Month in Review – Manitoba

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Month in Review – Manitoba

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LAWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

New Laws

Jan 25: Manitoba and the federal government's newly launched pilot offers lower AgriInsurance crop insurance premiums to farmers that adopt sustainable management practices. The average premium for annual crops will be $11.46 per acre in 2026, compared to $13.01 per acre in 2025. The list of Wildlife Damage Compensation program damaging species will also expand during the 2026 crop year to cover damage from blackbirds and raccoons, and livestock injury or death caused by vultures, eagles, hawks, ravens, and other corvidae species.

New Laws

Feb 13: The governments of Canada and Manitoba launched a new pilot project testing the use of satellite technology in the Forage Insurance program. During the 2026 crop year, Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation will use satellite technology alongside its traditional reporting structure to gather feedback. The results will help determine whether this technology can be adopted permanently within the Forage Insurance program. Participation in the pilot will be offered to approximately 50 Forage Insurance participants at no additional cost.

New Laws

Feb 17: Manitoba became the first province to expand universal newborn screening to include congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV), a leading infectious cause of infant disability. Health-care providers in the province have screened more than 1,500 newborns for cCMV since the early testing program began last December.

Action Point: Find out how to implement a legally sound policy for treating pregnant employees.

New Laws

Jan 23: The Manitoba Health Care Retention and Recruitment Office says that it has so far recruited 13 U.S.-trained physicians to practise in the province as of the end of January. Manitoba added a record increase of 285 doctors to its healthcare system in 2025.

Health & Safety

Jan 29: With temperatures across the prairies plunging, SAFE Work Manitoba reminded employers to ensure they have proper procedures in place to safeguard workers against cold stress injury hazards. Such procedures should provide for assessment of weather conditions before outdoor work begins and throughout the day.

Action Point: Find out how to provide effective cold stress safety training to your employees.

Workers' Compensation

March 31: March 31 is the deadline for Manitobans to participate in public consultations reviewing The Workers Compensation Act. The government will review the comments and publish a report setting out its recommendations in December 2026.