A local pickup/delivery pizzeria is celebrating its s30th anniversary this year. Little Italy Pizzeria was started by Martin Dupuis in October of 1994. The popular pizza joint was originally located on Rosser Ave (323 Rosser Ave) until its move to 305-10th St in 2004. The business was sold in 2017 to a new ownership group (Farhan, Morgan & Saki). Martin felt comfortable handing over the keys to his business as the incoming owners had each been employed by the restaurant for several years. Over that time they had developed an extensive knowledge of both the menu and the customers. The secret behind Little Italy’s longevity lies in its commitment to quality. The menu, featuring a wide array of pizzas, pasta, oven baked subs, and appetizers, has remained true to its roots, with several new items sprinkled in a long the way. The owners have consistently fostered relationships with their customers, some of whom have been ordering pizza/pasta since day one. As part of its 30th anniversary celebration, they will be offering a free medium pizza (1-topping) with every food order of $35 or more (before taxes). To order online, please click here.

Manitoba Labour and Immigration advises the new provincial minimum wage of $15.80 is now in effect. Updated annually, Manitoba’s minimum wage is regulated through the Employment Standards Code. This year’s increase of 50 cents per hour raised the minimum wage to $15.80 from $15.30, based on a consumer price index of 3.5 per cent. For more information on the minimum wage and other employment standards, visit: www.gov.mb.ca/labour/standards.

The J&G Homes Arena and WCHA are happy to welcome Chad Wallin and the Joe Beeverz team to be the operators of Kings Kitchen. We wish Chad and his team continued success and are excited for the experience they will bring to patrons of J&G Homes Arena. The restaurant is expected to re-open Friday October 4th in time for the U17AAA game. The restaurant will be open for all U18AAA, U17AAA and U15AAA games as well as the ACC Cougars games during the season following opening night on October 4th.

Local owners of the Brandon Wendy's location on 18Th Street and Park Ave. have their sights set on expansion. BDNMB.CA was told today that Wendy's Canada approached the Brandon owners to perhaps open up a new restaurant in Portage.   Wendy's did most of the research and felt this was a good move. The new location will be located on the parking lot in the west end by Tim Horton's and Rona. This has been in the works for almost three years and now it is becoming reality quoted Trotter. Right now the current plan is to start construction soon and be open in 2025. New location of Wendy's Portage ( west end of Portage by Rona and Tim Horton's )

In a joint news conference held today, MGEU and CUPE announced that formal strike notice has been served for more than 25,000 health care support workers across Manitoba. If a fair settlement cannot be reached, a strike will begin on October 8, 2024. A number of these often physically demanding jobs start at just above minimum wage ($17.07/hour for many). Far too often people in Manitoba communities are choosing other jobs on the way to something better. Even if these workers had accepted the employers’ last offer, they would still be the lowest paid health care support workers in Canada. “You can’t expect to fix health care if you have the lowest paid health workers in Canada. The employers’ last offer just doesn’t do enough to recruit and retain the workers needed to run our health care,” said MGEU President Kyle Ross. “Continuing to fill staffing gaps with private agency workers is costly and wasteful. Instead, Manitoba needs to grow its health care workforce to provide the care that patients and residents deserve.” “Every day the employer puts off addressing these issues means patient and resident care will continue to suffer,” Ross said. “Strike action is a last resort, but health care in Manitoba is in crisis and that crisis demands urgent action.” “If Manitoba is serious about fixing health care, it will need to resolve the health care staffing crisis, and that means paying fair and competitive wages for health care support workers,” said CUPE President Gina McKay. “Health care jobs that were once seen as highly desirable are just not competitive anymore. The result is increasing staff vacancy rates that are negatively affecting patients and residents.” Both leaders agreed, fixing health care and delivering quality health care takes a whole team. By serving strike notice today, CUPE and MGEU hope to persuade the employer to come back to the table ready to negotiate a fair deal that respects these workers as key members of the health care team. CUPE and MGEU bargaining committees are ready to return to negotiations as soon as possible to try and reach a settlement before October 8. In the interim, however, both unions are preparing for strike action, should it become necessary. In the event of a strike, agreements have been negotiated with the employer, in accordance with provincial legislation, to ensure essential health care services continue. These health care support staff members work at hospitals and personal care homes, and in the provincial home care program. The workers include health care aides, laundry workers, dietary aides, ward clerks, recreation coordinators, maintenance, housekeeping and other support staff.  MGEU represents 6,500 health care support workers in Prairie Mountain Health and Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority.