Tax exempt system for churches in Canada is under consideration
Parliament’s Finance Committee’s 2025 prebudget report proposes two measures that could impact faith-based charities. This change could revoke charitable status for pro-life groups and eliminating “advancement of religion” as a ground for tax exempt registration. This is a change urged by the B.C. Humanist Association. If adopted in the next federal budget, religious organizations could lose tax exemptions and the ability to issue donation receipts, and if the provinces also follow the change, it could mean the loss of property-tax breaks as well.
First Nigerian Muslim mosque opens in Winnipeg
Winnipeg’s Nigerian Muslim community opened its first mosque, Al-Haqq Masjid, at 500 Dovercourt Dr. in Whyte Ridge on Saturday. The new mosque is fully funded by local donors through the Al-Haqq Prayer Group of Canada. The mosque and resource centre will host worship, education and community programs open to all faiths. Leaders, including community member Titi Tijani and Imam Yunusa Salami, said they discovered rapid growth in the Muslim population in Manitoba and it’s important to have a new area to accommodate the growing community.
Premier Norquay biography wins prestigious award
The J.W. Dafoe Book Prize named its 2025 winner — The Honourable John Norquay: Indigenous Premier, Canadian Statesman by U of M professor Gerald Friesen. Published last year, the biography pulls from family-preserved letters in the Archives of Manitoba to fully bring to life Norquay’s premiership and character. Friesen said the honour is a “remarkable validation” after a decade of work.
New Indigenous language bachelor’s degree programs
Two Manitoban institutions will launch Indigenous language bachelor’s degrees in January 2026. The University of Winnipeg will offer an Anishinaabemowin (Ojibway) immersion BA and University College of the North (UCN) will create an Ininimowin (Cree) BA. The province is contributing $4.5 million for the development of these projects, of which $2.3 million will go toward U of W’s program and $759,000 will go toward UCN’s program. $1.49 million out of the province’s contribution will be used to develop a new Centre for Aboriginal Languages and Culture at UCN. The programs are in alignment with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action and hopes to develop Indigenous language teachers.
Manitoba arts and culture generates $2 billion
A new Manitoba Arts Council (MAC) report says arts and culture generated $1.75 billion in 2023, which equates to about 3 per cent of Manitoba’s GDP and 20,000 jobs. Two thirds of Manitobans through a survey said arts is a vital part of their well-being and support government funding. Live music, museums and festivals topped the list as respondents’ favourites, and the survey showed roughly half of respondents attended an event last year. Nearly half of respondents said they do not view the sector as economically important — a perception MAC and Probe Research say needs to change.
