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KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Traffic was backed up on the Perimeter near Highway 6 Friday morning after a vehicle hit a utility truck parked on the shoulder.

Driver seriously hurt

A woman was sent to hospital in serious condition Friday morning after the car she was driving on the north Perimeter Highway collided with a utility truck stopped on the shoulder.

RCMP said the collision happened just before 10 a.m., west of Highway 6.

The collision forced police to close the westbound lanes for a couple of hours. They reopened just before noon.

The driver of the truck was not injured.

New CEO for CMHR Friends

THE Friends of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights has chosen former board member Diane Boyle as its new chief executive officer.

Boyle was the campaign director for the Friends from 2005 to 2010. The organization raised $110 million for the museum during her tenure.

Boyle has also been involved in fundraising campaigns for the St. Boniface General Hospital Research Foundation, the Health Sciences Centre Foundation, the Children's Hospital Foundation, the Manitoba Theatre Centre and the Winnipeg Folk Festival. Most recently, she has been associate vice-president of Ketchum Canada Inc. (KCI), a consultancy to charitable organizations.

As well, veteran fundraiser Kathy Penner has been promoted to the position of chief development officer. Penner joined Friends as a major gifts officer in 2007, supporting the capital campaign to create the museum. She has over 16 years of fundraising experience.

Suspected robber nabbed

A man believed responsible for 10 commercial robberies across the city was taken into custody Thursday.

Winnipeg police said the robbery spree ran across the city from early December to mid-January.

The suspect wore a disguise and threatened employees with a weapon as he demanded cash and property.

The combined value of money and property taken during the spree exceeded $11,000.

Rene Yvon Gaudet, 39, is facing several breaches of court orders and robbery related offences.

Gaudet is being held in custody.

Four shops hit in spree

WINNIPEG police believe one man is responsible for four commercial robberies Thursday in the downtown area.

An undisclosed amount of cash and cigarettes were taken. No one was hurt.

Businesses robbed included a hair salon in the 500 block of Bannatyne Avenue at 12:30 p.m.; a grocery store in the 600 block of William Avenue at 3:45 p.m.; a grocery store in the 400 block of William Avenue at 5 p.m.; and a grocery store in the 100 block of Isabel Street at 5:15 p.m.

The suspect is described as white male, 35-50 years of age, 5-6 to 5-8 in height, with short salt-and-pepper hair, a moustache/goatee and an average build.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the WPS major crimes unit at 204-986-6219 or Winnipeg Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477.

Hotel hosts trivia contest

SO which room in the Fort Garry Hotel is haunted, anyway?

And what Winnipeg merchant was imprisoned in the landmark Winnipeg hotel in the winter of 1869?

If you think you know, you should sign up for the Winnipeg 1913 Trivia Hunt as part of the Fort Garry Hotel's 100 anniversary festivities.

"The Fort Garry Hotel is really an icon for all of Winnipeg," said hotel spokeswoman Laura Wiebe. "There's mystery around it. It's had hard struggles. There's stories of it being haunted."

Over 1,000 participants have already registered for the contest, which begins on Feb. 11. Registration is free at www.winnipeg1913.com.

"This is our community event. Hopefully, people can have fun and learn something. The more the merrier. It doesn't cost anything, you can learn something... and there's prizes," said Ida Albo, managing partner.

The questions are being compiled by historian Jim Blanchard from the University of Manitoba and author of Winnipeg 1912 and Winnipeg's Great War. The trivia hunt will consist of 10 multiple-choice questions emailed to participants once a month. Top finishers will be entered into a monthly draw for prizes that include Taylor Swift tickets, seats to the 2014 Juno Awards in Winnipeg and spa packages. The Grand Finale celebration event will be held at the Fort Garry in December where the grand prize of a Ten Spa service each week for a year will be awarded.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 9, 2013 B4