On March 17, 2026, the Manitoba government introduced new rules across the province to stop stores from using a shopper’s personal information to raise prices for specific people. This legislation, known as Bill 49, aims to ensure that everyone in communities like St. Theresa Point and throughout Manitoba pays the same fair price at the checkout regardless of their personal data.
The changes were announced by Public Service Delivery Minister Mintu Sandhu as an update to the province’s Business Practices Act. The law will ban businesses from using information they have gathered about a customer to have a computer system set a higher price just for that person.
The new rules will apply to both shopping done inside physical stores and online. By banning these practices, the province wants to make sure that pricing remains transparent and that businesses cannot use a person’s shopping history to charge them more than their neighbours.
This move is part of a larger plan to help residents with the rising cost of living. Other steps taken by the government include freezing the price of milk, permanently cutting the gas tax, and keeping hydro rates at their current levels.
The province is also working on other ways to lower grocery costs for families. This includes removing property rules that limit where grocery stores can open and increasing tax credits, such as the property tax credit, to help people have more money for food and essentials.
