Man accused in Charleswood sex assault no stranger to community

A man accused of sexually assaulting a mother walking with her children in Charleswood last week has a long history of harassing people who live and work in the area, residents say.

Brian Joel Levreault, 49, was charged with sexual assault in the Thursday incident, in which he approached the family, blocked their passage and made sexually explicit comments before assaulting the woman, police said.

Levreault was released from custody with conditions the following day, court records show. He has no prior convictions.

The Free Press spoke with several of his neighbours, who said Levreault lives with a cognitive impairment that is exacerbated by frequent alcohol use.

Transit revenue drop projected to be worse than predicted in 2026 budget

Winnipeg Transit warns it may earn $18.4 million less from rider fares this year than its budget calls for.

When the city’s 2026 budget was released, Transit estimated it would earn $97 million in fare revenue throughout this year. However, it also listed an “outstanding risk” that fares could fall $11.1 million lower due to a drop in ridership.

A finance update, based on figures up to the end of March, notes that risk has since increased.

“As of the first quarter, Transit is forecasting a reduction in revenues of $18.4 million,” the report notes.

Winnipeg poet’s reading whole new ‘level of intensity’ during Governor-General installation ceremony

Winnipeg poet and editor Chimwemwe Undi debuted a new work in Ottawa on Monday, titled Reasons, that will hold a place in Canadian history.

Undi, Parliament’s poet laureate, read the poem during a ceremony that installed Louise Arbour as Canada’s 31st Governor General.

“There were a lot of very important people in the room, and the room is quite small and it was quite packed,” Undi said from Ottawa after the ceremony. “It was certainly kind of another level of intensity.”

The 32-year-old lawyer, whose expertise includes professional regulation, wrote the poem specifically for the swearing-in, which was held in the Senate chamber.

Teen charged with assault after jogger stabbed in St. Vital

A man in his 40s was stabbed while jogging and a St. Vital street was host to what residents said was a quiet and coordinated police response that resulted in a 15-year-old girl being charged with numerous offences Saturday night.

Winnipeg police were called to Abbotsford Crescent at about 11 p.m and learned two youth approached the victim to ask for the time before he was threatened and stabbed in the upper body, a Winnipeg Police Service news release said Monday.

The man was taken to hospital for observation and police quickly located two suspects. One was found in Jason Richer’s backyard.

“The dogs didn’t even hear it,” he said, gesturing to a structure near the back of the yard. “And she was behind that shed right there.”

Prognosis grim, but dogged cancer fighter, fundraiser Doug Harvey not done just yet

After almost 12 years living with prostate cancer, Doug Harvey was admitted into the palliative care program in early May. He then told his wife that he wanted to raise $1 million to improve cancer care for Manitobans.

Winnipegger earns Tony for leading role in Broadway production of Ragtime

Winnipeg’s Joshua Henry was on top of the musical theatre world Sunday at Radio City Music Hall, winning the Tony Award for best performance by an actor in a leading role for his performance in the Broadway revival of Ragtime.

Campers, canoes or loons: vote on provincial park licence plate

Manitobans are invited to vote on the design for a new licence plate promoting Manitoba’s provincial parks.

The new licence plates featuring the chosen design will be made available next year.

The provincial park-themed plate was promised in the Nov. 18 throne speech.

“Manitobans love our parks, and so we want to hear from you on the best design to represent that pride in our parks as a new provincial licence plate,” Premier Wab Kinew said in a news release Monday.

City facing $20.4-M budget shortfall but finance chairman ‘not pressing the panic button yet’

The City of Winnipeg expects to end the year with a $20.4-million operating shortfall. However, council’s finance chairman said the budget gap is “not insurmountable.”

Crown, defence make sentencing arguments in Winnipeg man’s decade-long, million-kilo auto-parts sales fraud

A Winnipeg business manager who diverted more than one million kilograms (2.4 million pounds) of auto parts to scrap dealers and pocketed the proceeds with two other men should go to prison for 3½ years, a judge was told Monday.

Michael Silva, 50, previously pleaded guilty to one count of fraud over $5,000.

Silva was general manager for BBB Industries, a company that purchased used auto parts such as starters and alternators. The parts were “refurbished” at plants in Mexico and then sent back to the company’s Winnipeg distribution centre and resold.

Court heard over the course of nearly 10 years, beginning in 2013, Silva, the U.S.-owned company’s most senior Canadian employee, “organized and facilitated” the diversion of 82 shipments of unrefurbished auto parts totaling 2.4 million pounds to purchasers who paid Silva, a co-worker and another accused a total of $940,000.