A planned disruption of maternity services at Brandon Hospital, that was to have started today, has been averted. It would have meant expectant mothers and families would have to go elsewhere for care. Prairie Mountain Health says it managed to secure medical provider coverage. Meanwhile, Brandon’s first baby of the new year, McKenna Janzen, who arrived New Year’s Day at 4:51 am. She was born to parents Jessica and Thomas and big brother Rowan. McKenna weighed six pounds, nine ounces.
———-
If you’re thinking about quitting smoking this year, here’s some new research that might motivate you. Each cigarette you smoke, on average, can take about 20 minutes off your life expectancy. So, a pack of 20, at 20 minutes per cigarette, is about 7 hours of life lost per pack. The good news is quitting before age 40 can reduce your risk of dying from smoking-related disease by about 90%.
———-
Some tax changes in effect this year include a 10% provincial tax discount at Manitoba gas pumps…the GST holiday continues until mid-February on things like prepared foods, snacks, restaurant meals, takeout or delivery, alcohol and children’s clothing…and there are also increases to government benefits like the Canada Child Benefit and Old Age Security.
———-
The ‘No-Spend Trend’ is apparently top of mind for Canadians as we start 2025. A reports says for the month of January, many of us will try and spend money only on essentials, such as monthly bills and food. What’s getting cut is fast food, coffee runs and all those impulse buys in an effort to boost savings.
———-
It’s good to be the boss. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says by 11:00 am this morning, the average CEO will have made $62,660 – that’s the average Canadian worker’s yearly salary. They say in 2023 – the 100 highest-paid CEO’s earned $13.2 million from salaries, bonuses and other compensation, and that was a drop from the record-breaking years of 2021 and 2022.
———-
As we wait to see whether prime minister Justin Trudeau will step down or call an early election this year – a new poll puts Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives solidly in first place in voter support. They sit at 47% followed by Trudeau’s Liberals with 21% and the NDP at 17%.
———–
There will be lots of cool things to check out in the sky in 2025 beginning this month with a six-planet parade that’ll be visible for weeks. We’ll also get three Supermoons in October, November and December – a partial solar eclipse in eastern Canada – more wild northern lights – and the usual meteor showers.
