down in MB
Provincial unemployment is down to 5.2 per cent after 1,600 Manitobans found jobs this month, down from 5.4 per cent in September, reported the Winnipeg Free Press.
Labour force numbers released by Statistics Canada on Friday show that the number of employed Manitobans was up to 625,300 in October, compared to 623 700 in September.
However, there has been little change in the national unemployment rate as of October, with 17.2 million Canadians employed, compared to 17.1 million in September. The national employment rate has remained at around eight per cent for the seventh consecutive month.
Tories promise to rework Bipole route
Leader of the provincial Progressive Conservatives Hugh McFadyen promised to redraft the Manitoba Hydro Bipole III project if elected next October.
The Bipole project, a high-voltage transmission line planned for the west side of the province, has created a great deal of controversy over its $2 billion price tag.
McFadyen told reporters that he would fire the Manitoba Hydro board of directors at the Torie’s annual general meeting in Brandon to ensure that the line was built east of Winnipeg, as the Crown corporation had originally planned.
“Our plan would be to replace the board of Manitoba Hydro and reverse the decision,” he told the Winnipeg Free Press.
“Obviously the board isn’t doing its job currently and they need to be replaced.”
In 2007, the NDP chose to build the transmission line through the western side of the province to avoid cutting through the boreal forest east of Lake Winnipeg and to protect a proposed UNESCO World Heritage Site.
U of M undergraduate research in spotlight
Undergraduate students at the University of Manitoba had a chance to let their research shine this week during the fifth annual Undergraduate Student Research Poster Competition on Nov. 5.
The posters outlined the students’ projects and findings and were judged by university faculty members, staff and individuals from related government departments.
The aspiring researchers went head to head in a number of categories, including applied sciences, health sciences, natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, and creative works.
The competition showcase undergraduate research on a range of topics: from the benefits of yoga on cancer patients to the antioxidant properties of hempseed.
