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This is Manitoba

This is Manitoba

By: CBC
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Get into some local listening - we celebrate Manitobans and lean into challenging conversations. Join homegrown host Marcy Markusa for a new episode every Friday that centres around one story from our province. Whether you hail from the oil patch in Virden or the wheat fields of the Red River Valley, if you fly home to Island Lake or you make music in Winnipeg - This is Manitoba is a podcast for you.

Copyright © CBC 2026
Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Concerns grow after Manitoba deaths following paid plasma donations
    Mar 18 2026

    Health Canada says three people in Canada have died after giving plasma in the last decade –– and all of them were in Manitoba.


    A CBC News investigation found two of those people died after giving plasma at Winnipeg collection centres that pay people for donations. One was a 22-year-old international student at the University of Winnipeg who had dreams of becoming a social worker.


    The two cases are under review by Health Canada, which says it has not made a link between plasma collection and the deaths. Grifols, the company that runs the centres, says it has "no reason to believe" they are connected.


    But the news has caused concern. Today, we’re digging into the fallout: a shaken student community and the province considering banning paid plasma donation. Others, like Georgetown University ethics Prof. Peter Jaworksi, say banning paid donations could have negative consequences.


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    21 mins
  • Manitoba’s role in Canada’s economic agenda, according to Mélanie Joly
    Mar 11 2026

    Last week, Mélanie Joly, the federal industry minister, made a trip to Winnipeg after the prime minister announced Canada’s next defence industrial strategy. The $6.6 billion plan sets several targets for the country to achieve over the next decade, including buying and maintaining most of the military's equipment here in Canada. While she was here, Joly spoke about opportunities the new defence industrial strategy holds for the province to shift its economic fortunes and stand at the forefront of Canadian trade talks. Today we unpack her vision for Manitoba’s role in national industry, and Premier Wab Kinew provides an update on how the relationship with Ottawa is developing.

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    24 mins
  • Inside Thompson's new nickel mining partnership — and what it means for Manitoba
    Mar 4 2026

    In February, Vale Base Metals announced the partial sale of a nickel mine in Thompson, Man., to three new partners.

    The new ownership group says it will invest up to $280 million in operations and keep the mine running long-term. The new owners say they plan to double production in the next five years.

    It's the latest development after years of uncertainty for the mine.

    This week, we look back at Vale's history in Thompson, why the news has residents feeling hopeful and why Premier Wab Kinew says this is the latest chapter in the growing good news story of northern Manitoba's role in securing a brighter economic future for Manitoba.

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    17 mins
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