Saskatchewan-Manitoba

Shyness is not going to be a problem for the newest star of the Assiniboine Park Zoo. Recently arrived from the Toronto Zoo, Hudson is the first polar bear at the zoo since 2008.

A half-dozen of the most successful and famous entrepreneurs in Manitoba history will inducted into the inaugural class of the province's Business Hall of Fame, during a ceremony May 30 at the Metropolitan Entertainment Centre.

When Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall takes the stage at the opening of the Saskatchewan Real Estate Forum next month he will be addressing perhaps the most confident real estate crowd in the country.

The Red River Exhibition Association (RREA) has a plan to save horse racing in Manitoba while creating a "multi-purpose entertainment destination centre" at the western edge of Winnipeg.

A community centre in one of the most affluent neighbourhoods in Winnipeg has a plan to replace one of the most run-down rinks in town. The Corydon Community Centre (CCC) has made a proposal to the city to buy the Charles A.

Brandon has the lowest apartment rental vacancy rate in the province, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC), and that is saying a lot. Across the province the average vacancy rate in urban centres is just 1.

Winnipeg Jets fans have already supported their team through sales of tickets and jerseys, and soon they'll be able to increase their financial contribution through slot machines, poker and blackjack.

Manitoba's unemployment rate is down to 5 per cent, matching a record low set last September, says Statistics Canada, while wages also increased in January. The average weekly wage in Manitoba was $873, up from $781 in December.

"Cows were grazing here three years ago," marvelled commercial agent Eugene Hritzuk of ICR Commercial Real Estate of Saskatoon as he watched Black Iron take shape.

Of course, free time is at a premium when you're busy running one of Manitoba's fastest-growing cities. The biggest project on the docket is a new active-living centre, which will feature a 96-suite seniors' apartment complex.